Do You Really Need a Roof Rack?

Some advertisers will go above and beyond to convince every Tom, Dick and Harry that having a roof rack is necessary. But let’s face it- if you bought into all their sweet talk, you’d probably end up convinced that you need to invest in a fully fledged rack customised with every accessory under the sun, all for just a single day out 4 wheeling in the bush with your mates. Instead of providing yet another sales pitch, we’d rather help our customers get the best value for their money. So, before you jump into getting yourself that roof rack, let’s start off by determining whether or not you really need a roof rack at all:

What Do You Want to Carry?

Start off by asking yourself what you would want to use a roof rack for. Do you need to carry oddly shaped tools or bulky equipment around on your vehicle? Or maybe you’ve got awkwardly shaped items like surfboards, kayaks or bicycles that probably have next to no chance at fitting inside your car? Unsurprisingly, roof racks are like a godsend for people like tradies. And they’re totally a must-have for adventurers and thrill-seekers who love to get out and enjoy the great outdoors in their down time. They’re also pretty nifty for anyone who comes from a large clan. All that extra luggage space is sure to come in handy, especially if you want to minimise leg cramps and complaining on long family road trips, right?

How Often Will You Use It?

If you’re a tradie or someone who loves to fish, camp, kayak, cycle or explore on the regular, then a roof rack is pretty much guaranteed to be a worthwhile investment. But if you’re heading out on a one-time trip or don’t actually need to carry around bulky tools and equipment every day on the grind, then a custom roof rack might be kind of unnecessary to add onto your vehicle. Instead, you might want to go for a more general design that can also be easily removed at the end of the day. This way, you can still take all your must-have gear out on a trip, without having to commit to a permanent mod on your vehicle.

What Type of Vehicle Do You Have?

No roof rack is one-size-fits all. So, depending on the type of vehicle you have, you’re going to have a few different options available. Obviously, larger vehicles are capable of carrying a heavier load. So, if you’ve got yourself a 4WD, you can fit it with a bigger roof rack capable of carrying a larger range of items.

Roof racks can make your life a whole lot easier, but they aren’t some bottomless pit that you can keep chucking items into. Keep in mind that overloading your vehicle beyond its limits can put the safety of you, your passengers, and other people out on the road at risk. Fallen debris off unsecured loads can be responsible for causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage after all. So, whenever you’re looking at getting a roof rack, it’s always important to make sure that you’re following your manufacturer’s specified load carrying capacity. Apart from the size of your vehicle, the roof features will also have a say in what type of roof racks are able to fit on. Some of the roof rack styles that available based on your car’s design include:

• Fixed Point – These roof racks are installed to a factory fitted point on the roof of the vehicle.
• Raised Rail – Raised rails are factory installed by the vehicle manufacturer. Roof racks can then be installed to the rails, which provide great flexibility.
• Solid Rail – Pretty similar to raised rails, where the roof rack is fitted to factory installed rails on the vehicle. The only difference is, the solid rails sit much more closely to the car.
• Door Mount – A clamp sits in the doorframe of the car, which is used to attach the roof rack. These are very popular in vehicles which don’t come with any pre-installed fitting points or rails.
• Gutter Mount – Although they’re pretty rare in modern vehicles, old school gutter mounts can still be used as a point for attaching certain roof racks.

So, have you got a better idea whether a roof rack is really right for you? If you’re wanting the perfect custom roof rack to match with your vehicle, give us a call at Great Racks today. As Perth’s favourite manufacturer of roof racks, canopies and accessories, we’re fully stoked to design the next add-on to your vehicle!