Living in the Tidewater region of Virginia, we have plenty of opportunities to strap a small boat or two onto a trailer and head to the water. A year ago, we bought a trailer from Malone Auto Racks and at the same time invested in some Malone Load Straps. We’re always interested in quick and efficient ways to tie boats to trailers, and these straps, which come equipped with foam buckle sleeves, looked like they’d be useful.
Photographs by the authorsThe Malone straps can be adjusted and tensioned with a galvanized center-spring cam buckle. Neoprene covers are slid down over the buckles to prevent them from damaging boats and vehicles.
The Malone Load Strap webbing is 1″ heavy-duty polyester with reinforced stitching and is rated for 1,200 lbs of pull strength. It is UV- and water-resistant, and over a year of regular use we have seen no sign of fading, wear, or fraying. The straps feel smooth in the hand and are soft enough to have never chafed against our boat finishes; the tight weave is a good match for the cut of the cam buckle’s teeth.
Each strap can be adjusted and tensioned through a galvanized center-spring cam buckle, which has excellent grip, and none of our straps has slipped under tension. The buckle material is corrosion-resistant, making the load straps ideal for use around water. Feeding the strap through the injection-molded buckle protector and then through the buckle itself is straightforward, and can be done while holding the buckle mechanism open with one hand and routing the strap with the other. A neoprene outer cover keeps the buckle from scratching boats or cars while loading or in transit.
The galvanized buckles are corrosion-resistant, and the cut of their cams’ teeth works well in the tight weave of the strap.
The straps come in 9′, 12′, 15′, and 18′ lengths and are color coded: blue for 9′, red for 12′, green for 15′, and yellow for 18′. If, like us, you have more than one trailer, each used for different purposes, the range of strap length is extremely useful—we have organized several trailers with their own set of color-coded straps, and find that this reduces loading time and takes the guesswork out of tying down a boat. The shorter straps work well with our small kayak and L-shaped kayak racks, while the longer straps have been useful for securing boats on dollies to the utility trailer. Every length of strap has proved useful in our boatyard of seven trailers, sixteen boats, and multiple dollies.
The Malone Load Straps are of different colors according to their length. Seen here are two red 12-footers and a yellow 18-footer.
The Malone Load Straps come with a one-year warranty, are sold as singles or in packs of two, and—given the quality of the product—are priced very reasonably. It’s not often we come across a piece of gear that meets all three criteria of quality, affordability, and high functionality, but these straps check all the boxes.
Audrey (Skipper) and Kent Lewis mess about in the Tidewater region of Virginia and have trailered coast to coast with many a boat. Their adventures are logged at smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com.
Malone Load Straps are available from multiple outlets or direct from Malone Auto Racks where they range in price from $9.95 for a single 9′-long strap to $22.95 for a two-pack of 18′ straps.
Is there a product that might be useful for boatbuilding, cruising, or shore-side camping that you’d like us to review? Please email your suggestions.
For more trailer gear reviews from Audrey and Kent, see…
LEDs for Trailers, long-lasting submersible lights
The Silent Hitch Pin, a spring-loaded block-and-pin assembly prevents trailer rattle
Trailer Guide Posts, less drama at the ramp
I’m a big fan of the Nite Eyez Dual CamJam. While it is only rated to 400lb and I don’t think I’d feel comfortable going that high, there are only 8 and 12ft options and each has grey straps, the buckle can be moved along the strap to any location. It can, in effect, act as a Frigate Knot (aka trucker’s knot) but look cleaner, more shipshape (though less ship-y).