Want to build my own Roof Rack
- Thread starter Socialseb83
- Start date
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Yeah, I’ve seen the posts and read a most of them. It’s obvious he’s excited. I’ve been there, haven’t you? I’m the kind of person who exhausts the internet search bar first, but not everyone is.
Taking a cheaper route is not a necessarily a shortcut, even though that seems to be the consensus amongst most here. I see lots of posts on here saying things like “if you don’t want to spend the money buy a cheaper car, not a Land Rover”. I don’t agree with that sentiment at all.
Troy A
Full Access Member
There is a difference between saving money and creating unnecessary risk. Saving money means buying a well-built rack used in good condition and having it properly fitted OR having the skills, knowledge, and capability to design the rack in such a way that it will be safe for the driver, passengers, and others on the road.
I don't think it serves @Socialseb83 to cheerlead him into designing a roof rack designed to hold equipment safely to the roof of his new truck at highway speed, based on the technical and mechanical expertise he appears to have based on prior posts.
For the record, @Socialseb83 - I absolutely love your enthusiasm for new vehicle build. So don't take my direct points as anything other than what they are - one person's advice that you're free to ignore.
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iSurfvilano
Full Access Member
Save your money and buy a proper one. Someone else has already spent the money on seeing what works and what doesn't. I guarantee that you will spend more time and money (time = money) making your own than buying one.
Troy A
Full Access Member
Also @Socialseb83, your MaxTrax will fit perfectly behind the middle row seats, right up against the seats and anchored into the seat latch structure behind. I store my MT, axe, shovel in that spot and it's perfect.
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cperez
Full Access Member
Plus, that storage location is arguably easier to get to than a rooftop location when TSHTF. Of course, stowing a trashed and muddy dripping MaxTrax back inside your vehicle after your recovery is another discussion (granted most savvy offroaders will have a storage sack or tarp for that situation).
cperez
Full Access Member
You took it well, so props for that. Good luck with this and other aspects of your build. The logic and experience behind the comments in this thread may also apply to other items you wish to bolt onto your truck.
Some of the best advice I've seen here for eager new owners is to make sure you invest in some kind of driver training early on. If you really want to go wheeling that much, it will have benefits that extend into your buying decisions on just about every add-on part you might consider. Have fun and stay safe.
cperez
Full Access Member
+1 on the short rail recommendation. I have the extended rails and I actually like the look on an otherwise ***** roof. But hands down the short rails are the way to go for just about any major rack that requires rails.
jwest
Full Access Member
People often work very hard to make things more complicated and to waste money and energy. The racks are a perfect example of wasted money by most newbies including myself many years ago. I realized you don't need a rack most of the time but rather look for reasons to justify it because it looks the part.
A big rack will cost you $850 twice, (my Hannibal racks were both $1200 though) first time buying it, 2nd in more fuel used.
Math for consideration: 15,000 miles per year at 15 mpg avg = 1000 gallons x $4/g = $4000
Most racks will cost you at least 5% in mpg, some more like 10% and it of course depends on speed. Thus in a few years a rack can actually cost you twice as much as purchase price.
Same goes for heavier and wider tires. Both look cool, both are completely money suckers. Bigger 18" off road tires generally cost more up front but also cost you in fuel and brakes. A narrower tire offsets this and actually works better in most off road situations if you're going with the larger diameter.
Cross bars can carry a roof tent, bridging ladders, jerry cans, all sorts of stuff actually and then later they can actually be the supports for a rack if/when you get one.
Back to simplicity, I have 2 waffle board bridging ladders on the roof not using a rack or even cross bars. They simply sit right onto the factory rails at the rear over the glass and also serve as a standing platform for photos from a higher viewpoint.
Racks and even bars are noisy and anyone saying "they didn't add any noise" is deaf or 100% FOS. All roof stuff ads noise to some degree. A snorkel adds noise as well as window rain deflectors. The modern rovers lr3/4 rrs all became massively quieter than the previous generations, massively.
In the winter my lr3 rack is off because we aren't roof tenting or using awnings which are the only reason to have it on anyway. Adding weight to the roof also kills it's quite good highway handling.
PS. Maxtrax only work for certain situations. A rigid bridge can serve a multitude of uses both off road and and beyond off road recovery. The best value in uses/$ are the fiberglass bridging boards but the nicest are the larger Mantec aluminum bridging ladders.
Lastly, you mentioned $850 being too much right now.... if your toy budget is stretched that tight, my guess is the rack is not honestly the best use of any $ even if in a deal w a friend to build one.
It can actually be fun and feel rewarding to see how much you can do with the least possible, meaning no rack, no winch, no sliders, no bull bar. It depends on priorities too. Back country camping in my opinion has a totally different top 5 items list of mods vs wanting to go bang up the body panels with some jeep friends vs ultra long road trips around north America in winter vs summer.
One person will have a dual battery and serious fridge at the actual top of the list while someone else is fine with BFG AT and an engine guard or tire carrier.
I spent more on outfitting my lr3 when I bought it new in 2007 than someone will spend now buying a used LR4.... that doesn't mean I'd do it that way again though.
The best way to dial in your priorities list is to just get out on some day trips and also camping if that's a plan. You end up thinking along the way "**** i didn't need this" and "ah, that one little thing would be perfect for..." My first rover was the 96 disco and I went on so many day trips with the rover groups and my own road trips for bike racing and it was totally stock until the factory tires wore out then I wore out a set of BFG AT ... twice. Along the way all it got was a dual battery and slightly bigger tires. I put over 200,000 miles on it. I apparently lived through it and guess what, sold the Safety Devices rack that got used for firewood a few times LOL.
Have fun, soon !
A big rack will cost you $850 twice, (my Hannibal racks were both $1200 though) first time buying it, 2nd in more fuel used.
Math for consideration: 15,000 miles per year at 15 mpg avg = 1000 gallons x $4/g = $4000
Most racks will cost you at least 5% in mpg, some more like 10% and it of course depends on speed. Thus in a few years a rack can actually cost you twice as much as purchase price.
Same goes for heavier and wider tires. Both look cool, both are completely money suckers. Bigger 18" off road tires generally cost more up front but also cost you in fuel and brakes. A narrower tire offsets this and actually works better in most off road situations if you're going with the larger diameter.
Cross bars can carry a roof tent, bridging ladders, jerry cans, all sorts of stuff actually and then later they can actually be the supports for a rack if/when you get one.
Back to simplicity, I have 2 waffle board bridging ladders on the roof not using a rack or even cross bars. They simply sit right onto the factory rails at the rear over the glass and also serve as a standing platform for photos from a higher viewpoint.
Racks and even bars are noisy and anyone saying "they didn't add any noise" is deaf or 100% FOS. All roof stuff ads noise to some degree. A snorkel adds noise as well as window rain deflectors. The modern rovers lr3/4 rrs all became massively quieter than the previous generations, massively.
In the winter my lr3 rack is off because we aren't roof tenting or using awnings which are the only reason to have it on anyway. Adding weight to the roof also kills it's quite good highway handling.
PS. Maxtrax only work for certain situations. A rigid bridge can serve a multitude of uses both off road and and beyond off road recovery. The best value in uses/$ are the fiberglass bridging boards but the nicest are the larger Mantec aluminum bridging ladders.
Lastly, you mentioned $850 being too much right now.... if your toy budget is stretched that tight, my guess is the rack is not honestly the best use of any $ even if in a deal w a friend to build one.
It can actually be fun and feel rewarding to see how much you can do with the least possible, meaning no rack, no winch, no sliders, no bull bar. It depends on priorities too. Back country camping in my opinion has a totally different top 5 items list of mods vs wanting to go bang up the body panels with some jeep friends vs ultra long road trips around north America in winter vs summer.
One person will have a dual battery and serious fridge at the actual top of the list while someone else is fine with BFG AT and an engine guard or tire carrier.
I spent more on outfitting my lr3 when I bought it new in 2007 than someone will spend now buying a used LR4.... that doesn't mean I'd do it that way again though.
The best way to dial in your priorities list is to just get out on some day trips and also camping if that's a plan. You end up thinking along the way "**** i didn't need this" and "ah, that one little thing would be perfect for..." My first rover was the 96 disco and I went on so many day trips with the rover groups and my own road trips for bike racing and it was totally stock until the factory tires wore out then I wore out a set of BFG AT ... twice. Along the way all it got was a dual battery and slightly bigger tires. I put over 200,000 miles on it. I apparently lived through it and guess what, sold the Safety Devices rack that got used for firewood a few times LOL.
Have fun, soon !
