NewHilux.net

Hey guys, haven't been able to find much through searching but I'm after your input for a roof rack solution.

Car - 2011 dual cab SR5, hard lid, no canopy planned.

Needs - I want a roof rack that I can use to mount an awning (as long as possible, so strong rack preferred), mount a hi lift jack as well as carry whatever camping stuff I need to. I also would like to be able to mount my thule snowboard racks on it... So need ideas on how to adapt them to whichever roof rack I get.

So far I'm pretty keen on the ARB cab rack in the tradie version, which is a steel rack with sides but no front or back. I was quoted $670 for it without fitting but including mounts. I'm not sure how to mount a rack such as this to the gutters though... Anyone done it? They wanted 2.5 hrs labour ($225) to mount it which I'd rather do myself if possible.

Anyone know any other racks that would meet my needs?

Cheers

Another option is the Windcheetah brand , you can see them on the BOAB site. I am pretty sure that RodW has one
Gutter mount racks are no good off road they move around with the vibration

Cheers mate I'll have a look.

I though gutter mount would be more secure? And the clamp mount style would move more?

How do non Gutter mount ones fasten ? To what ?

Packdaddy wrote:Cheers mate I'll have a look.

I though gutter mount would be more secure? And the clamp mount style would move more?

I didn't word that very well, I meant the clamp on style to the gutter move around but the ones that fix in to the strip in the roof are a lot better

Is there a fastening rail under the black rubber strips or something like that to allow a steadfast roof rack connection ?

Qwerty wrote:Is there a fastening rail under the black rubber strips or something like that to allow a steadfast roof rack connection ?

Yep

I installed my rhino racks last week. They are a standard heavy duty bar rack that mounts to rails that are installed into the roof channels. Once you pull off the rubber strip all your left with is a roof channel... Fitting my rails involved drilling holes in the roof and riveting the rails into the channel. Solid as a rock

Alby wrote:

Packdaddy wrote:Cheers mate I'll have a look.

I though gutter mount would be more secure? And the clamp mount style would move more?

I didn't word that very well, I meant the clamp on style to the gutter move around but the ones that fix in to the strip in the roof are a lot better

Yeah ok, that's what I thought! When I said gutter mount I meant the kind that are fixed to a strip in the roof channel, which I thought was a gutter... Haha

I had a look at the Windcheetah racks - they look good! They're not cheap though, a dual cab sized one is $900. Interestingly they also say that the Hilux ones are only for light duty due to the relatively thin skin of the roof... Which would indicate any roof rack on a hilux would not be rated to carry much. Any ideas on load ratings?

Blackie2008 wrote:I installed my rhino racks last week. They are a standard heavy duty bar rack that mounts to rails that are installed into the roof channels. Once you pull off the rubber strip all your left with is a roof channel... Fitting my rails involved drilling holes in the roof and riveting the rails into the channel. Solid as a rock

Yeah that's what I heard but wasn't sure about. So what rails did you use? Rhino ones? Are they the full length of the channel? Or just where the racks mount?

And how difficult was it, did you just use standard rivets/rivet gun, did you rust proof the holes after drilling them? Are the holes sealed somehow or is water liable to seep in where the rivets are?

Thanks mate, good info!

Pretty sure mine is only 100kg

Packdaddy wrote:

Blackie2008 wrote:I installed my rhino racks last week. They are a standard heavy duty bar rack that mounts to rails that are installed into the roof channels. Once you pull off the rubber strip all your left with is a roof channel... Fitting my rails involved drilling holes in the roof and riveting the rails into the channel. Solid as a rock

Yeah that's what I heard but wasn't sure about. So what rails did you use? Rhino ones? Are they the full length of the channel? Or just where the racks mount?

And how difficult was it, did you just use standard rivets/rivet gun, did you rust proof the holes after drilling them? Are the holes sealed somehow or is water liable to seep in where the rivets are?

Thanks mate, good info!

Yeah I got the rhino ones. They start 210mm back from the windscreen and finish about the same from the back. Wasn't too difficult and followed the rhino installing guide that was supplied. I used some zinc it in the holes after drilling then filled and surrounded them with butyl mastic before laying the tracks in and riveting them down. I used stainless rivets instead of the supplied ones and a pneumatic rivet gun was a god send, made it so easy

Thanks heaps Blackie, sounds easy! Doubt I can get a pneumatic gun though : /

Can someone with the fixed roof racks please do
Me a favor? I'm currently building my canopy and am putting roof racks on it, I would
Like to make them the same length as cab mounted ones so if/ when I get some for
The cab they roughly line up and also a height from the roof to The top of the bar.
Thanks in advance!
Pat

MrLuxx wrote:Can someone with the fixed roof racks please do
Me a favor? I'm currently building my canopy and am putting roof racks on it, I would
Like to make them the same length as cab mounted ones so if/ when I get some for
The cab they roughly line up and also a height from the roof to The top of the bar.
Thanks in advance!
Pat

Later Pat, it's too cold to go outside ATM.

Blackie2008 wrote:Later Pat, it's too cold to go outside ATM.

Haha yeah I know I'm at work and it's rather fresh.

ARB charge a fair price for fitment as the roof lining in your cab needs to be dropped and therefore a fair bit of mucking around.
Pat bit hard to get a line off that till you have the racks on the roof to go by, just remember that the tray or tub are separate from the cab to allow some flex in the chassis.

You don't need to take the roof liner off if you use a stop drill and a vacuum.

1100mm between the two tracks (centre to centre) and the height of roof to the top of the bar is between 90 and 110mm depending on where you measure it. ATM I've got them set 850mm apart.

Ok so I've looked at few options and I don't think I can go past the windcheetah rack... It's a lower profile, versatile for mounting things on, minimal wind noise, more easily removable than a steel rack and only takes up 20kg of the 100kg hilux dynamic roof rating, so will theoretically hold more weight. I saw one in the flesh on an OL D40 Navara and it looks the goods too!

Unfortunately though I can't seem to find any pictures of one on a hilux... Anyone here have one? There's a pic on the dolium site but it really doesn't show much cos it's taken from a sh!t angle

$900 is more than I wanted to spend but at least I'll be happy with it