Roof carrier Storage advice

Hi James,
See if I can help at all, I am not a fan of anything heavy on the roof, it makes for a unstable top heavy vehicle and can damage your roof structure. I don't know what the max load on the roof of a Series 2 Landy and don't know where you would find that info.

You want to keep the lighter articles on the rack and as low a profile as possible to help stop wind resistance.

If you are travelling on major roads you may do some homework on fuel availability, hence you may not have to carry the extra fuel at all. You may also be able to carry your water in 5lt or 10 lt containers which brings down the size of the containers and make them eaiser to store and pour. These plastic jerry cans are available at many outlets.

I see nothing wrong with putting your gas bottles on the roof as it gets them out of the vehicle and there is less chance of explosion/fire. You can use the plastic cubes they sell at Kmart/Woolies to store them in just pack round them to stop them moving in the cube.

Tie downs, Auto stores sell light weight ratchet tie down straps and webbing style octupus straps, although I find the octupus straps a pain, fishing net (got any trawlers/net makers in your area as they may have a small piece cheap) I find this great. If you have things you do not wish to get wet you could tarp over the load although I find the tarping a pain. Remember the tarp has to be tight with nothing left loose to flap around or you will will end up with a shredded tarp.

Have a safe on

The Ape

I learned to 4wd in a series 2, ahhh driving one of those is an adventure all in itself :))
Extra fuel and water should not really be carried up top, as it alters the centre of gravity and makes it easier to tip over.
I always carry the gas cylinder inside, never had any probs, but I do check to see that it's OFF and very secure. Using a cargo barrier helps.
Good luck and have a great trip.

If you must put stuff up top then preferably it should be light stuff like bedding, tent etc.
Keep the heavy stuuf like fuel, water and spares down as low as possible in the car.
To avoid the hassle of tying stuff down we used to use a rackbag from Southern Cross, easy to shove soft stuff in, easy to zip up and held to the roof by large cable ties on the corners. Put a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet between it and the rack to avoid chafing.
If putting stuff like chairs in the rackbag pack in a seperate bag first to avoid them rubbing on the bag.

I have 2 fridges in my car when I do little trips away and once the fridges are in I only have the room above the fridges to the roof to pack stuff so I make use of my rack allot. What I generally do is put the water on top 3x20L containers, tents, chairs, tarp poles, shower tent. I also have 2 black storage boxes that go on top that holds all my bits and pieces for camping…tools, cooking gear recovering gear etc etc. I am not sure how strong your roof is but I know mine is a very strong. Yes I do put allot of stuff up there but I drive according to conditions and it’s only up there till we get to our destination.

Hope this helps a bit

This may not be a useful idea for you but I have used roofracks as a sleeping area. A simple ply box construction with a depth of about 12" and sides that fold up and a roof that basically becomes the lid on the box when folded back down. You can then keep your bedding up there. Something vaguely depressing about setting up camp after dark but having the bedding on the roof overcomes this problem. You finish up with an easy stop arrangement and not too heavy while removing light but bulky pillows blankets etc and freeing up space below.
Harry

Hi

The starting point should be to store all heavy items as low as possible and store light weight items on the roof rack. Although, this can be easier said then done. I’d look at where you are going and critically assess whether you need the additional fuel/water.

I don’t carry gas bottles at all and use a Coleman dual burner stove which is very efficient, light weight and easy to store.

I wouldn’t store gas cylinders in a car as they vent on hot days and the risk is an accumulation of gas that ignites from a spark which could come through static electricity or simply opening the door. Many people get away with it, but be aware of the risk you are taking.

As your Discovery series 2 is diesel, and you are sticking to main roads, then you almost certainly won't need to carry extra fuel. My old Disco TDi had a range of about 700kms which is more than enough to get your from Roadhouse to Roadhouse.


If you had the petrol V8 model then you wouldn't be able to carry enough Jerry cans so you would have had to arrange for a petrol tanker to follow you.