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Gator Inc.'s Gator Straps
 If
you are like me then you probably don’t give a lot of thought
to the straps you use to anchor your ATV to your trailer. I usually
head to the local auto parts store and pick up whatever they happen
to have on the shelf then complain about them when they don’t
work right. Once everything is battened down and we are on our way,
I usually spend most of the drive worrying about a strap breaking
or disconnecting. We dont usually give a great deal of consideration
to straps but they are a very important component of our riding
experience.
I was fortunate enough to acquire a set of Gator Straps from Gator
Inc. and all of that has changed. These straps ROCK! The construction
quality is exceptional. The material is thicker and the buckle mechanisms
feel much stronger than Brand X from the auto parts store. The quality
construction pays dividends in performance. My one inch El Cheapo
straps were rated at 400 lbs. while the one inch Gator Straps were
rated at a whopping 1800 lbs. My whole quad doesn’t weight
that much (not even with me on it!).
The ratchet mechanism on the 1.5 inch ratchet strap is considerably
over-engineered. The oversized handle allows you to get a good grip
on the ratchet so you can really crank it down and the mechanism
works smoothly. The 1.5 inch straps are rated at 2000 lbs so four
of them should be able to safely secure any ATV.
These straps aren’t just tough they are innovative too. The
greatest feature is the built in soft loop that allows the hook
nearest the ATV to loop around a bar then hook to the strap rather
than hooking directly to the ATV. This arrangement is more secure
and it keeps the hard metal hook off of your paint. It also allows
you to secure to larger items (a frame rail, for example) if you
so desire.
Another Gator Strap innovation is the reverse design. With Gator
Straps, the buckle is designed to sit near the floor so you can
leave excess strap on the floor rather than flapping in the breeze.
I personally prefer to secure the excess strap but it is a nice
feature nonetheless. Also, since you pull up rather than down to
tighten the strap you can sit on a corner of your ATV to compress
the suspension while you pull on the strap. This better secures
the ATV to the trailer.
Some might say that getting excited about straps is a bit like
getting excited about broccoli. They are very mundane items that
most people just don’t pay much attention to. If you think
about, however, straps are the only thing keeping your quad from
flying off of the trailer and careening on to the highway at 75
miles per hour. They are also the first and last thing most people
touch when they ride their ATVs. Bearing this in mind, do yourself
a favor and consider a high quality set of straps such as Gator
Straps.
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Click thumbnails for larger images
One inch Gator Strap vs. One inch generic
strap
Notice how the Gator Strap's built in soft
loop keeps the hook off the ATV
With most straps you pull down to tighten
To tighten a Gator Strap you pull up which
allows you to get it tighter
The Gator Strap ratchet has an oversized handle
allowing the user to get a better grip
The 1.5 inch ratchet strap is rated at 2000
pounds...
...so even the heaviest loads are safe and
secure!
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