Thread: Extend Rood Racks - Legal Question

In Qld we have some guidelines

"Vertical upright supports may be positioned forward of the windscreen ‘A’ pillar if their diameter does not exceed 50mm" plus more at http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/c7..._vehicles2.pdf

I see a lot of trady's utes and dual cabs with permanently fitted full length racks & bars, secured to the bullbar at the front - and I don't think they all bothered checking with anyone.

The disadvantage when driving could be on a steep descent (if you ever do any that steep) where visibility of the other "up" side could be limited by the extended rack over the bonnet.

Another thing to check would be bonnet clearance - I know that to access a few things (eg replace clutch master) it is handy to be able to remove the bonnet and if there is insufficient height clearance to lift it to a vertical position you cannot do this.

Originally Posted by 87County

I see a lot of trady's utes and dual cabs with permanently fitted full length racks & bars, secured to the bullbar at the front - and I don't think they all bothered checking with anyone.

The disadvantage when driving could be on a steep descent (if you ever do any that steep) where visibility of the other "up" side could be limited by the extended rack over the bonnet.

Another thing to check would be bonnet clearance - I know that to access a few things (eg replace clutch master) it is handy to be able to remove the bonnet and if there is insufficient height clearance to lift it to a vertical position you cannot do this.

Thanks mate, I was thinking of cutting the front end of my tray (as it has rusted) then building an extension of box a little bigger. So essentially I'd be able to slide the front extension on and off with the help of a few bolts for that reason .

The 10 Don'ts of Overland Vehicle Modification

Rule 1.

In 1986 I crossed the Sahara - well Carol & I - in convoy with a Series SWB fitted with just such a roofrack.

It made it, but added a whole new dimension to roll, pitch & yaw. How it never tipped over I don't know. Wish I could find a pic.

Regards
Max P

how much stuff do you intend on carrying up there?

Originally Posted by Benz

how much stuff do you intend on carrying up there?

Just a couple of spacecases. I was going to have a rooftop tent up there and just want to keep the cabin as empty as possible :/

An extended rack has some drawbacks :

[1] reduced visibility when travelling down a hill and having an ascent in front of you.

[2] increased stiffness in the Land Rover, making it more susceptible to cracking the roof. The body wants to flex and you're bolting something to the bullbar / chassis - you're asking for strain.

[3] increased centre of gravity

[4] weight / handling - while in Australia most recommendations are not to carry a trailer in desert expeditions, in Europe, where their desert travel is usually the Sahara, and distances are longer between services, the recommendation (ie in Tom Sheppards books) is to take a trailer and distribute the weight evenly over 3 axles, rather than over load two. He shows a photo of an overloaded Range Rover towing a trailer, the Range Rover is bogged in soft sand and the trailer is sitting up on top of the sand. In this case the load should have been spread onto the trailer. Persoanlly I prefer to travel light and not tow a trailer, but if you must carry that much, then maybe consider a small offroad trailer, and keep the vehicle light for better handling.

I'd like to say don't do it, but it's up to you to assess your situation.