Whether investing in a roof rack for recreational or commercial purposes, the roof racks of today provide the support and additional storage needed to use your vehicle as you see fit. For 4x4s in particular, the addition of a roof rack can unlock a long list of perks when using your vehicle on the road and off as WhichCar details:
“For those who carry a lot of gear and who will be doing a lot of off-road driving and long distances, a sturdier option than roof bars is a dedicated roof rack… when it comes to roof racks, this has a couple of benefits. Firstly, every vehicle will have a rated maximum roof weight limit, so the lighter the roof rack, the more you’ll be able to put on it before you exceed this weight limit. Secondly, if you put too much weight up top, it will affect your vehicle’s centre of gravity.”
Many roof rack designs can be used in conjunction with other 4×4 camping accessories, meaning you can fit a rooftop tent to your vehicle to make life on the road much more comfortable.
Realising all the benefits of roof rack use all comes down to your product choice. To help you make the right decision when purchasing your 4×4 roof rack, our experts are here to share a few top tips.
Understand the roof rack types available
There are several types of rugged roof rack systems for trucks and 4x4s, each of which boasts specialist features for specific applications.
Our Deluxe Roof Rack uses a classic basket design to provide a valuable and versatile accessory for any 4×4 vehicle. This roof rack type is ideal for general and off-road use and can carry luggage, camping equipment and large or irregular-sized items with ease.
The Flat Roof Rack design on the other hand is a little different. Unlike the Deluxe Roof Rack, it sports a lower profile which is suitable for the carrying of leisure, and commercial equipment, and the fitting of rooftop tents.
Our Touring Roof Rack offers the best of both the basket and flat designs to carry rooftop tents, touring gear and Overlanding equipment securely, even in the most demanding environments. Whilst the Trade Roof Rack is one of the best pickup truck upgrades for tradespeople wishing to carry essentials like ladders, timber and tools.
Select a system suitable for your loading limit
The weight of your 4×4 matters. As well as being illegal, overloading your 4×4 can negatively affect the performance of your vehicle and make it particularly unsafe to drive.
With this in mind, you should find out how much weight your 4×4 roof is designed to take and choose a roof rack that supports this loading capacity without compromising the strength of the structure.
Choose a roof rack that’s vehicle specific
To ensure easy installation and the best possible fit, we always recommend choosing a roof rack that is specifically designed with your vehicle make and model in mind.
We stock off-road capable roof racks of varying sizes and styles as a result, boasting the premium quality every 4×4 owner deserves. Mounting your roof rack is made easy thanks to the vehicle-specific fitting kits included across our roof rack range.
Go back to basics with your rack selection
Whilst we supply a wide selection of roof racks to cater to your exact requirements, the ultimate roof rack has to be the ARB BASE Rack.
In addition to being vehicle-specific, super low profile, simple, flexible and ultra-lightweight, the ARB BASE Rack offers a modular design that is fully customisable. You can choose from a diverse range of highly configurable options – including the addition of dovetail accessories, wind deflectors, jack holders, gas bottle holders, and recovery board holders – to get what you really want and need from your 4×4 roof rack.
Explore all our roof rack options, including the ARB BASE Rack, right here.
Image: Arina P Habich / Shutterstock.com
