How to Safely Load a Christmas Tree, and Can You Decorate Your Car

The typical roof rack can carry a load from 110 to 220 pounds, says Joel Batchler, an engineer who has designed roof carriers at General Motors. Typical Christmas trees weigh roughly 50 to 70 pounds, so they should be no problem, he says. Still, “we always recommend owners check with their owner’s manual to check what their roof rack is rated for,” he says. 

Even if a tree isn’t too heavy, it might be too long for your car. The typical tree is 6 feet tall—fine for most SUVs or station wagons, but twice as long as the roofs of many sedans. That makes vehicles with a long roof ideal for tree transit.

“The general guideline is that you don’t want to obscure your forward upper vision,” Batchler says.

He also warned drivers to be careful about putting a tree in the back of a pickup truck. State and local laws dictate how far cargo can stick out beyond a truck’s bed, and you may need to attach a red flag to the end of an extra-long load to warn other motorists.

Any tree in the back of a truck should be secured. Still, 24 percent of likely tree buyers who responded to the AAA survey said they planned to place the tree in the bed of a pickup truck without further securing it.

If you have a smaller tree, GM’s Koby recommends carrying it inside a vehicle.

“If you’re able to fold your rear seats down flat and carry the tree inside the vehicle vs. outside the vehicle, obviously it’s easier from a loading standpoint,” he says.

Even if the tree is inside a vehicle, it should be secured so that it doesn’t injure vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. Also, put down a large tarp or blanket first so that the tree doesn’t leave a mess.