Roof Access

[beemer9]

A bit late to this thread, but I had the same problem.
I have a large Yakima carrier that I sometimes put on the roof rack, and as I'm only 5'8", it's difficult to load and unload especially when we're camping.
Here's what I use:
www.xtendandclimb.com
I got the 8 1/2 foot ladder. Works great.
It's an aluminum adjustable ladder, the top yellow caps are soft plastic so it doesn't scratch the paint, it's a Type II so it holds a lot of weight, and it collapses small enough so you can easily carry it inside the Jeep.
I can use it on the left, the right, or the back. And I can get as high as I need to.
I paid $100 for it on sale at Sears.

[Doc in AZ]

i would think that the weight the rack is rated for is much higher than the weight the roof is rated for. you also have to keep in mind the weight rating is not always based on structural integrity, but more often as a suggestion for keeping a low COG like huey mentioned. as for a ladder, i would probably make something out of light gauge that hooks over the top of the basket and has a couple stanchions that rest against the tire. when you are ready to go stow it in the rack.

[HueyPilotVN]

Doc,

Center of gravity is very important to us old Rotorheads. Although it was usually fore and aft COG that mattered the most and not high and low. I once took off in a Huey that had a COG that was to far forward and instead of hovering the aircraft wanted to just go ahead and take off forward. I had the cyclic back against my seat. It was a wake up call about COG.

[Sal-XK]

I can most diffidently feel the COG change when I have my basket loaded down for trips. The body roll is magnified with the lift tires then all the weight up top.

[WanderingTs]

So has anyone found the crush weight of the factory roof bars so the rest of us can stay shy of it?

[cico7]

I read somewhere years ago that the rated weight is 1/3 of the maximum. Maybe someone made it up or used it as a guide.

[wrenchin hobo]

I'm planning on a roof rack in the future and was thinking that a small ladder on either the driver or passenger side. With an off road rear bumper you could bolt it to the bumper and the roof rack and have it permanently fixed. Just need Doc to make me a roof rack too.

[Sal-XK]

Ya i was thinking along the same line just on the back with some hinges so it moves with the tail gate

[wrenchin hobo]

I was thinking more so on the left or right side from the part of the bumper that wraps around to the fender flares. Right in front of the tail lamp housing. Just something really close to the body. This way you don't have to worry about the liftgate, or hinges....etc. Try to picture it off this image.

[cico7]

Take a look at the ladder on a Discovery. It hooks over the top edge of the tailgate.