The holiday season is finally here, and a Christmas tree is an important part of it. You’re either team real tree or team fake tree, but in all honesty, if you’re team real tree, we must agree that nothing smells or feels like a real Christmas tree in your house. The smell, the feel, the look of something so imperfect, being so perfect. But finding that right Christmas tree can be hard and getting it home sometimes is a task in itself. Safely transporting a Christmas tree on your car’s roof is harder than that because you don’t want to pull a Clark Griswold and end up in a snowbank or under a semi. Don’t worry, here at Schmit Bros we’re going to let you know how to tie a Christmas tree to a car and safely transport it home with no damage to your car and minimal hassle.
Following the wrong techniques can cause damage to your car, as well as the cars in front of you and behind you as well. To avoid it all, use our tips on tying a Christmas tree to a car for a safe cruise home and an enjoyable holiday. The last thing you need is to damage your tree on the way home that you paid good money for as well.
Make sure that you have the right vehicle to transport a tree. We recommend you use a vehicle with a roof rack, a pickup truck, or an SUV that can fit the tree or has a roof rack on top of it. Make sure your tree isn’t a lot longer than your car because that can cause vision issues.
Make sure you have all the necessary items to tie a Christmas tree on to your car. You will need blankets, tarps or plastic sheeting, rope, bungee cording, or straps to transport the tree without causing any damage to your vehicle. Wrapping the Christmas tree in netting before you load it can be incredibly helpful and trees often come with netting put around it before you leave the Christmas tree lot. If they don’t do that on the lot, by netting the tree, you can stop damage before it can be caused. Before placing the tree on your car, spread a tarp or blanket on the roof to avoid scratches or damage. This also keeps the tree intact and easier to hoist up on the roof of your car or in the back of your truck. Now, load the Christmas tree on the car roof, with the trunk facing the car’s front.
Using a ratchet or bungie strips, tie the bottom, center, and top. Many tree lots offer twine but avoid using them because they can wreck parts of your car and can break pretty easily. Use fixed tie-down points and loop around the tree trunk and above the branches to stop any possible movement. Before leaving the lot, double check the tree to make sure that it’s tied properly. A good way to do this is to give it a couple good shakes to see if there is any movement.
Always also make sure to do the following when possible:
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-Drive slowly. It’s safe for you and helps prevent any damage or mishap.
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-Get a tree that will fit inside of your vehicle or on your car’s roof rack. You can transport it without any additional hassle.
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-If you are loading the tree inside the vehicle, make sure you can see through all of your windows, side mirrors, and rearview mirror.
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-The sap and other stains from the tree can dirty your car. Therefore, it’s best to wash your car after to remove anything that might cause damage to your car, whether that be inside or out. |
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If you’re looking for a new truck or vehicle to help you transport things easier this holiday season, whether that be gifts or a special Christmas tree, we got you covered at Schmit Bros. Swing in today to talk to one of our product sales specialists to see what vehicle would work for your needs this holiday season and all year long.