I heard on the radio that rope will be banned from tying down loads and only ratchet straps will allowed.

Presumably this is because the average polly doesn't know how to tie a knot, so wants to ensure that no one else, in coming generations is smarter than the said polly, but that may be unfair, it could be a disgruntled public servant, that was failed the rope craft merit badge, at scout camp.

Any rate what a load of bollocks, the straps are actually more likely to snap in my experience, especially the light ones that are most used by lay people. They vibrate heavily in the wind and will wear through much quicker than rope, I've had brand new good quality ones go close to snapping in a single journey Bunbury to Albany.

Rant over

Agree with you about ratchet straps snapping before rope. I think the problem lies with load rating. Apparently rope isnt load rated where as ratchet straps are. It's all a load off crap but unfortunately it is what it is.

I'm a 'ropey' that would rather use rope than straps. My background is with rope rescue and also comfortable with both manilla and nylon rope. The issue is exactly as mentioned above - there is currently no requirement for hardware stores to sell rope that has a swl or wll.

You can buy a 20m length of rope that looks like climbing rope from Bunnings and the like for less than $10. Unfortunately, although it looks like kernmantel rope - it has a very low breaking point. Most ratchet tie-downs are tagged and rated. The mechanisms are basically idiot-proof also, which is much easier to regulate than knot knowledge.

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kk said..
They vibrate heavily in the wind

But a half twist in them - eliminates the vib.

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Ted the Kiwi said...

kk said..
They vibrate heavily in the wind

But a half twist in them - eliminates the vib.

You are kidding? Seriously? I have been using them for 20 years and am an arrogant, anal retentive know it all freak and just thought they vibrated at times.

Insert face palm here

Trying that the next time I have four boards or more stacked high.

And IMO good quality straps are the key, like rhino straps rather than the generics from Bunnings that perish in the sun and are significantly thinner anyway.

A sad day if that is true. Sure lots cant tie knots, so they tie lots. Sad, sad, sad. As it happens, I just bought quite a bit of rope, all had clearly marked load limits and also super simple use guides so I dont see the excuse. This country is turning int an authoritarian nightmare.

A half twist aye, well there ya go, I'll try that.

I do buy the strap products for fragile tiedowns like boards, but cut hook off and throw away the ratchet thing, or buckle setup.

But with the real heavy ratchets like I had for my truck it was different.

And while we talk about what we tie down with, I use webbing mostly, but tie knots. I generally prefer not to use ratchets where possible but like the way webbing secures a load with minimal damage and wear.

Mate had a kayak go cartwheeling down the highway after a brand new ratchet strap broke. Sad part is that he didn't realise for 20 minutes, and with a screaming child in the backseat, decided to just leave it there

Myself I'm a rope and knot man, if you can't tie a knot then you're not a man.

The stupidification of us menfolk is continuing at an alarming rate. I mean, you can buy a tyre swing in Bunnings, with all the ropes pre-tied onto it. What has our society come to, where we need everything pre-drilled pre-tied pre-thought out? I mean some people are gumbys, that's fine, but forcing those of us who have taken the time to understand the solution to a problem to use an inferior ratchet strap?

That's it I'm moving to Mars.

^ hahaha ive done that before. ! Once tied a canoe to the back of a trailer with clothline rope.

Looked back thru the rear vision mirror to see it doing cartwheels end over end disintegrating into fiberglass pieces. Ironically Glad no one was behind us.

How are you going to hang serial killers w/o rope?

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nebbian said..
Mate had a kayak go cartwheeling down the highway after a brand new ratchet strap broke. Sad part is that he didn't realise for 20 minutes, and with a screaming child in the backseat, decided to just leave it there

Myself I'm a rope and knot man, if you can't tie a knot then you're not a man.

The stupidification of us menfolk is continuing at an alarming rate. I mean, you can buy a tyre swing in Bunnings, with all the ropes pre-tied onto it. What has our society come to, where we need everything pre-drilled pre-tied pre-thought out? I mean some people are gumbys, that's fine, but forcing those of us who have taken the time to understand the solution to a problem to use an inferior ratchet strap?

That's it I'm moving to Mars.

Got any room left on that truck what a load of crap banning rope anybody know how to run that change org thingy, and fire a petition at local members

Spend 10 minutes at bumblings and observe how people tie down stuff to trailers and roof racks and you will understand why tie down are going the ratchet strap way....

What a load of rubbish.

Can any Dept Transport person (or wherever this idiocy is originating) tell me what rating a strap needs to be to hold down a fridge or a couch on my trailer?
At 50kph - or 110kph?

You can't say. Inherent stability of the couch for example means you only need to stop it sliding around, it virtually can't fall out.

Match strap rating to load weight. Its not the speed that affects it but the inertia of braking. Ratchets can break tie down loops and rails as there is no indication(apart from bending metal) of the pressure applied when using the ratchet. I prefer using rated rope as it is easier to configure and tie knots for all situations(background in rescue/climbing abseiling)

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Mark _australia said..
What a load of rubbish.

Can any Dept Transport person (or wherever this idiocy is originating) tell me what rating a strap needs to be to hold down a fridge or a couch on my trailer?
At 50kph - or 110kph?

You can't say. Inherent stability of the couch for example means you only need to stop it sliding around, it virtually can't fall out.

Indeed

I'm having trouble finding a link to an official policy statement / law?

Does anyone know where we can find official rulings on this?

It's idiotic. Most of the available ratchet straps have simple hooks at either end requiring constant tension to stay attached (assuming we're not allowed to tie knots any more). If the strap goes slack due to a settling load or any other reason, the strap will just fall off.

I'd rather pay the fines than risk hurting anybody with an airborne board on the highway, so I'll be sticking with 12mm yacht rope regardless.

I don't believe it. A quick Google search shows that Seabreeze is the only place in Australia mentioning rope and ban.

Besides, it doesn't make sense. A crap rope and a crap tie down are just as bad as each other. A good rope and a good tie down are equally good. It would make sense to simply have a law that your load must be properly secured then bust anyone for using anything crap.

I use Sea to Summit tie downs. Rated under Australian standards to 250kg. UV resistant. Cam buckles covered in neoprene to avoid scratches and dents. They work fine.

Ju-uuust another excuse to keep the cops patrolling the roads, handing out tickets and away from dangerous stuff actually catching crooks or preventing crime...

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Mastbender said...
How are you going to hang serial killers w/o rope?

...... with one slow click at a time

I was rock climbing in a small village in Thailand. they have an abundance of old climbing rope that have been retired, that they use for everything. wile I was there, there was a car fully bogged on the beach and they used this dirty old static rope that was had its sheath ripped so you could see its inner core to pull this car out. try doing that with a ratchet strap!! these guys have no idea!

^^^ I used to (still do) carry a few short lengths of tape and rope so I could practice knots during my initial training for General Rescue with SES. I also stumbled across some tourists that had a commodore bogged to the axle on a beach. The only equipment I had to tow them out was a 2m length of 11mm rescue rope. I tied a rethreaded figure of 8 on each end through the tow bar pin and pulled them out without issue (apart from having to cut through the rope afterwards due to using the wrong knot!)

Since then - I've never had second thoughts to stepping off a cliff edge or top of structure whilst attached to 2 ropes. That single pull must have been in excess of 2 tonnes!

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Sailhack said..
^^^ I used to (still do) carry a few short lengths of tape and rope so I could practice knots during my initial training for General Rescue with SES. I also stumbled across some tourists that had a commodore bogged to the axle on a beach. The only equipment I had to tow them out was a 2m length of 11mm rescue rope. I tied a rethreaded figure of 8 on each end through the tow bar pin and pulled them out without issue (apart from having to cut through the rope afterwards due to using the wrong knot!)

Since then - I've never had second thoughts to stepping off a cliff edge or top of structure whilst attached to 2 ropes. That single pull must have been in excess of 2 tonnes!

aww man, how hard is it to undo a figure 8 when its been under load, bowline is the way to go!

+1 for bowline. Always get it undone after weights been applied but stays together when needed.

As for the origins of this law, the only place I've heard it is from truckies who say the cops have pinched them or warned them because they were using rope not straps.

It is a tough one. But I can loosely see the reason, as at least the strap is rated, (Strap and ratchet must also carry a black "full length" indicator thread to be legal, so it can be seen that it has not been overloaded) not as has been stated the crap from Bumblings.

You guys are right though. I have already picked up 3 ratchets off the road in case they fractured a tyre.

I couldn't secure my load from a local steel supplier last week with rope as they wouldn't let me leave with their product on my trailer. So out with the straps.

and yeh got to twist them, otherwise they drum in the wind and chafe through the contact point.

Here is a rural link. www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-03-18/new-road-rules-for-wa-from-april/6329922

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DASZIP said...
+1 for bowline. Always get it undone after weights been applied but stays together when needed.

As for the origins of this law, the only place I've heard it is from truckies who say the cops have pinched them or warned them because they were using rope not straps.

The law is well defined for trucks - no ropes. Straps or chain only.

No such rules apply for cars, although you can still get done for load not secured properly if the good officer deems it to be so.

No everyone in West Australia must now comply!!! (Well the end of April) See the link above.

You can still use rated rope. Now there is a can of worms.

having a twist in the strap greatly reduces the load rating and strength and is considered incorrect use of the strap

No the strap can be twisted one half turn.

That was the way we were instructed to do it when we did the new accreditation last December.

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Chook2 said..
Here is a rural link. www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-03-18/new-road-rules-for-wa-from-april/6329922

Wow. What a nightmare.

Listed in the heavy vehicles section but still applies to light vehicles. And good luck finding a "simple" view of what the new rules mean, it's splattered across a whole host of web pages

The rules on what you can use as a tie down seem to be on page 223 (no really) of this document www.ntc.gov.au/Media/Reports/%28E62BE286-4870-ED95-1914-1A70F3250782%29.pdf

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kemp90 said...
aww man, how hard is it to undo a figure 8 when its been under load, bowline is the way to go!

Totally agree...also figure 9 on the bight works well. I did that 'little rescue' when I was a newby to ropes. I'm now much more proficient with ropes - also with 4x4 recovery and carry a kit at all times. That's not the only time in my life I've learned something the hard way.