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Ratchet strap storage

D

Doug-Iowa

Member
Since it was too cold to be outside much, I spent the weekend cleaning out the trucks and organizing a few things. It seems I have two storage methods for ratchet straps, a tangled pile under the seat and a tangled pile in a milk crate in the back of the pickup. And the milk crate option also includes full of ice and snow making for a solid frozen block of tangled straps. I'm not a super-organized person but even by my low standards this is a mess. Anyone have great ratchet strap storage ideas?
 
I've got a plastic toolbox that mounts to the wall behind the bench seat in my truck. I can wrap them all up and store them there, or in the toolbox in the bed. Since I usually have a car seat in my truck for the kids, it's hard to get behind the seat so I've been using the toolbox in the bed.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Unwind the strap until it moves freely. Set the ratchet so it is straight. Wrap both straps and hook around the ratchet. Secure with a thick rubber band in a figure 8.
 
I roll them up and keep them that way with a LONG zip tie. Kids backpacks from Goodwill store work great.
 
My little ones I put each one in a plastic freezer bag. The big ones I take the ratchet off and roll them up. (That way I can spend 10 minutes every time I use them trying to figure out which way I should put the strap into the ratchet).
I store them in a twelve inch square by 5 ft long box I built for the bed of my truck right behind the cab. Works ok for me I figure every time I need one my truck is normally close by.
 
I buy those small plastic tool boxes at Wallmart, and kind of fold them back and forth inside. About 4 to a box.
 
Doug Iowa,

I always thught a quick-rich scheme would be to invent a simple way to store them untangled. I use bicycle inner tubes for rubber bands, also the electrical tape as well.

Good luck,

D>
 

I use the clothe / fabric bags that you get at conventions.. They have boat logos, car logos bank logos and health care logos.. You get them at the thrift store for a buck a piece. Each cargo strap goes in a bag and all the strap bags are in one corner of the tool box and all the chains each, go in a bag and are in the other corner of the tool box. Then I simply grab the number of bags I need.... and the use the handles of the bags to tie around the straps and tuck in the excess strap. So the long handles are a plus and I meet txdot requirements by not having more that 3 foot of strap flapping in the wind. ( its a driver distraction) When I unload, I roll each strap up, put in it the bag, and throw the bag back into the bed of the truck... When finished, I simply put all the bags back into the tool box in the proper corner, and lock the box. All the chains and straps stay free of each other and are quick to grab and toss on to the trailer, bag and all, when I get ready to load. Usually a 25k 36' gooseneck, sometimes the 14k 26' gooseneck and occasionally the 16' lowboy. On the light duty truck, I keep the strap bags under the rear seat along with some consumer straps and rope. (lawnmowers, brush, and very small tractors).
 
Along the same line, I got tired of bungee cords being tangled up in the garage. I hung about a 5' length of light chain by the shelves and hook the bungee cords to various links, long cords at the top. Wouldn't work in a truck cab though.
 
I use a Harbor Freight plastic tool box. I never have time to roll them up, just throw them in, Then when I'm in a hurry, standing in the rain, blocking a loading dock, I will start the untangling task! LOL

But seriously, the box keeps them dry and out of the sun. It stays in the bed of the truck unless I need the room, then it goes inside with the other junk!
 
Depends on the size. I cut a 8 inch piece of PVC pipe and wind them around that. Then I shove the rachet inside the pipe. I want to say I use two inch for the small tie downs. The rachet fits in the pipe if it is fully open. Those pipe will stack on the back wall of the pickup under the rear seat.
 
The best way i have found for them is to roll them up and make them as tight as you can and place them in milk crates. and keep them in a DRY place. while i was on the road doing the big wide ugly hauling i carried 30 straps and ratchets that were longer then what you would normally find since some loads could be 12 wide and 13 high plus the tail . and some of the ratchets had long tails on them , so it was vary important to keep them all nice and neat as possible , same way with tarp straps i would make bundles of them in groups of 25 and wrap each group with a long strap and TIE it and hang it and add a second one pulling down carried 8 bundles of tarp straps and two full boxes of new. Thirty chains and binders So you learned to be neat and organised Had the milk crate in different colors red for the super long straps and blue for the standards . It made it easier for me when loading and that way i knew what crate of straps i needed for that load. . some of the big riggers had fancy strap winders that they could hook into a stake pocket and just turn the crank and wined up there straps , my trailer did not have stake pockets so it was done by hand .
 
I did see a local New Holland dealer sells some sort of plastic thing made to hold the tail of the straps secure when hauling. Not sure if they are also meant to help store them ? So there might be a better mouse trap out there for them.
 
buy a cheap medium sized toolbox the square box type, then when and only when the straps are dry, roll them up and store them in that, hooks facing out, once rolled up it wont take long to form the habit of rolling them as soon as you take them off of the load, plus it makes them much easier to throw over the top of the load when strapping it down
 
Thanks for all of the great ideas. The common denominator seems to be DISCIPLINE to have a method and take time to do it. I think I'll try one of the bag ideas and see what happens.
 
I keep mine in a cheap plastic toolbox along with the adaptors for trailer wiring and a few other usual things (like jumper cables). Someone on here had an excellent post on using old socks (that you lost the mate) to slide the ratchet strap into after you roll them up. It was much better than my way of using cheap masking tape to wrap them up to keep in one place.
 
Laugh all you want, but my old socks that get holes in them work great. I roll up the straps and slide into a sock individually....then put into any type of box, toolbag, bucket, etc... Plus if you are in a pinch, you can always rob a sock or two if you need a rag and nothing else is available. Works very well for me.
 
I have a couple of 2" wide rolled up with rubber bands around them under the passenger sea
ratchets are folded and on the floor beside the straps. 1" ones are the same but stored in a box I built behind the seat. If I take the big trailer, there's a plastic tool box with six 2" straps in it. Also another toolbox with the over the tire straps in it. When I'm done using them they get thrown in a heap in the truck and sorted when I get home.
US Cargo Control
 
I carry a couple of small ones behind seat. The rest of straps and chains carried in a tool on tongue of trailer.
 
The first thing to remember is that you have to take the time to roll them up neatly as soon as you are done with them. As soon as you get lazy and just throw them into a box/bucket/purse/old sock/toolbox/or whatever you have to store them in, they will come out just the same way they went in - a tangled mess! I roll mine up and store them in a side compartment in the back of my SUV. It does not matter as much WHERE you keep them as HOW you keep them.
 
I use Velcro strips. I find them in Menards electrical. Various lengths. Roll up the ratchet strap and wrap the Velcro around it.
32942.jpg


Rodney 8)
 
For storing the straps, like a lot of folks, I just roll them around the handle and into a milk crate. When you are loaded and don't want a loose strap end blowing around: before you finish tightening the strap, fold the loose end back and forth on itself(8 to 10 inches long) and place it 90 degrees to the strap between the strap and the side of the trailer or other solid surface, and just tighten, it will stay there. If you don't have a good surface you can always wrap one of your rubber bungee cords around it and to the trailer. For tarp rubber bungee cord storage, I just cut some 2 1/2 inch PVC to a length slightly longer than the cord and hook them on two deep. I lived in my tractor/trailer with my step deck trailer for seven years, had to keep things neat.
 
I pull mine out of the ratchet and roll them from the hook back with the red thread to the inside. If you roll them tight they stack well. Close the handle and stack the ratchets in a milk case.When you need em pull about 4 feet of tall out and do the old hook shot grenade throw over the load. Works for me.
 

I roll my up without the ratchets, and stack them in a milk crate. I usually keep them in the shop unless I need them. I have some small ones rolled up behind the seat of the pickup.
Also they are easier to throw over a load if they are rolled up the hook part.
 
I tried everything - from "tangled mess behind the seat", to "plastic toolbox", to tape, zip ties, 5 gallon bucket, etc, etc. The best way I have found is to have someone (wife, MIL, friend) take the legs off your old blue jeans, and sew the small end shut (cut the factory hem off first). Also, put a hem around the top (to prevent "frazzle"). I just roll the strap up around itself, then drop them into a bag. WAY more durable than a plastic bag, and keeps them tangle free.
 
To give you a ID I play around with plastic tubs till I find one that fits.. I dip so recycle those tubs all the time... Cut the bottom out and cut till the tub/cone fits... A sour cream tub butter tub etc.

The best tie is some kind of rap they use in the ER. It looks to me like its the same rap they use to wrap your arm when taking your blood pressure..

Nothing is gonna work unless you take the time to nicely fold them up and secure them...
 
I was in a hurry and needed something quick. I had an old beat up mailbox. I used that. It keeps the small straps relatively dry and organized, Handy, and in a box that doesn't look like I would keep anything of value in it. I have used that mailbox for almost 10 years now and it really looks like it is a refugee from the dump.
Tim in OR
 
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