Are roof racks really worth it?

[jscherb]

I use my roof rack on pretty much every offroad/expedition trip I make. I typically plan my schedule for these trips such that finding a place for a flat to be fixed would be hard and the time it takes to do that and wait for the repair would disrupt the schedule, so I carry two spares on these trips, figuring if I get a flat at least with another spare I can get the flat repaired when it's convenient. The best place I've found to carry the spare is on the roof rack. I also carry a jack up there when my trip involved off-road travel, and sometimes I'll also put some luggage up there.

Having an extra spare up there is very comforting when you're doing something like a trip up the Dalton Highway, where it's about 500 miles of mostly dirt road between places to get a flat fixed.

I also have two trailers, but find that I rarely need that much extra cargo capacity, and many of the places I drive off-road would be very difficult (or not permitted) to tow a trailer.

So for me, the roof rack gets used on most trips, and the trailers get used only when I've got a specific cargo need.

 

[AngryRedBird]

I wish the forum would update their software to include a "like" options.. cause images like jscherb posted, have me speechless.. Gr8Top?.. yeah wish they would create a mini top for our jeep..

 

[jscherb]

I wish the forum would update their software to include a "like" options.. cause images like jscherb posted, have me speechless.. Gr8Top?.. yeah wish they would create a mini top for our jeep..

Thank you. My Jeep (and my roof rack) gets far more off-pavement use than most Jeeps. Usually I take a few photos along the way.

Technically it's not a Gr8Tops Safari Cab... I designed and built this first Safari Cab at home in my garage, and after I finished it Gr8Tops licensed it from me and they now have it in production. My "homemade" version of the Safari Cab has a few features that haven't made it into production.

But on the subject of roof racks, my personal Safari Cab is built with integrated roof rack support, so I can mount whatever loads I want up there without the need for an exocage rack like a Gobi.

The integrated rack support allows me to carry loads on the roof even when the hardtop side panels are removed as seen in the Engineer Pass photo in my previous post.

I've got an XJ Cherokee rack permanently mounted up there, and everything else mounts on the XJ rack - there's great aftermarket support for the XJ rack so pretty much anything I want to carry up there I can find the mounts for it.

 

[AngryRedBird]

Here's Our Objective:

I've been trying to locate JK owners who want to get rid of their freedom tops, several have ended up damaging their tops but as of yet no word if they are going to sell them.. We've been running the Bestop Bikini and over the last 2 years of having this fabric top on the jeep.. Two of the cotton/poly blended cinch straps have ripped or torn.

Option 1 would be to restitch the straps with something a bit more durable and colorful. (red nylon) Although I've been able to manage small sewing projects.. this one will need the support of a seamstress.

Option 2 is geared more towards using the 2 piece/panel freedom top.. and simply keeping the wrap around windjammer in place.. In the blank area of the roll cage.. I was thinking of the HighRock storage tray and mounting system.. But altering the design as to remove the heavy steel rods/supports and opting for lacrosse poles.

As a roof rack storage option.. HighRock does have a roof mount with works with their storage trays.. But as I've said in my other post.. I'm more concerned about keeping items/storage within the confines of the roll cage. If Gr8tops or alternative could create a small/mini two seater hardtop which extends down to the cargo area.. We'd end up having a mini, mini truck.

 

[jscherb]

Here's Our Objective:

I've been trying to locate JK owners who want to get rid of their freedom tops, several have ended up damaging their tops but as of yet no word if they are going to sell them.. We've been running the Bestop Bikini and over the last 2 years of having this fabric top on the jeep.. Two of the cotton/poly blended cinch straps have ripped or torn.

Option 1 would be to restitch the straps with something a bit more durable and colorful. (red nylon) Although I've been able to manage small sewing projects.. this one will need the support of a seamstress.

Option 2 is geared more towards using the 2 piece/panel freedom top.. and simply keeping the wrap around windjammer in place.. In the blank area of the roll cage.. I was thinking of the HighRock storage tray and mounting system.. But altering the design as to remove the heavy steel rods/supports and opting for lacrosse poles.

As a roof rack storage option.. HighRock does have a roof mount with works with their storage trays.. But as I've said in my other post.. I'm more concerned about keeping items/storage within the confines of the roll cage. If Gr8tops or alternative could create a small/mini two seater hardtop which extends down to the cargo area.. We'd end up having a mini, mini truck.

I've heard a rumor that Gr8Tops is working on a half-cab hardtop for the JK. I haven't seen any photos of it so until I do it's just a rumor. You might want to contact them and ask about it.

Unrelated to whatever Gr8Tops is doing, I'm working on a JK version of my Safari Cab hardtop, it'll have the same features, including swappable hard sides/roll-up soft sides and integrated roof rack support.

 

[AngryRedBird]

True on the rumors.. prob because I contacted them (Gr8top) several years ago asking for the minitop.. Question.. taking the freedom top panels.. how hard would it be to cut/splice the rear hardtop area into and close to the speaker bar.. thus acquiring a semi extended cab but mini hard top..

 

[jscherb]

True on the rumors.. prob because I contacted them (Gr8top) several years ago asking for the minitop.. Question.. taking the freedom top panels.. how hard would it be to cut/splice the rear hardtop area into and close to the speaker bar.. thus acquiring a semi extended cab but mini hard top..

I haven't seen Gr8Tops JK work, so I can't say how easy or hard it might be to lengthen their top.

The more general answer though, it that it's either difficult or easy depending on how much fiberglass experience you have. If you don't have any fiberglass experience, it might not be a good first project. For someone experienced it would be fairly straightforward.

But we're getting this roof rack thread way off topic, we probably should let the conversation go back to roof racks.

 

[AngryRedBird]

In my opinion.. the mini hard top for the Wrangler would need to be sturdy enough to support a small roof rack.. or I wouldn't have asked it.. Hence if the mini top was custom built it would have to withstand "X" amount of weight.. So I feel my comments are valid.

 

[catawbajeepguy]

The roof rack has worked well for my needs. I have owned a trailer, but I prefer the freedom of traveling without it.
My rig is a 2013 JKRU, sitting on 35's, with mainly AEV equipment. 3.5" lift, bumpers, winch, highlift, pullpal, extra fuel tank, etc. It is also equipped with the AEV roof rack. The rack does not come all the way forward to the windshield, allowing me to remove the factory hard top panels above the front seats.
This is not a DD, I pull it out when it's time to travel, the rest of the time it sits unused.
I have traveled to western destinations on several occasions. My last trip took me camping in Colorado, on to Utah, spending 9 days exploring and driving many trails in the Moab area. From there I moved on to California and drove the Rubicon Trail, spending two nights camping while enjoying the trail.
On the rack I carried two aluminum sand ladders, a light weight home made awning, firewood, water, tent, and a few other misc. small items. It sounds like a lot, but the rack had lots of unused space left over. I sometimes move cargo from inside, to the roof, and sleep inside the Jeep.
Many very steep inclines, and declines, along with off camber side hill driving has been accomplished safely, but cautiously with this configuration on the roof. Frequently I need to stop and walk the trail, looking for the proper line, but more importantly to get the nerve up to tackle some of these areas.
Recently I did a 2,000 mile road trip. I removed the roof rack, leaving the 4 mounting brackets. I did not see any difference in fuel economy. But to be fair, I was keeping up with traffic averaging 70+ mph. Maybe at controlled slower speeds it may make a difference in fuel economy, but honestly, the trips I take usually require highways speeds until the destination.
Off road the main issue is center of gravity, I keep the roof top cargo weight at a reasonable level, and have driven some incredibly challenging terrain.
At some point in time I may equip an off road trailer with a roof top tent, for all of the comfort and convenience it allows. But for now, the roof rack allows me to travel with a minimal footprint.

 

[Deleted member 48574]

To me, on a JK, a roof rack is a necessity for my system. I use an RTT, and an awning, and I like to go to places where I will have overhead clearance but there's hairpin turns or tight corners where a trailer simply could not go (at least not with anything resembling ease). I think 99% of the terrain in North America fits this description, and for the other 1%....that's why I have a motorbike

Take a gander at xoverland's video and the fun they had with their trailer; check out about 8 minutes, 38 seconds in for the trailer stuff:


A roof rack'd vehicle still would have a rough go of it in that terrain, but the trailer made it nearly impossible. The very thing that necessitates a trailer and a rack in their case (lots of people) is the main reason they are able to get around it -- if I was trying to do that on my own or just me and my wife, it'd be dangerous and exhausting. Please note this isn't a slight of the xoverland guys choice of using a trailer -- I love their series and thoroughly enjoy their videos. Most people would give up in their situation, but they got through it, and as I said, with the number of people in their crew a trailer makes sense.

As for fuel economy, we don't lose much -- maybe 1 litre/100 kilometers difference, which on a tank, means we are burning about $5.00 worth of gas lost to wind resistance. That number is important because, for many:

Gobi Stealth Roofrack -- about $2,000
A Trailer with comparable utility (i.e. an off-road worthy trailer) -- Between $3,000 and $5,000 or more.

So I'm looking at getting on the modest end, 100,000 kilometers of travel before the fuel economy difference actually adds up. My math on that is as follows:

(Based off prices I could find online, and the following numbers: I get about 500km to a tank of gas. My rack, I estimate, costs me about 1 liter per 100 kilometers, or in other words, I effectively waste 5 litres on a tank of gas just pushing wind resistance. At an approximate $1.00/litre, that's $5/tank of gas wasted pushing wind.

$1000 (price differential, rack vs. trailer) / $5 (wasted per tank) = 200. It would take me 200 tanks of gas to equal the price differential of a trailer vs. a rack.

200 tanks of gas, at 500 kilometres to a tank = 100,000 kms.


As for weight and COG arguments, that is a major concern with any tall 4WD vehicle, and while a few hundred pounds up high can make a difference, at trail speeds that isn't as big as some make it out to be. High COG becomes a much bigger issue at highway speeds than at the typical sub 50km/hr trail speeds. On gravel track where you can get a good clip, a sudden turn maneuver amplifies the weight up top and can send you for a tumble. Slow down = no problem, and you'll see more things . On technical stuff, where you'd be going slowly, your rollover angle doesn't change that much by having a few pounds up top.

There's a lot of physics involved that I'm reasonably familiar with -- 300 pounds on roof rack can act as a lever, and may exert the force of 3 times or more that weight on actually flipping the vehicle -- so make no mistake, heavy stuff should be down low! But a few crates full of clothes or food is really not a big deal. Most roof racks have a dynamic load rating of 300-500 lbs. That's a fair bit of stuff; Roof racks are best in my opinion for the bulky, lightweight items like, for example, a tent (rooftop or otherwise).

On that score, for a RTT you need a rack for the JK, unless you want to go with the J30 but to me, as much as I love it, they preserve one of my biggest gripes about the JK: A fiberglass top. There's not much you can do to it without it cracking on you.

I'd really love to see what these guys could do to the JK. Lightweight, strong enough to bolt things to, and they don't add a ton of height and look practically stock.

http://www.alu-cab.co.za/

 

[camodog]

Thanks for this video. Switchbacks are a way of life for CO mtn passes. This just affirms that I will never need a trailer. I will be happy with my noisy, less mpg roofrack in my LJ.

 

[K2ZJ]

Take a gander at xoverland's video and the fun they had with their trailer; check out about 8 minutes, 38 seconds in for the trailer stuff:

As for fuel economy, we don't lose much -- maybe 1 litre/100 kilometers difference, which on a tank, means we are burning about $5.00 worth of gas lost to wind resistance. That number is important because, for many:

Gobi Stealth Roofrack -- about $2,000
A Trailer with comparable utility (i.e. an off-road worthy trailer) -- Between $3,000 and $5,000 or more.

So I'm looking at getting on the modest end, 100,000 kilometers of travel before the fuel economy difference actually adds up. My math on that is as follows:

(Based off prices I could find online, and the following numbers: I get about 500km to a tank of gas. My rack, I estimate, costs me about 1 liter per 100 kilometers, or in other words, I effectively waste 5 litres on a tank of gas just pushing wind resistance. At an approximate $1.00/litre, that's $5/tank of gas wasted pushing wind.

$1000 (price differential, rack vs. trailer) / $5 (wasted per tank) = 200. It would take me 200 tanks of gas to equal the price differential of a trailer vs. a rack.

200 tanks of gas, at 500 kilometres to a tank = 100,000 kms.

Great video, thank you. Watch the whole thing it is worth it.

To add to cost differences, some states (mine) you need to register your trailer every year. They have tires, bearings and some have brakes, those are wear and tear items that cost money. If you are like me and you don't have a place to store it, you will need to pay for a place. Or if you are like me you store it (16' flatbed) at your friends parents farm for free, but 54 miles away. That is gas or rent you may need to add.

I have been looking for a small rack to hold chairs and other small light items to save space inside. I wheel with a rig full of people or if I camp I have 2 kids and a dog, space is premium. I am also about to pull the trigger on an offroad trailer. We need more space for elk hunting. Four guys with a four door long bed F250 it fills up quick for a week long hunt in the mountains. I have a rooftop cargo box and that thing is a mph and mpg suck! I use it but I pay for it.

 

[Deleted member 48574]

We need more space for elk hunting. Four guys with a four door long bed F250 it fills up quick for a week long hunt in the mountains.

That depends. You guys are obviously better hunters than I am, I always have as much or more room in my rig after the hunt as I do on my way out!

 

[BigRedXJ]

I'm a roof rack guy myself. I don't like the ides of dragging a trailer around and I don't have enough stuff to fill one. Its only my wife and I along with our pug in the XJ so most everything fits inside. I keep our tent and sleeping gear on the rack in a weatherproof bag along with our camp chairs, high lift, awning, and soon to be shower tank. I'm plenty tall and in good shape so tossing things up there and retrieving them is not an issue.

 

[K2ZJ]

That depends. You guys are obviously better hunters than I am, I always have as much or more room in my rig after the hunt as I do on my way out!

LOL, I feel you. It is not me that's for sure. My buddy is averaging more than one a year between rifle and archery. He is ridiculous. But we do have a great spot and have been really lucky for sure.