- Steps for how to tie a mattress to a car roof rack
- Required tools for tying a mattress to a car roof
- What to do if you don’t have a roof rack
- How to drive with a mattress on the car roof
- FAQs
- Conclusion
- Step 1: Cover the mattress
- Step 2: Wrap the mattress with duct tape
- Step 3: Mount the mattress on the rack
- Step 4: Use ropes or ratchet straps to secure the mattress
- Plastic wrap
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Ropes or ratchet straps
- An additional person to help
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If you’re moving to a new place and you’re planning to tie your mattress to your car’s roof rack, you should do it right to avoid any problems. Through years of experience handling and reviewing mattresses, we feel that we are more than qualified to help you. In this article, we give you a step-by-step guide on how to tie a mattress to a car roof rack and we also tell you what to do if your car doesn’t have a roof rack.
Steps for how to tie a mattress to a car roof rack
- Cover the mattress
- Wrap the mattress with duct tape
- Mount the mattress on the rack
- Use ropes or ratchet straps to secure the mattress
Whether you’re bringing your new mattress home or moving to a new place, you should take certain steps to safely transport the mattress. You don’t want it to cause harm for you and the other people on the road. Before getting into the steps, we do recommend placing your mattress INSIDE of your car if you can as its much safer. If you have a memory foam mattress, you can compress it and place it in a box. Read our how to compress a memory foam mattress guide for more details. This step obviously won’t work for mattresses without memory foam.
If, for some reason, you can’t fit your mattress inside your car, then follow the steps below to tie your mattress on the roof rack.
Step 1: Cover the mattress
Ideally, we recommend using a plastic mattress bag for this. Most mattresses come in a mattress bag when first purchased. If you don’t have one, you can use plastic wrap instead. Why do you need to cover your mattress? To protect it, of course. You don’t know what sort of dirt and debris there are on the road.
Step 2: Wrap the mattress with duct tape
After you’ve covered the mattress with a plastic bag, you’re going to wrap it with duct tape or packing tape. Make sure that there are no gaps or openings in the plastic to prevent wind from tearing through and damaging it.
Step 3: Mount the mattress on the rack
Now for the hardest part, you’re going to mount your mattress on your car roof rack. You might be able to do this alone if you have a smaller mattress, but you’re going to need extra help if you have a queen or king size mattress.
Step 4: Use ropes or ratchet straps to secure the mattress
Follow these steps if you’re using ropes
First, we recommend using nylon or polyester-based rope that’s not too thin and not too thick. Although you might have heard that it’s best to use the thickest rope available, that’s going to make tying it a big chore.
Get enough rope to wrap around your mattress lengthwise and crosswise. Wrap the rope across the front, center, and back of the mattress. Then, tie the mattress to the rack using a trucker’s hitch or another type of sturdy knot.
And do the following steps if you’re using ratchet straps
Pull the ratchet strap through the first roof rack and grab the end from the other side. Pull that end through the second roof rack and hook the hooks to each other. Be careful to hook each end through the circular part, and not the hooked part.
Fasten the ratchet strap tightly by pulling the handle up and down. You should know that it’s fully secure and tight when you hear a clicking sound. Lastly, close the ratchet handle to lock the device.
If you’re using several ratchet straps, just repeat the above-mentioned steps for each one. Afterwards, double check that your mattress is secure and centered on your car’s roof rack. Any overhanging in the front or in the rear can pose harmful risks, so make sure your mattress is positioned properly.
Required tools for tying a mattress to a car roof
Gather the following tools before anything else:
- Plastic wrap
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Ropes or ratchet straps
- An additional person to help
Plastic wrap
You’re going to use a plastic mattress bag or plastic wrap to cover the mattress and protect it from dust and debris. If both aren’t available, you can use old bedsheets as an alternative. The bedsheet has to be large enough to completely cover your mattress.
Duct tape
The duct tape is for sealing the plastic wrap and ensuring that there are no gaps or openings for wind to pass through.
Scissors
You need a pair of scissors for cutting the duct tape.
Ropes or ratchet straps
These are essential for securing your mattress on your car roof rack. Follow the instructions that I gave above on how to use these materials to fasten your mattress and keep it from shifting around on your car roof.
An additional person to help
Although some people might be strong enough to mount a mattress on their car roof on their own, it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands to help. Queen and king mattresses can weigh 90 lbs. or more. You’ll need all the help you can get.
What to do if you don’t have a roof rack
First get enough rope to wrap around your mattress lengthwise and crosswise. Lay your mattress flat on your car roof and wrap the ropes across its front, back, and center.
Next, roll all the windows down except for the driver’s door, and pass the rope over the mattress and through the windows on both sides. Do this twice and pull the rope tight before tying it inside the car.
You can also use ratchet straps instead of ropes to make it even more secure. Once you’ve gotten your mattress strapped in tightly, you’ll be ready to go. However, you can’t just drive how you normally would with a mattress on top of your car.
Read the next section for a few useful tips on driving with a mattress on the car roof.
How to drive with a mattress on the car roof
- Go for a test drive first – This is important especially if you’re going on a long trip. Watch for any shifting so you’ll know if you need to adjust your ropes or straps.
- Stick to back roads – Since you’re going to have to drive slowly, you should avoid the highway as much as possible. Yes it will take more time, but it’s going to be much safer as your mattress is much more likely to stay in place during your drive.
- Occasionally check on your mattress – You also have to stop from time to time and check if the ropes or straps securing your mattress have loosened while traveling.
Your safety should be your top priority. If you have doubts about moving your mattress on your car roof, you should look for a pickup truck that you can borrow or you could hire a moving service.
FAQs
It’s safe if done properly. Follow our instructions above and don’t forget to drive slowly and safely.
It’s legal as long as it’s well-secured. Although a police officer might stop you to check if it’s fastened properly.
You could, but we do not recommend it. Folding a mattress can damage its structure and cause permanent damage to its coils if it’s an innerspring or hybrid model.
Yes, you can tie a mattress to the top of an SUV by following the steps I mentioned above.
Conclusion
That’s pretty much it for our guide. Remember, your safety is the most important thing when transporting a mattress. Make sure that your mattress is securely fastened to your car roof or luggage rack, and bear in mind the driving adjustments that have to be made to ensure a safe trip. Happy moving!
Next step: Read our guide to car air mattresses. If you’re going on a long trip and need to sleep in your car, these air mattresses are a better option than just sleeping directly on the back seat. We go over the top brands and give you info about how to decide which is best for you.
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