roof racks - keeping stuff dry and dust free on the cheap?

[Silver]

My GQ has a home made roofrack with weldmesh floor.

I'd like to keep chairs, touring tent and sleeping mats dry up there if possible.

I've looked at the fancy boxes, too dear for me.

I've looked at the roof rack bags - interesting, but all of the vendors at a recent show said that they will leak eventually.

Am thinking of either a reasonable quality poly tarp, or more likely a canvas tarp.

lay it over the roof rack and down the windscreen. load up the rack. fold the sides and back up. pull the tarp back from the front, tuck in and tie down with ropes running from the bottom rail on the roof rack, over the load and tied down on the opposite side.

Now, there has got to be a better way, or refinements on this - any ideas, suggestion or musing very welcome

[AB]

I think that may be your only way to go with a good tarp.

[Bigrig]

Dhuck did this when we went away last time and it was belting rain - not a drop on the gear on the roof.

Cheapest and easiest option if done right.

[hekarewe]

your on the right track with your tarp idea but it to will leak with enough rain and the dusyt will get in there still because it is so fine,,,,,, before loading,,,, bag up things like chair etc in heavy duty garbage bags and use re usable cable ties to seal up the bag or even gaffa tape to do this. just remember a common mistake when people tarp the way you are going to do is make sure the bottom flaps are tucked up properly inside the top flaps or you end up with a canvas lined water tank on your roof :)

[fixer982]

Just my 10 cents worth. I have one of those mesh basket racks and I bought a Bushranger Rack-Sack gear bag from fleabay. It was cheap and has Velcro tags all round as well as a mother of a zip. We got drenched in the Flinders last year, but anything inside this rack sack was dry as a bone and some was in there for several days. I just open it up, Velcro the base down to the rack, then load all the crap on to it and Zip it up, then stick a ratchet tie over the top. It's easier to open that having to untie a tarp, and I agree with hekarewe that tarps can really hold water, as we found out on an earlier trip. Mind you, I was never a boy scout so my knots are rubbish which was probably the real cause.

[Waza]

your on the right track with your tarp idea but it to will leak with enough rain and the dusyt will get in there still because it is so fine,,,,,, before loading,,,, bag up things like chair etc in heavy duty garbage bags and use re usable cable ties to seal up the bag or even gaffa tape to do this. just remember a common mistake when people tarp the way you are going to do is make sure the bottom flaps are tucked up properly inside the top flaps or you end up with a canvas lined water tank on your roof :)

This is the best idea I've heard & cheap too!

Cheers

[Adventurous]

Carrying loads on the roof can never be cheap, as your fuel consumption takes a tumble!! :-(

[NP99]

Carrying loads on the roof can never be cheap, as your fuel consumption takes a tumble!! :-(

It's all a trade off mate.......

[threedogs]

Michelles sacks do a roof top storage bag,

[Clunk]

Michelles sacks do a roof top storage bag,

Gonna give me a loan? Lol

[Woof]

So good to see that Silver's posts and knowledge are still helping people.
RIP Rick

[BillsGU]

I had a bag made up out of good quality canvas. Never had water or dust enter after all the many k's I have driven over all sorts of terrain in all sorts of weather. The only thing I did have happen is over a few years the basket rubbing on the bottom of the bag wore a few holes in it. I had the bottom of the bag replaced and now I put a thin sheet of high density (will not hold water) foam under the bag. A tarp is good for a one off - but you will get bored with wrapping and unwrapping it over a period of time.