Attaching gear to your roof rack

I have seen many threads on 'this rack' versus 'that rack' and finally purchased a used rack last year (a Yakima Megawarrior with extension that I got a great deal on).

So what I would love to know from other members is - how do you attach gear to your racks? I know hi-lifts and shovels and other common things have specialty attachments. I have seen those. Does anyone have a better way to do it? A cheaper way?

What type of containers are you putting on your racks? Are you attaching boxes in some cool way other than ratcheting straps? Have you found a particular layout is better for gas mileage, wind noise, or just general being able to pack it?

For example, I found that with my cooler, if I load my cooler so the lid opens to one side of the jeep or the other, I can strap it down to the rack good and tight. I can then use a bungee over the top to hold the lid closed because there is very little force required to just keep it closed. This makes it easy to take out lunch buy just undoing the bungee, instead of taking the time to unstrap and restrap the cooler.

I am sure other must have even better tricks/ideas to share.

I've found a few DIY methods for attaching hi-lifts that's much cheaper.... basically a few bolts and 2" wide 3/16 steel plate. Ill probably be attaching mine to my rails though to lay it flat and keep it lower profiled.

I like your question about containers and mounting positions. ... looking forward to input from others on this.

I'm lucky that I have a buddy who works for a large disposal company. He got a pile of surgical stainless steel mesh that was used as a fish screen in a dam. We made a floor for my roof rack from a sheet of it.

There's a gazillion pill-tablet shaped holes, that are perfect for hooking a bungy's hook onto. For things like my full sized shovel that stay there, I use heavy springs. They don't sun rot, and hold tight. Head for the hardware store to get the size you need.

Like this :
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i.../12/0016-1.jpg
seriously, I bought two black storage boxes from Wallyworld. They have a hinged lid and two latches. They arent waterproof so I just use them for camping gear. Found out the first time not to put a bag of marshmallows in there in July. Everything big like that gets strapped with cinch-straps, not ratchets but ones with buckles that you just pull tight. All other stuff gets bungees. I bought 3 big packs of bungees and a dozen cinch straps at Wallyworld. Extras have really come in handy.

I always use what I have laying around or try to make it before buying anything for stuff like this. I use mics parts from lowes to mount my lights and my fishing rod holders as well. For my side lights I just grabbed a bolt and a handful of washers and stuff and made it work.

Fishing rod holders I think the brackets are for a door or something like that
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...22529JPG-1.jpg

Mounted my side lights like this
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i..._4640JPG-1.jpg

oh yeah, I made this surf rod holder out of a steel plate and welded on some exhaust tubing. it is bolted to the receiver rack.
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...1/12/056-1.jpg

I had my tool box up there last night. It weighs are 40 lbs. it's an old 40mm ammo box full with just about all I need. I had it held down with to bungees. Drove about 15 miles and it didn't budge. When we went down to the box I had a cargo net, straps and bungees holding things down.

Just a note....I found out last summer at WCCC, that no matter how secure and solid everything feels, its going to shift...if you do a lot of crawling with side to side motion, lots of weight up there will take its toll on the rails and the cross members. After Grizzly Lake and Chinaman Gulch I had some bent cross members and the rails were starting to separate in the corners. After many many hours of continuous flopping from side to side over rocks i could tell I had too much weight, all of which i have had up there many times before with no issue regular trails.
https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i..._9534JPG-1.jpg

Tires way a lot and that high lift aint light either. I never wheeled with stuff up there I usually unload at camp. Except for the light wheeling needed to get to the camp sight.

The post by ped4599 is quite noteworthy. On the other forum, I think Ahmed started a thread
regarding mounting tires on the roof rack. In the event of an accident, will the tires stay put?

After reading Ped4599's post about the rack coming apart, I think this is of serious concern.
Perhaps someone with the ability to research roof top tire mounts should offer a solid stable mount.

Or at least a warning.

Ive had my rack full of snow and the weight actually moved the rack all the way to the side of the Jeep. The brackets were tight too, just as they always are. With weight that far up you really need to be careful.

I had seen that after I put the rack up, then added the hilift jack & the spare. That after I went on a serious trail ride that the rack was off of 2 of the 4 roof rack mounts. took some of the weight off of it & have not had the same issue again. Hoping once I finish with the roof rail conversion to the unistruts that this will be resolved.

^This is why I'm a little nervous about loading up the cargo rack. I usually don't carry much up there anyway so it isn't a problem. I guess it just all boils down to common sense when one is loading cargo onto the rack, the placement of it, the weight of it, and the type of tie downs and/or straps used.

The first snow they call for I'm pulling the rack off. I don't want it full of snow up there. I hate when people don't even clean the snow off there hoods how can I drive around with a rack full of snow?

I only put my rack on when going on hunting trips or when going on serious off road trails.

The stuff on my roof rack is all held on by metal "U" bolts and wing nuts. My tire is held on by a very heavy duty I bolt and large flat iron which would probably lift the back of the jeep off the ground. I am not worried about my tire ever coming off. I have never lost anything and I am quite confident the whole contraption, including the tire would all stay together as one piece. I also think the mounts would hold it all to the rails.

**But I think the rails themselves are what would come apart and detach from the vehicle. if you look closely they are just bolted to the roof with light bolts/screws. After my last summer trip, I have less confidence in the structural integrity of the OEM roof rails themselves. I think they are the weak link.

Due to this, when I started using my roof rack more and more, I also started using tethers in each of the 4 corners so if it became detached at least it would stay up there, even if the mounts let go. I would recommend people use a few lays of para cord or even something heavier, like cable, for safety tethers on anything you mount to the outside of your vehicle.

Having been to many accidents, I can tell you that stuff you think its secure with a 'tie down' is going to go flying. IF you look at some vehicles made for high speed driving, many of the parts have small tethers for the hood and truck, etc.

I agree the trails themselve are the most grouling activity that causes stress to the rack mount when carrying weight up there and sal is right that leaving the stuff at camp is best. The problem is the trails we were on took us hours from camp. And the stuff I carry is usually recovery items, that would be useless if you needed them if they were back at camp.

I think the best thing would be to use several brackets -- in addition to the mounts provided -- to prevent the side to side shifting of the rack on the OEM cross bars...the would keep it from wearing on the side rails.

https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...00691JPG-1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ped4599

**But I think the rails themselves are what would come apart and detach from the vehicle. if you look closely they are just bolted to the roof with light bolts/screws. After my last summer trip, I have less confidence in the structural integrity of the OEM roof rails themselves. I think they are the weak link.

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This is what I was concerned with after reading your post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ped4599

Due to this, when I started using my roof rack more and more, I also started using tethers in each of the 4 corners so if it became detached at least it would stay up there, even if the mounts let go. I would recommend people use a few lays of para cord or even something heavier, like cable, for safety tethers on anything you mount to the outside of your vehicle.

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Agree, excellent idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ped4599

Having been to many accidents,

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Uh Oh ..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ped4599

I can tell you that stuff you think its secure with a 'tie down' is going to go flying. IF you look at some vehicles made for high speed driving, many of the parts have small tethers for the hood and truck, etc.

I think the best thing would be to use several brackets -- in addition to the mounts provided -- to prevent the side to side shifting of the rack on the OEM cross bars...the would keep it from wearing on the side rails.

https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i...00691JPG-1.jpg

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Nice pic....

Does anyone have a more heavy duty attachment to the vehicle itself that doesnt use the OEM rails? The roof is just sheet metal only so no real support to screw to there right?

If stuff would stay put under stress (panic stop/accident/trail sideways) was part of why I started this thread.

Do any of you guys with the Rola racks need/want some more mounts? I have 6 of them (4 came with it and I ordered 2 extra) that I never used.