How (and how not) too load a roof tent, solo...

[silverbullet]

A few months ago I bought a "Prime Tech" roof tent (highly recommended, quality is superb for the money even if you're buying new) from another syncronaut, but needed a quick and easy way to get it onto the roof bars on the bus.
A gradual incline seemed to be the way to do it, so out came the ladder and a length of 4x2 as a check, incase it proved to be too much half way:


In two pushes (me walking up the ladder following) it was at the top and ready to top out onto the roof bars:



Did you spot the critical omisson in the first pic? A little clue:



Yes in my enthusiasm I had forgotten to do this:



Which then resulted in this:



Thankfully no damage done, the 4x2 took most of the energy and snapped in half leaving me with a wrenched shoulder and a grazed scalp...

Take two...

[silverbullet]

Walk/limp away, ica pack on shoulder, have a cuppa and ibuprofen, then do it properly:



Happy days!



Be careful out there people, this could have ended far, far worse...best not to think about it eh?

[jes*b]

A good days work all round

[syncropaddy]

There is no quick and easy way to put that yoke on the roof! Its even worse when your Syncro is on 15"s and with a suspension lift!

[tforturton]

What you should have done was to put it on top of the silver one, and then just slide it across.

[silverbullet]

"Just"?!!! As Andrew said, it's a substantial bit of kit (about 50kg or 8st) an loading onto one bus was enough for me thanks! If I had had the mishap on the silver bus then I would also have a smashed big bumper into the bargain...

I will see about making a pair of A-frames and getting some small tackle blocks for next time.

[waltraud]

That all sounds very heavy and unwieldy. Why not put it on the ground instead as is common practice.

Do you have terraphobia or a grass allergy?;)

[Oldiebut goodie]

No - he's just ready for the next lot of floods!