My big steel cage roof rack...keep or get a lighter one?

[Young Angus]

What do you reckon, it's a sweet roof rack and it has an awning on it and it's super useful, but should I be worried about the weight of this steel rack compared to an alloy or aluminium one? What do you reckon?

It's pretty great to stick stuff on to, like a bunch of old school round driving lights up front like the old Camel Discos ;)

I plan on putting a second spare (or just a tyre) up top and front, maybe MAYBE a roof top tent although I'd rather not have to have something like that up top if I can help it, jack, shovel, recovery ramps, etc. etc. you know the sort of things that will go up there.

Like I said, great rack, just wondered the other day if it's too damn heavy for outback touring and high country trails compared to something more refined.

131161131162131163131164

[trout1105]

There is nothing wrong with that rack Mate [thumbsupbig]

[pop058]

Do you know how heavy it actually is as it does not look that bad. I would be surprised if it was that much heavier than an alloy equivalent if at all.

[weeds]

We all will say keep the weight down....in saying that the roof rack that was fitted to my first weighed 110kg but itself and this was after I lightened it up.......previous owner drove all over aus with it.

From memory I had close to 200kg on the roof including rack when i crossed simpson. I eventually ditched it for a lighter weight rack

[cripesamighty]

This is the current setup on my D1 in touring mode over the last couple of Xmas trips. Aluminium roof rack is a full length custom rack (cut down with extra bracing) and fairly light. Rooftop tent, spare wheel and recovery tracks live on top. Have done over 20,000kms around Oz like this over some horrendous tracks and never had a problem. Been brilliant in fact. I like that it steps down to follow the roofline, especially since I don't have roof rails any more. Although your rack might be a tad heavy, if you keep the weight down then it's not really much of a problem if you drive to conditions.

131175

[wllgbsn]

I've got a bit steel tjm one like that with two awnings and 36kg worth of lights and I don't think it does too much harm. When I went to fraser a few months ago I had 80kg of fuel on it, 40kg of firewood, chairs, tables and all the other small goodies, lights and awnings were on too!