NEW YORK — The Christmas season has begun and many have started decorating their homes right after the Thanksgiving holiday.
One of the favorite activities for many to decorate is to go to a farm and choose the pine tree that becomes a Christmas tree.
This year, millions of Americans will flock to many trees across the country in search of the perfect Christmas tree. While finding the perfect tree may seem like the hard part, getting it home safely is where the real challenge begins.
Just like moving furniture, appliances, or other large items, transporting a tree can be tricky, and if not properly secured, it can scratch paint, tear door seals, or damage window frames. Worse yet, your tree could be blown off your vehicle and become a danger to other drivers.
Losing a Christmas tree on the way home would certainly put a damper on the holiday season. But more importantly, a tree falling off a vehicle could also cause an accident. The roads can be treacherous enough during the holiday season with increased congestion and wintry weather conditions without the addition of flying Christmas trees. Luckily, with a little preparation, the right tools, and the right vehicle, transporting a Christmas tree is easy.
Here are the AAA recommendations for Christmas tree transportation:
- Before you go shopping for a real Christmas tree, make sure you bring sturdy rope or nylon ratchet straps, an old blanket, gloves, and, of course, the right vehicle. One with a roof rack is ideal, but a pickup truck, SUV, van, or minivan can work just as well.
- Once you find the perfect tree, ask the lot to wrap it in netting before uploading. Loose branches can also be secured with rope or twine to protect the tree from damage. Before loading the tree, cover the roof with an old blanket to prevent scratches on the paint and protect the car from damage.
- Place the tree on the roof rack or bed of a pickup truck with the trunk facing the front of the car. If your vehicle doesn’t have a roof rack and is an SUV, van, or minivan, place the tree inside. If not, rent or borrow a van, a vehicle with a roof rack, or one large enough to fit the tree inside.
- Secure the tree at the bottom, center and top with heavy duty rope or nylon ratchet straps. Avoid using the rope that many trees offer. Use fixed anchor points on your vehicle and wrap the rope or strap around the tree trunk above a branch to prevent any sideways or front-to-back movement.
- Once tied, give the tree several strong tugs at various angles to make sure it’s locked in place and won’t come loose.
- Drive slowly and take secondary roads if possible. Higher speeds can create significant airflow that can damage your tree or challenge even the best tying methods.
