How to Care for Your Roof Racks

So, you’ve finally got your hands on that essential roof rack for your nine-to-five, or for your weekend adventures exploring the great outdoors. No doubt, having one of these beauties custom-made and fitted to your vehicle is sure to help in unlocking its full load carrying potential. You can basically forget about having to overcram the inside of your ute, van or four-wheel ever again. But as strong and reliable as these life-changing add-ons are designed to be, they’re going to need a little TLC from you from time to time. And that’s especially true if you want them to last as long as possible.

The good news is, taking care of a rack is easy, straightforward, and definitely worth the effort. So, if you’re keen on getting to know how to get the most out of your latest (and greatest) investment, then be sure to follow our quick tips down below:

1. Use the Right Cleaning Products

Are you at the point where your vehicle’s paint shade may as well be labelled ‘Dirt, Dust and Bird Crap’? “Why should I have to clean it if it’s just going to get dirty again?” may have been our go-to excuse as kids when it came time to wash or clean, well, pretty much anything. But remember that refusing to clean your vehicle can cause your paint job to become faded or damaged over time. In some cases, it can also eventually lead to rust. It’s a similar sort of deal with a roof rack.

Remembering to clean your roof rack is one thing, but using the right cleaning products is another. So, make sure that you don’t go in with any harsh cleaning products containing bleach or alcohol. Instead, use a standard car washing liquid and water. And if you want a thorough clean, be sure to remove the roof rack before washing it.

2. Tighten and Lubricate

Constant vibrations during drives can cause your roof rack to become loose over time. So, if you want to avoid an embarrassing and potentially dangerous situation where your roof rack starts to fall off on the move, make sure to tighten and lubricate your bolts or any other hardware from time to time. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with the tightening, because that could cause problems in itself.

3. Beware of Drive-Thru Carwashes

We get it- you’re a busy person, and you might not have the free time available to provide your vehicle with the glow up it needs from time to time. But if you’re planning on taking your car through a car wash, make sure to remove the roof rack before you drive on in. Because if it’s left on, it could easily snag on some of the machinery inside the car wash during the process, leading to ugly damage towards your vehicle, or even damage towards the car wash itself. So, if you want to avoid being charged with hefty repair fees, make sure to wash your roof rack at home instead of trying to hit two birds with one stone at a car wash.

4. Don’t Overload

It can be tempting to see just how much you can fit into your roof rack, especially if you have a hard time parting with any of your tools or equipment. But roof racks don’t come with unlimited capacities (although that would be pretty handy for any kind of driver), and overloading your rack in an attempt to bring all your belongings with you could cause some serious damage to you or other drivers on the road. Not to mention, it could totally bugger up your rack. Moral of the story is, stick to the rules and you’ll be just fine- load your roof rack up to an appropriate level, then call it quits and find alternative places for any other remaining items.

No doubt you’ve probably come across a lot of cheap, flimsy or ugly roof racks slapped onto the top of vehicles. Well, we’ve seen them too, and it’s motivated us to create strong, sturdy and purposeful roof racks that are as resistant and multi-functional as they are good-looking.

At Great Racks, we’re set on creating well-designed racks, canopies and other accessories that guarantee to prove as the perfect addition to your vehicle. So, if you’re looking at getting a custom-built solution for your vehicle’s specific needs, give us a call today! We can’t wait to show you our point of difference here at Great Racks.