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How do you store your tie-downs and ratchets?

Air_Cooled_Nut

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Mar 28, 2007
Messages
492
Location
Portland, Oregon
For those who have tie-downs and ratchets, how do you store them? Right now mine are neatly coiled up...mostly...and taking up space on a table.

There are some pretty creative folks here so I'm just curious about how some of you have attacked this tangled issue and whose idea I may steal :evil:
 
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Wanna Ride

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Jul 28, 2010
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2,790
I wrap mine individually and tie them with a zip-tie. seems like a waste of time when you do it... right up until you need one. Nice to see them all neatly stowed away, and ready for service at a moment's notice.

But, I'm curious to see if someone else has a better way. I don't like hanging them on a rack. Takes up too much wall space.
 

kazlx

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Oct 30, 2012
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2,851
Location
Tustin, CA
In a pile in the truck bed lol. That way they are always there when I need them. I recently bought an ammo can to use, but I'm trying to think of a way to mount it in the bed. I have a first gen double cab tundra and there is very little storage space inside.
 

mauls

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Mar 2, 2010
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140
Location
Kansas City
I wrap mine individually and tie them with a zip-tie. seems like a waste of time when you do it... right up until you need one. Nice to see them all neatly stowed away, and ready for service at a moment's notice.

But, I'm curious to see if someone else has a better way. I don't like hanging them on a rack. Takes up too much wall space.

I do this same method
 

Jawn

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Jul 29, 2011
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3,596
Location
Stuck in traffic, GA
The long straps get coiled around the hook and rubber-banded into a bundle. The downside to this is the rubber band hardens and breaks eventually, and I find my ratchet strap in a tangled pile.

The ratchet part itself has a short enough ******** it to not be a mess.
 

Toomanytools?

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Nov 4, 2010
Messages
855
Location
Washington
Coiled up and rubber band, yes the rb's will rot out after awhile but they are still wrapped up. Or if my brother-n-law wants to borrow them I hand him the rats nest pile I have yet to coil and say "have at it".
 

JamieK

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Aug 13, 2009
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1,760
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
I keep mine in a toolbag behind the truck seat. And I always spend more time untangling them than actually tying anything down. I've thought about putting each individual one in a heavy duty zip lock bag. May look a bit nerdy/****, but at least they wouldn't be tangled.
 

Spudland_Dave

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Mar 12, 2010
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3,025
Location
Maine
Used to roll & tie them up individually, it took forever and was just an overall PITA. Ended up getting a "Free" DeWalt tool bag thingie with the purchase of a bit set one Christmas season (You know how they always have a bundle of stuff at pretty decent prices this time of year) and now I just chuck all my bungees, ratchet straps, and related hardware in the bag and chuck it under the rear seat of the truck. Easy to get to and easy to use..so that means I actually follow thru. Am I the only one that after the novelty of a new way of doing things wears off, your right back to where you started...complete mess.
 

Big A

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Dec 17, 2007
Messages
43
Location
Niagara Canada
I use an old ammo box...

Box_018.jpg
 

ZRX61

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Aug 15, 2006
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28,716
Location
Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
Mine have 2 storage places:

1, Neatly coiled up in a sturdy ziplock bag behind the rear truck seat

2, A tangled mess all over the rear seat (which is the where they are right now)
 

LuvAZ

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Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
64
Location
Scottsdale, Arizona
Rolled up like most everyone else. No zipties or RB's, though. Just roll'em up tight and stuff them under the back seat storage of my truck.
The key here is- in your truck! As opposed to in your garage, where they will be of no use when you're at the ______ (insert big box / furniture / brewery / powersports retailer, etc) and actually need to tie something down.
Yes, I have on occasion needed them in the garage. I've also found that I happen to be home at the time and my truck is parked nearby, so accessing them is still no problem.

BTW, the strap sack posted above is really cool, too! Just keep it in your truck!

Thaks,
Will
 

rkevins

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Aug 6, 2011
Messages
950
Location
Central Arkansas
we took a dewalt drill case and cut out all the inside deviders. made new deviders from wood. then we coil the straps and binders and plavce in the devided box and keep in in the toolbox on the truck.
 

97dynaglide

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Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
78
Location
Knuckle of the Thumb in Michigan
But, I'm curious to see if someone else has a better way. I don't like hanging them on a rack. Takes up too much wall space.


I have mine hanging behind my air compressor, on a towel rod that is attached to the bottom of a wall cabinet that is above the compressor. Rather than push the compressor tight to the wall, I leave it out about 4" to allow the hanging straps.

Since I have limited wall space, I have to use every inch available.
 
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Old Moparz

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Jan 21, 2005
Messages
1,171
Location
Newburgh, NY 12550
All my cargo straps are at least 20 or 25 feet long & stay rolled up & kept laying on their side in an old milk crate under my work bench. I use scrap pieces of romex electrical wire about 12 to 18 inches long to hold them from unrolling. Pass the wire through the center of the roll, then twist the two ends together over the top of the roll like a giant bread tie. I do the same with the excess strap after the cargo is secured by rolling the end up right to the ratchet. Nothing flaps in the wind or drags in the dirt.

The car tie downs, ratchets & axle straps (Mac) are a lot shorter & are just placed in the duffle bag they came with & sit on the shelf under the work bench next to the milk crate.
 

akdiesel

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Aug 8, 2008
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2,617
Location
Wasilla, AK
I sewed some Velcro tabs on the end that can slide along the strap and roll them individually then Velcro them tight. When in use I use the Velcro to hold the end loose strap and keep it from blowing around.
 

Lkdelta

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Sep 21, 2010
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1,131
Location
40 mi.east of syracuse
wrap the straps around the Racheting part and then they go into a divided drawer I created under the bench
 

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brad2v

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Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
5
Location
Calgary Alberta Canada
Mine are usually rolled up neatly in the cubby in the backseat of the truck. Unless my wife uses them, then they're strewn all over the floor in the back, because 'they fold themselves'. I wonder about those velcro straps they sell for audio/video cables, might be less of a PITA than tie-straps.
 

Spareparts

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Mar 12, 2010
Messages
2,042
Location
Lansing Ks.
Roll the straps around the hook and lay flat in the bottom of a milk crate and the ratchet hangs around the top. They are rolled so when thrown over a load the red line on them are exposed so the hook is facing the trailer or truck eliminating any twists. An old flat bed driver taught me that trick when I was helping him roll up his straps
 

littlefan

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Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43
I roll mine up and use home made ruber band old innertubes cut to size motorcycle bicycle work for me
 

Charles (in GA)

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Jan 11, 2006
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12,489
Location
50 mi south of Atlanta
I wrap mine individually and tie them with a zip-tie. seems like a waste of time when you do it... right up until you need one. Nice to see them all neatly stowed away, and ready for service at a moment's notice.

I do the same but tie them with scraps of 14 and 12 gauge THHN solid electrical wire. I have a whole bunch of them on a shelf. Mostly Keeper brand bought from Home Depot several years ago. 2" wide, 10K lb. 27 ft.

Charles
 

wedge40

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Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
335
Location
Bloomington, IN
Very similar to most on here. I wrap the straps around the hook and hold it together with hair bands. They seem to last longer then rubber bands. Then put em in an ammo can in the truck. Two thing are almost always in the back seat of the truck, ratchet straps and jumper cables. Both stored in ammo cans.

Wedge
 

Charles (in GA)

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Jan 11, 2006
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Location
50 mi south of Atlanta
Roll the straps around the hook and lay flat in the bottom of a milk crate and the ratchet hangs around the top. They are rolled so when thrown over a load the red line on them are exposed so the hook is facing the trailer or truck eliminating any twists. An old flat bed driver taught me that trick when I was helping him roll up his straps

And they will sit there and flap in the breeze like crazy no matter how tight they are. If you put a twist in them, they won't flap and flop around.

Charles
 

trackwelder

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Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
2,608
Location
n.y
The ones in the truck are in a big tangled ball in the truck box, and usually soaking wet. The rest are in a cabinet in the shop rolled and secured with a big rubber band.
 

Jeff Ivers

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Joined
Apr 9, 2010
Messages
2,557
Location
Oklahoma
Part of mine are rolled up and wrapped with Velcro one-wrap (hook on one side/loop on the other) and stored in my truck tool box. For the real long ones that I use to tie-down my car in the trailer, I made a simple rack to hang them from in the trailer.
 

Delta74

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Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
320
Location
Peachland B.C. Canada
I have a Plano tackle box that fits under the rear seats in the truck, its more like a small plastic tool box, the top shelf section holds 6 tie downs ( seperated ) neatly rolled up, in the lower section, I keep a roll of the blue shop rags, trailer hitch lock pin, the hitch with all 3 adjustable hitch balls, 50 feet of rope, brake controller and a small box of hand wipes. its a tight fit, but works great, and is always under the seat waiting to be used.
 
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Air_Cooled_Nut

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Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Messages
492
Location
Portland, Oregon
I don't have a truck, just a jetski trailer I converted to a flat hauler. The trailer doesn't get used much so neither do the straps, thus the need for me to store 'em.

Lots of good ideas, thanks. I have those ball-and-loop bungees, I may use those to keep them together. The Velcro straps is good, too. The **** side of me is liking those bags, thanks Burton. They could hang on a towel rack or maybe I'll make a box for them on the trailer.
 

paullie

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Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
339
Location
NE Kansas
rolled up tight and then use the food type vacume pak them so they stay dry and untangled........not really but you could
 
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