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Now try and tell me that Welsh blokes arnt tight!!
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Now try and tell me that Welsh blokes arnt tight!!
R
YOU just can't face the truth!
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If anyone is interested, some info about drag (and therefore MPG):
Aerodynamic drag is related to speed as an exponential - the difference in drag between 50 and 70mph is much greater than that between 30 and 50mph. Above 70mph (speed limits permitting), the increases in drag are even worse. It may be helpful to think of 50mph as a significant watershed - below 50mph aerodynamic drag has little effect on MPG, but above 50mph drag plays an increasingly significant role. Thus in town driving, MPG should be affected relatively little by what you carry on your roof, but on motorways the load on your roof will have a significant effect on MPG. Wind noise is also related to speed in a similar way.
Things you can do to help would be to take the ladders off whenever possible, keep motorway speeds down as much as is practicable, and to use a roof system that has been designed to reduce drag. Hope this helps.
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Discuss ladder straps in the Electrical Tools and Products area at ElectriciansForums.net
Now try and tell me that Welsh blokes arnt tight!!
OP
rocker
YOU just can't face the truth!
OP
eskimo39
Well I have just ordered a pair online. I saw them months ago in PE magazine but then read a few bad reviews so put them off. If Rhino are willing to come on here and defend them I hope they will live up to my expectations (if so might even ask for another pair for my birthday next week!!)
The howling ladder problem I had was resolved by putting the base of the ladder to the front of the rack. The ladder has D shaped rungs so the flat face hitting the air at speed was causing the noise turning the ladder round so the round of the D hits the air virtually eliminated the howling noise
OP
DurhamSparky
i took my ladders off... costing me a fortune in fuel...!
OP
eskimo39
Do you think it ,akes a massive difference?? I have a triple 4m a double 3m and a double 4m cat ladder permanently strapped to my roof. Keep blaming my massive fuel bills on the rising cost but never though about how much they affect my MPG.
OP
rocker
I regularly check my MPG - I always have steps on my roof, I definitely lose about 3 mpg when I have my 3m triples on the roof. Mind you, they are old 80s ones and they weigh a ton, and I am in a doody Fiesta.
OP
RhinoTechTeam
If anyone is interested, some info about drag (and therefore MPG):
Aerodynamic drag is related to speed as an exponential - the difference in drag between 50 and 70mph is much greater than that between 30 and 50mph. Above 70mph (speed limits permitting), the increases in drag are even worse. It may be helpful to think of 50mph as a significant watershed - below 50mph aerodynamic drag has little effect on MPG, but above 50mph drag plays an increasingly significant role. Thus in town driving, MPG should be affected relatively little by what you carry on your roof, but on motorways the load on your roof will have a significant effect on MPG. Wind noise is also related to speed in a similar way.
Things you can do to help would be to take the ladders off whenever possible, keep motorway speeds down as much as is practicable, and to use a roof system that has been designed to reduce drag. Hope this helps.
OP
DurhamSparky
basically rocker what Rhino man is saying is slow the **beeping hell** down... you will kill a kid one day and that pipe rack of yours will take a 6ft 2in chaps head clean off..!!
oh and remember to keep the handbrake on when parked on a hill...!!
oh and remember to keep the handbrake on when parked on a hill...!!
OP
johnthesparky
that's good advice, I have a rhino roof rack (the new modular one with the spoiler... not like the old square tubed howler on my doblo), and rhino pipe tubes on the van all the time, and I do take the ladders off when I can... or remember, or don't get in too late and then can't be bothered to go back out, move the van, take the ladders off, then pack them away and move the van back
unfortunately the other option didn't seem to make any sense, keep motorway speeds what?
I also have got the safe clamps too... bought mostly because I forgot my new van was higher than my old van and *ahem* stretched the threads on the old clamps on a carpark height limit), and so far rate them..... we'll see in a few months (when the threads in the old clamps would have seized, I'm hoping the stainless bar will still be fine)
unfortunately the other option didn't seem to make any sense, keep motorway speeds what?
I also have got the safe clamps too... bought mostly because I forgot my new van was higher than my old van and *ahem* stretched the threads on the old clamps on a carpark height limit), and so far rate them..... we'll see in a few months (when the threads in the old clamps would have seized, I'm hoping the stainless bar will still be fine)
OP
Capita
Bumping this to dust off the cobwebs slightly 
The easiest and best solution was mentioned on P1 - ratchet strap and a chain and padlock.
I used to strap the ladders on to the rack down the length of the rungs, rack in question was an SDV trade rack with 3 stage extension ladders.
Ladders on the left die of the rack up against the stops, this is probably going to be long winded to explain but straight forward to do - the strap essentially runs across the top section of ladder across the length of the rungs, imaging pulling the strap on from the back to the front of the van with the hook in your hand, then somewhere near mid side door level you want to thread the hook down between all 3 ladder sections and under the roof rack rail, then straight back up so the strap is back on top of the ladder sections, then carry on across the top of the ladder and drop back down and hook the strap onto the roof rail nearest the second set of ladder rungs. The ratchet then used to hook on to the roof rails at the back, and thread up and tighten.
Once you've done it a couple of times its second nature and takes seconds, ladders are secure and have no rattle. Then a small length of chain to ring around the stiles and the roof rack side rail - key on a magnet to stick on van bulkhead and the jobs done!
Sorry if some of that is like teaching your gran to suck eggs, but after seeing some of the bizarre and unsafe ways people tie (or insulation tape or cable tie) stuff to their roof racks i thought id try and give a bit of detail
The easiest and best solution was mentioned on P1 - ratchet strap and a chain and padlock.
I used to strap the ladders on to the rack down the length of the rungs, rack in question was an SDV trade rack with 3 stage extension ladders.
Ladders on the left die of the rack up against the stops, this is probably going to be long winded to explain but straight forward to do - the strap essentially runs across the top section of ladder across the length of the rungs, imaging pulling the strap on from the back to the front of the van with the hook in your hand, then somewhere near mid side door level you want to thread the hook down between all 3 ladder sections and under the roof rack rail, then straight back up so the strap is back on top of the ladder sections, then carry on across the top of the ladder and drop back down and hook the strap onto the roof rail nearest the second set of ladder rungs. The ratchet then used to hook on to the roof rails at the back, and thread up and tighten.
Once you've done it a couple of times its second nature and takes seconds, ladders are secure and have no rattle. Then a small length of chain to ring around the stiles and the roof rack side rail - key on a magnet to stick on van bulkhead and the jobs done!
Sorry if some of that is like teaching your gran to suck eggs, but after seeing some of the bizarre and unsafe ways people tie (or insulation tape or cable tie) stuff to their roof racks i thought id try and give a bit of detail
OP
The Finch
I'm using the full length straps at the moment nut can be a pain to thread under so might look at the ones with the hooks as for lock I bought z bike lock from halfords stop the light fingered little bleeders
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