Why do my straps do this, and how to stop it?

My ribs have a couple holes already drilled, one is located in just the right spot for this. Thanks.

 

this is the tie bar on one of the transcrafts i ordered a few years back.






This is the tie bar on the new manac i bought last year end; see where the j hook storage is?



If you run a flat hook to the tie bar where the j hooks are stored.......
I’m not an engineer, I would’ve thought running the J hooks on the inside and the tie bar on the outside would make more sense.

 

I'm guessing by the open holes in the cross frames that in the absence of the J-hook holder, the tie bar would be on the outside? Or someone just got it wrong?

 

I really don’t know, but when bolting it together, it would’ve been easy enough just to put the J hooks inboard of the tie bar. Chances are, i want one and not the other For the most part.

All the other units that were on the lot that day were set up the same way. So I can’t speak to it being a mistake versus a common place thing.
I guess I will find out quick enough though, I ordered another new step deck. Should’ve actually been here last week. That does not have a J hook system. So I’ll see how it’s set up when it gets here.

 

like not4hire said it looks like the holes are already there closer to the outside rail. Can you swap them, move the tie down bar outward and move the J-hook storage inboard? They appear to have the same holes.

 

Strapping to the rub rail is better imo.
If the strap get’s loose it won’t fly away, like it would when strapped to the tie bar.
I’d rather have a loose strap flapping on the load (that I can stop and re-tighten), than a ribbon flying straight into my axles.

 

i think the reason some people wrap it is because when you drop it straight down it can "miss" when you go to pull/tighten. happens to me alot the missing part walk back around etc frustrating

 

The reason you wrap it is because if anything goes wrong it'll drop right out and there's no more strap. If it's wrapped you have gravity holding it on at least and most likely will just have a loose strap.

 

I had a problem with something like that once. Some cheap crates collapsed causing a strap to get cut somehow. The hook end just dropped out onto the road.

Im still not sure which would be the lesser evil. Dropping a strap on the road and risking damage to other vehicles... Or risking the strap getting wrapped up in the wheels with one end wrapped around the rubrail.
Maybe the strap would break before it started ripping off the rubrail and thus loosening more securement. I dont think it would rip it off, but I dont really want to take that chance.