LR3 roof rack vs rear tire carrier question

[Mack73]

It's all based on your needs. I don't drive slow and the LR3 has enough body roll so I want to keep the weight low. I'm getting too old to be lifting all that on and off the roof. Been there done that. Rack it on the spare.

Xray, what tire carrier is that?

 

[xray132]

Custom

That’s my own custom design. Garage built over 2 week ends with chop saw and small wire feed. Made it with my needs in mind. Drivers side mount to keep the tire out of my window. High lift mount and a 1 ¼" receiver, to rack what ever I choose to make a rack for. I even moved the parking sensor out to the tire, so it won’t see the tire and have a fit. I was trying to produce them but I don’t have enough space for building jigs for production and I don’t have any local shop with the quality equipment to get the exact pieces every time

 

[Scott Brady]

Do you have any photos of that, I'd like to see how they're mounted? Which rigs do you do that with?

My personal preference is to fit a long range tank if possible. If not possible, I store the fuel in NATO Jerry cans and lash them (tight) inside the vehicle. This gets the weight low and far forward.

In a typical wagon like a Discovery, LR3/LR4, etc. with two passengers, I can't imagine needing a roof load or having to pull a trailer. We did the Silk Road for two months in a Suzuki Jimny and could still see out the back window (two occupants).

Driving in developing countries is pretty nutty, especially in places like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, etc. I wanted the best possible handling and responsiveness from the already squirrely Jimny.

Here is an example of a typical adventure load in my 1995 Discovery, which is a significantly smaller truck than the LR4. This is two people across the Altar Desert in Mexico, fully self-supported and an additional 20 gallons of fuel.
The black Pelican Case is the med kit. The tan is the full extent of my cooking kit.



I used no rack on the Discovery for the dune crossing to maximize performance. Every traveler/driver is different. I am willing to give up all kinds of convenience and comfort to ensure the truck handles/performs optimally. Some may have other goals or have several children in the back. This is just my personal mantra and best practice. YMMV.

Here is the rough configuration of the NATO cans on the rear floor of the Discovery. I used a thin, but durable rubber mat to protect the interior from damage and rubbing paint. I placed a thin plastic sleeve between each can for the same purpose and to limit rattle. They had not been completely lashed yet, which required another set of straps. I used two of the new style cans to determine sealing performance. Of course the old ones worked better and didn't leak a drop. Always fill ahead of time if possible and at a higher elevation. This really helps with off-gassing. Overall, I had no noticeable fuel smell in the truck.


For the LR4, the configuration is similar, but this truck has SO MUCH MORE ROOM. It is not quite as voluminous as the Land Cruiser 78s, but close. I can remove one of the forward boxes and mount four fuel cans, while still sleeping inside. I can also install the second swing out on the Kaymar and fit three cans.


Personally, I don't like roof loads and use them only when all other options are exhausted, namely bringing less crap. . .

For another example, here are fuel cans mounted in the back of Tom Sheppard's G-Wagon. He utilized a bunch of wood cribbing and straps to secure the load. Again, far forward and down as low as possible is optimal. An aux. fuel tank can be even more preferable depending on the scenario (as it is at the frame level and does not utilize interior volume), but I like the ability to remove as much of the vehicle load as possible should we encounter a particularly nasty dune crossing, mud bog, etc. With Pelican cases and cans, you can remove hundreds of pounds in a few minutes.

 

[AFSOC]

Here is the rough configuration of the NATO cans on the rear floor of the Discovery. I used a thin, but durable rubber mat to protect the interior from damage and rubbing paint. I placed a thin plastic sleeve between each can for the same purpose and to limit rattle. They had not been completely lashed yet, which required another set of straps. I used two of the new style cans to determine sealing performance. Of course the old ones worked better and didn't leak a drop. Always fill ahead of time if possible and at a higher elevation. This really helps with off-gassing. Overall, I had no noticeable fuel smell in the truck.
View attachment 134357

Thanks for the pic, I was wondering how NATO cans inside were mounted. Glad to see the CARB cans work, I've been skeptical of them but never tried them. Now that you tried it out in Altar, do you think there are any circumstances traveling in NA where you'd need to tote cans on the inside? What is the LR4's calculated range?

 

[Scott Brady]

Thanks for the pic, I was wondering how NATO cans inside were mounted. Glad to see the CARB cans work, I've been skeptical of them but never tried them. Now that you tried it out in Altar, do you think there are any circumstances traveling in NA where you'd need to tote cans on the inside? What is the LR4's calculated range?

I would want a can or two on El Camino Del Diablo (156 miles with sand) and Copper Canyon, Mexico. There are a few routes in Canada that would be worth having extra fuel. For the most part, the LR4 has sufficient range for everything we have planned for it.

 

[JAK]

Imagine having to dodge something on the Interstate doing 75mph, or 80 in Utah. :Wow1: With an empty roof and the spare in it's factory location, the ESP will probably keep the shiny side up. With a bunch of gas or a RTT up top, you are in for an interesting ride.

Jason

Too much speed can also put you on your side in the example you bring up. This is what happened to all of the Explorers years back. The Suziki Samari could go over with a twitch of the wheel. I end up driving slower when loaded up.

As Scott says every driver is different. My long term plans involve a trailer that takes the weight off the roof. My wife, yes she is inlcuded in the plans, hates off camber for fear of tipping over. So the plans don't fit the truck and the truck has to change.

I am very happy that the LR3/LR4 seems to be taking off in popularity. Our club is full of them. This means more parts, more options and more adventure.

 

[huskyfargo]

I use a roof rack and a trailer. I also plan to get a rear bumper when Tactical Rovers makes them available.

 

[nwoods]

How necessary is it to relocate the spare? The newer LR/RR's appear to have them mounted at an angle to maintain departure angle. It would be nice to keep that weight as low as possible..

Jason

Jason, the spare is out of the way, unless you get a flat in rough or muddy terrain and can't easily extract it from under the truck! I always stowed my spare inside, but that was because I couldn't afford to import the only available rear tire carrier made at the time. I would have FAR preferred a rear tire carrier. I think the left hand version fabbed by Xray132 is brilliant. Don't know why no one else does this. So much more practical for this truck specifically, and for left hand drive vehicles in general.

This is what my LR3 looked like with the rear seats occupied by people, and the truck packed for a solo vehicle 2 week trip through Utah. The tire took a big chunk of space, but it was accessible no matter what:

Also, as someone else mentioned, if you go with the larger tire size generally used (285/60/18), it just barely fits under the truck in the space provided. Some folks have to remove the heat shields, others simply air down the tire, adding yet another inconvienance if you need to use that spare tire and aren't rigged for the trail with your compressor or power tank...like getting a flat on the way home from work!

So in short, its fine for stock tires in road use, but not a great idea for true adventuring

 

[digitaldelay]

So in short, its fine for stock tires in road use, but not a great idea for true adventuring

^ Makes sense. I've been lucky enough to have only ever changed a few flats. The spare was always stowed under a pickup bed or van, but I wasn't off-road in any of those incidents.

I'm glad my new ride has a door-mounted spare...



Jason

 

[DVD]

Another kudos to xray for his solution. As the OP, all things being equal, I'd go with that solution. But I don't have the fab skills to make my own, and the closest thing for purchase, that I can find, is the Kaymar bumper/carrier-swing, which is simply too much money.

I think I'll get the Baja Rack and try to keep it relatively light - probably not more than a couple jerry cans and light camping stuff (chairs, light luggage and such). I'll keep the full-size spare underneath for now (oversized bfg atko aired down to about 12 psi). As mentioned in this thread, it's a fine balance between airing down so that I can shoe-horn it in, vs. having enough air in case I get a flat in city (without power tank).

It seems that it's simple market economics and the solution with higher market share (roof rack) is significantly less expensive. They both have advantages/disadvantages, and while I think the tire swing carrier would be better for me, but a roof rack solves the same problems and does so at a much lower cost. I typically keep highway speeds to posted limits (75 out west) when driving the LR3, and I'd try to maybe go a bit slower if on interstate with a heavier load up top.
Thanks again for all the good discussion.
-Dirk

 

[perkj]

I think the left hand version fabbed by Xray132 is brilliant. Don't know why no one else does this. So much more practical for this truck specifically, and for left hand drive vehicles in general.

There are a couple reasons why others don't put the tire swing arm on the left side:
(1) it blocks access to the G4 ladder (if you have one). Sure you can swing the tire out to get access, but its just another thing to do. And esthetically the left side would just look too busy with a tire and a ladder there
(2) it blocks the license plate and while Xray132 relocated his, it doesn't appear he's got a light there to make the lic plate visible at night. California (and most states) require the rear license plate be lit up at night.
(3) if you're looking to add a rear mounted camera via a GVIF unit, the rear tire on the left wouldn't allow it to be mounted in the factory [LR4] location. See the pic of my LR3 below and you can just barely see the camera above the far upper right of the license plate....its that little black piece protruding down.

The reality is that the tire on the right side IMO doesn't impede the rear view as much as you think....likely no worse than it being on the left side.

 

[xray132]

LED

There it is. LED.. Us Hillbillies in Washington got laws too.

 

[johnsoax]

Personally, I think the head rest in the middle rear seat obstructs the rear view more than anything. I also think it blocks light from the auto-dimming mirror.

Thanks for all the pictures guys.

 

[johnsoax]

Here is the rear view after removing the middle head rest


Rear view after removing middle headrest.

And the headrest stows nicely in the driver side rear compartment


Headrest stowed in Driver's side rear compartment

 

[nwoods]

I keep forgetting how unique my headrests where. They just pushed down and fitted over the seat. I like them: