How To Tie A Mattress To A Car Roof Rack: A Must-Know

You finally got a new mattress after many weeks of deliberation with your spouse or friends. Now the problem you’re having is how to transport it to your house. 

An easy way to move a mattress to your home is by hiring a haulage company. But the fee such companies usually demand is on the high side. 

If you have a car, you don’t need to pay anyone to transport your mattress. Even if you don’t have a car, you may have friends, colleagues, or a family member that does. 

Alright, now that you have resolved the mobility issue, you have to learn how to tie the mattress securely to the car. 

If you’re here for such a reason, please keep reading. 

How To Safely Tie Your Mattress To A Car Roof Rack

Safety is one reason many don’t fancy the idea of moving items as massive as mattresses with their vehicles. Most individuals are afraid that the bed may fall off, thus endangering their lives and the lives of other drivers. 

But let’s be honest. It’s possible to transport a mattress with a private car. If you can adequately tie the rope, there’s no reason to be afraid of the item falling off. 

So, your primary focus should be to tie the mattress properly. Please follow the steps below to get this done. 

Step#1: Prepare all the necessary tools:

Besides getting the required rope, you would need other materials. These include packaging tape, mattress bag, work gloves, scissors, and some assistance. 

Step#2: Secure the mattress in the plastic bag:

It’s time to put all the tools you have gathered to good use. Firstly, use a plastic bag. 

Place your mattress in the plastic bag. And remember, you should do the same for old or new beds of any size. 

Once you have the mattress secured in the plastic bag, use the packaging tape to seal up any loose ends. Please ensure the plastic bag is intact. If there’s any leakage, use the packaging tape to seal it up. 

Please endeavor to tape the plastic down. It will help secure it in place and ensure the wind from the highway or road doesn’t rip it apart. The plastic bag must be intact throughout the journey because you never know when the rain may start falling. 

Now that you have your mattress placed in the plastic bag and adequately taped, you can move on to the next step.

Step#3: Move the mattress to the car’s roof rack:

Move the bed to your car’s roof. You can do this by yourself if it’s a smaller-sized mattress. But if you’re dealing with a larger mattress, get someone to assist you. 

The reason you’re seeking help is not that you can’t lift the mattress. It’s because of the need to have the plastic bag intact. 

Once you have succeeded in moving the mattress to the roof rack, endeavor to place it at the center so that it won’t wobble while you’re driving.

If you are interested in moving other items like bikes on your car, you will be interested in reading a source about reliable truck bed bike racks. 

Step#4: Place the rope over the mattress:  

Now that you have the mattress on the roof and positioned centrally, you need to start tying. To do this, place the rope over the mattress’s length. 

Now, secure the mattress’s front end and do the same to the other end. Pull the rope to yourself to avoid any slack. Remember, it’s best to have it super tight. 

Step#5: Secure the mattress’ width 

You have secured the mattress’s length. Now it’s time to do the same to its width. First, open the windows. And endeavor to leave the driver’s window closed. 

Now pass the rope through the window, leaving the driver’s side rope-free. Keep in mind that you’re automatically keeping the doors shut with the rope passing through the windows. 

Therefore, if someone wishes to accompany, he or she has to occupy the front seat. 

So, that’s it. You have succeeded in tying your mattress to your car’s roof. 

How To Transport A Mattress Tied To A Car’s Roof Rack Safely

Tying your mattress on your car’s roof is one thing. Transporting it to your home is another. Even after tying up the bed, you need to take certain precautions to ensure you get to your destination safely. Let’s discuss what you need to do. 

Avoid busy streets: 

If you’re transporting a mattress in your car’s roof, please avoid busy routes. Anything can happen, and if you were in such routes, stopping the car and making the necessary adjustments would be challenging for you. If there are other less busy routes, please take them. But if you don’t have any better option than to go through busy streets, make sure your mattress is tied up properly before you hit the road.  

Mind your speed: 

Yes, you have tied your mattress to your car’s roof, and the rope seems tight enough. But that shouldn’t give you the leverage to drive your car super fast. Drive slowly so that the wind won’t throw your mattress away. Increased car velocity causes increased air pressure. And with that, anything can happen. 

Always focus on the mattress:

Have your eyes fixed on the bed and request your passenger to do the same. The reason is to ensure you are aware of whatever happens quicker. It could be a slacked rope, damaged plastic. Or the mattress could get out of position. When such happens, stop the car immediately and make the necessary adjustment. 

Consider the car’s size:

 Most cars boast smaller roofs, making them impossible to transport large mattresses such as queen size. If you plan to move such a mattress, an SUV would be a wise choice. A truck would also be a good option if you can find one. 

Why You Should Tie Your Mattress To Your Car Roof Properly

In the United States of America, you can tie a mattress to the roof of your car and transport it down to your home. No one would harass you on the way, provided you tied it up properly. 

However, there are tons of reasons to ensure the rope is super tight before you hit the road. Let’s discuss them.

The mattress could block your view:

Align your bed and tie it to your car’s roof tightly. Failure to do so might prove costly. The mattress might hang over your car’s front while driving. And this can force you to accelerate blindly or stop the car forcefully. It’s dangerous, so don’t wait until such happens. 

Could transform your vehicle into a plane: 

Wind is always a problem driving with a mattress on the car’s roof. The wind could get underneath the bed and give it a minor lift. And though your vehicle won’t fly like an airplane, don’t take chances. Anything can happen when you have a mattress sitting on a small car’s roof. 

It might cause an accident:

When you tie a mattress to your car’s roof, you’re combating the wind. If the wind eventually succeeds, the bed would get blown off the roof. When this happens, you may continue your journey unabated, but the drivers behind you might not be so lucky. 

Conclusion

At this point, you should know how to tie up a mattress on a car’s roof by yourself. Please adhere to the steps in this post. You should also inspect the tied mattress and make any adjustments to ensure the rope is super tight before hitting the road. 

When moving a mattress with your car, please endeavor to tie it up properly. Otherwise, you could be endangering the lives of other drivers, including yourself. It’s also important to drive slowly. Don’t be in haste. Moving fast would increase air pressure on the mattress. Before you know what’s happening, the bed could get blown away.