Steel verse alloy roof racks

I am also interested in this subject as I am looking to buy a luggage rack, steel or alloy ? Or roof bars and basket, steel or alloy ? What do the experienced users have to say ?

David from ExplorOz might like to comment as I believe he uses the Rhino Rack basket and bars that I am considering

Regards,
Mark

I am also considering a set of Rhino Racks and a basket... To me it seems perfect, but I'm sure there must be some bad points that I'm unaware of.

Ideal roof rack for me:

#1 flat platform rack mounted close to the roof, so it goes in garages and car parks and no sides to have to lift stuff over
#2 steel with the feet bolted (not welded) to the rack (allows a little movement)
#3 steel mesh platform to attach straps etc wherever you want
#4 weighs say 20kgs, so one person can lift it on and off
#5 3/4 length or less set back (less noise)
#6 Never load more than say 50kgs of weight in it (usually tent + casing for me)
#7 open tubing at rear end for light pole etc

No one makes such a rack, so I've made my own. Its 1600mm long, 1200 wide and uses 25mm RHS for the frame, 100mm steel mesh for the floor, and the feet are primarily 40x5mm steel bent to the shape required with 25x5mm legths for the feet. I use safety 10mm octopus straps to hold things down - bend one end over so they can't come off.

If you load an ally product so that the strain causes continuous (even very minor) flexing, it will crack and give way eventually. The type of products and joints etc that will fail would surprise most folks. Far as I can see, the ally bullbars are designed to have no flexing at all and that is why they last. Far as I know, if you can rule out flexing, ok, but if you can't, go light steel. Bye the way.... in a road prang I witnessed once (Patrol and a truck swiping) the ally bullbar on the patrol was ripped off like a sardine can lid and sent skittering along the road...easy as pie. All other issues aside (and there are many in such circumstances I now), it was not a good advert for ally. People have told me they see ally roofracks abandoned in rough places.. just can't handle the punishment apparently."This is a situation, up with which, we should no longer put ! (W. Churchill, on plans to reduce 4WD access in some parks).

CALLING AWILL4X4....

He makes Roofracks, and is a wealth of knowledge on alloy racks.

I used to have rhino roof bars & tray on a pajero and now have an arb steel rack on a patrol.

the arb seems to get more wind affected with noise and buffeting, I didn't even notice the rhino. - could have something to do with the vehicle shapes too.

but, as the beams on the rhine are relatively wide it was a bit of a nuisance when tying things down.

the arb looks better (on my car anyway).

Cheers,
Stuart
- To err is human, to moo bovine -

I've got the Rhino Bars (3) on my Pajero NL with the view to adding a Rhino Alloy basket on my next trip. The bars are great for me as I am always using them to tie down timber etc as i'm doing up our home at the moment. Personally i think it is a big advantage to be able to add/remove the basket component when not is use - thats why i chose not to go the full arb rack. I think the exploroz crew have the rhino setup also? I brought from 4wdparts.com.au at a good price.
Will.

Ray,
Don't know about mass produced racks, however having had a "tradesmans" type alloy rack built for a sng. cab Hilux -supported by the well body then up & over the canopy. This rack has carried obscene loads frequently and never even looked like fracturing! has broken 2 of the steel bolts where attached to the body though.
Personally I'd have alloy every time - NOT for the bullbar however.
Glenn B.

Hi Ray,
I have a TJM alloy full length rack that ive owned for over 11 years now..it has 4 points per side and is very easy to fit. All i do is carry it to the back of my GQ and sit it on the edge of the gutter rails. Then i jst lift it up and it slides down the gutter rails towards the front until its in position. I run 2 water tanks bolted to it ..1 on each side totaling 22 litres of water.

It had carried heavy loads indeed without any problems. It is now a happy part of my new GQ I just purchased a few weeks ago (see Pic). And believe me when i tell you it carried some very heavy loads over some very rought places. I am happy with it, but then again i dont abuse things i own, always thinking ahead when possible. But whatever you get, you wont have problems if its a good brand name.
Regards AngeloI love it when you talk DIRTY !

I use rhino racks and basket....
I use car for for work and being able to remove basket to carry ladders and other stuff is good.
but....
if i did it again i would have removable ends on basket and that way I could leave it bolted to racks permanently and I would still be able to carry ladders.
Found out after the event that it would have only cost an extra $150 to have removable ends fitted. Wow! am I cute
If yer ain't fishing, Yer ain't livin
Richard

Ray,
I had an ARB steel rack on the Pajero and it certainly got a hammering with some big loads up top. One of the support arms fractured.
While aluminium may be lighter, and that is a huge consideration, I believe it would only be useful for carrying very light objects, and much more prone to failure than the steel equivalent.
Now I use a trailer, and I have added a steel basket mounted on four corner posts. So the trailer has its own roof rack. It is still below the roof line of the tow vehicle so drag is not a big factor.
So in summary, steel for strength, but aluminium for lightness. Maybe someone could make a carbon fibre, kevlar or titanium one.Bob

I have nothing against alloy racks, but when you load them with a little too much weight, get them on corrugations, drive over 1000 dunes then you will find out whether they fatigue and crack. They are generally fine for most 4wding, but its the desert trips that kill them.

Got to be careful with the baskets too - check that their bolts are not working loose from the rough roads, corruations etc. Not a nice look when they separate from the bars.

As someone who builds alloy roofracks as an afterhours interest I think I can comment. It all comes down to design and engineering and welder skill.
Every rack I build is Tig welded not Mig welded, it's much slower but gives a far better job. Where the tubes are joined together on the cage I internally sleeve them. The mesh I use is the heavy duty 7mm thick which is welded wherever it crosses a crossmember. (they don't rattle)
The legs are bolted on allowing some flex, fully welded alloy racks WILL FAIL over time. I make custom stainless steel clamps 3mm thick.
I generally build for the club members of my 4x4 club and the last thing I want is a failure when my friends are in the middle of nowhere. My racks have been everywhere including Cape York, Gunbarrel hwy, Gibb River Rd, Canning stock route etc.
I'm not touting for business (too busy at my day job anyway) but you often hear blanket claims that alloy racks aren't any good for outback touring, they certainly are if built correctly.
Regards Andrew.

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments.

Ray

I have been using a Rhino Rack system on my 100series....

it has the 3 bars and a 1200 x 2100 basket...

the advantages that i see with the rhino are the fact that they are light weight, have no wind noise and have not altered my fuel consumption... the slats forming the base of the basket are also an advantage... it is much harder to damage things (like roof bags) if there are no bits sticking up in your payload area!!!

I have a friend that has a tradesman brand rach (steel) on his patrol and he complains about the noise and added fuel usage (about 15 to 20% more)... he takes his off most of the time!!!

if i had it to do again, i would definitely go rhino!!!