Strapping your Loads down!

[Trucklover]

Hey Guys,

Im making this post to show off some new straps i5 got in the mail from one of our own members here, Combat. He made these straps on his own and were working together on coming up with some lengths and prices for these straps. Still a work in progress here, but hopefully soon he will be selling these

These straps could be used on trucks, flatcars, gondolas, pretty much all light loads on anything you can put a load in/on. I had a Ford Aeromax and a 48' Spread Axle Aluminum Flatbed Trailer loaded with some construction materials that had been loaded some time ago, i had just glued the loads to the trailer deck, and this was the perfect thing for the test on these straps.

Well i got to gluing them on, and i think personally they look great and look pretty dang realistic. Combat has made some for me in Black and Yellow, the 2 most common colors ive seen used to tie down loads on trucks. Here are some pics of what i did with my trailer/load and the straps












I used CA glue to glue one side down, and then when it dried after a few seconds i stretched it over to the other side of the trailer over the load and glued over on the other side.

I found it was easiest if some excess was left on either side of the gluing point like shown here:



This made it easier to get it tight because you could pull the end, and your fingers wouldnt get stuck and dry to the trailer with the strap LOL. After both sides were dry, i simply took some flush cutters and snipped off the excess on either side of the trailer so the straps were flush with the bottom of the trailer deck.

Anyways, just thought i would share a cool new product thats coming soon from Combat

[Trucklover]

Here is another truck i did with the straps i had left. This one is a Boley International 4900 bobtail flatbed.

[COMBAT]

I am glad you like those. I have spent a long time, and a lot of effort trying to find the right materials to make those straps as life like as possible. When I made some of mine during testing I used white Elmers glue and let it dry fully then pulled it tight to the other side and glued it. It dried fairly quickly and with some water I can release the Elmers glue from holding the strap and reuse then on other loads. The straps work so well, I didnt even glue my loads to the truck, they are held on to the truck by the actual strap. Just like real life. Thanks for the comments Josh. As soon as we get some details finalized, this product will be available.

[MasonJar]

Josh, Combat,

Have you considered rolling the excess strapping and cementing it between two little squares of styrene to simulate the ratcheting hold-downs on such trucks/trailers?

Andrew

[Russ Bellinis]

Josh, Combat,

Have you considered rolling the excess strapping and cementing it between two little squares of styrene to simulate the ratcheting hold-downs on such trucks/trailers?

Andrew

Since the ratcheting hold downs used by truckers are hooked to the truck/trailer bed at one end and then ratcheted to tighten the straps at the other end, I think it would be relatively easy to roll one end to simulate a ratchet, glue it in place, and after the glue dries to pull it tight and glue the other end and cut it off.

[tomustang]

The yellow looks great, but it's hard for me to see the black, can you get a closer shot if it?

[Brakie]

Very nice Josh..

As a suggestion you may want to use some saran wrap on that pellet load since most pallets are shrink wrap today..

[MountainMan]

Those look very good, but you might consider using small blocks of scrap wood at points where the straps touch the loads. Those sharp load corners would quickly abrade right through those straps in real life, and anything crushable is always protected from the pressure of tie-downs.

[eightyeightfan1]

They do look good.
Buy MM is right. They usually have something on sharp corners so as not to wear the straps out. Thick angled cardboard, scrap pieces of wood will work.
Air Force straps(What we called those in the Army) can be expensive.

[MountainMan]

Air Force straps(What we called those in the Army) can be expensive.

LOL! (retired Army)