Cheap roof racks

[frenzy]

Hi All,

Just started researching roof racks for my GU and saw Fletch's top looking rig in members rides and the great deal he got for his roof rack on ebay. I thought I'd start a new thread rather than hijack that one. ;)

The ebay sellers website is below (thanks for the details Fletch) and has a price of $840, although he will do them for $550 if you mention the forum:
http://boltonparts.com.au/products/roof-racks/

I did some more searching and found exactly the same rack (it might even be the same guy) on ebay for $399 plus delivery:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Steel-roof-cage-4-Nissan-Patrol-GQ-GU-Full-length2-2M-/290582277629?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43a80dadfd

Given that these are significantly cheaper than the ARB's and Tracklanders out there and that I want to load up my GU and disappear up the Gibb River Road one day, has anyone bolted up one of these and given it a hard time?

They look great but do they bend easily compared to others?

I would just hate to buy the cheap one and end up leaving it on the side of the road up North when the corrugations trash it!

Waddayareckon?

[nowoolies]

that would be right second person to rub this in
i paid $1650.00 for my rack ....and yup i`m sulking hahahahahahahahahaha

[Clunk]

just read that ebay ad........................ why would it take 2 hours to install the rack??????? takes me no longer than 15 minutes to stick mine on.................. bloomin cheap though

[Bigrig]

Yep - I'll probably get one also ... been deliberating it for a while ...

[Maxhead]

just read that ebay ad........................ why would it take 2 hours to install the rack??????? takes me no longer than 15 minutes to stick mine on.................. bloomin cheap though

I think they come flat packed and you need to bolt it all together first.....

These are the same $20 cheaper
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NISSAN-PATROL-GQ-GU-FULL-LENGTH-STEEL-CAGE-ROOF-RACK-/250849110871?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a67c5ab57#ht_1532wt_1139

Or you can get one with 3 bars for $299 ...if you don't need to carry heavy stuff
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NISSAN-PATROL-GQ-GU-FULL-LENGTH-STEEL-CAGE-ROOF-RACK-/250848591861?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a67bdbff5#ht_2230wt_1139

[Sir Roofy]

Should be ok cheap and affordable
as for corrugations up north your guess is as good as mine

[Maxhead]

Should be ok cheap and affordable
as for corrugations up north your guess is as good as mine

I would have to agree Roofy. They're not much good if you're touring the country and going through rough roads all the time.
As for occasional use they would be perfect

[Sir Roofy]

i would have to agree roofy. They're not much good if you're touring the country and going through rough roads all the time.
As for occasional use they would be perfect

has to be good to last up there so you pay top dollar
which can hurt the back pocket

[big_fletch]

I have compared my Roofrack which has 4 mounts with the $1400 ARB 3 mount one, myself and the bloke at the local ARB store couldn't really see much of a difference in quality, I would nave no problems taking my rack anywhere in Australia.. Highly recommend..
The rack i got from 'Bolt On Parts' does come flat packed, and it took me about 2 hours to fit (by the time I got all the brackets bolted on and got the rack straight). Once all that's done, to remove just gotta undo the gutter brackets and reverse to bolt back up (takes about 15mins)

Fletcha

[Gert B Frobe]

Personally i think that is a bit over priced considering I bought my full length ally rack for considerably cheaper and it weighs a hell of a lot less than a steel one and has the same carrying capacity. The only reason I need a second person to fit is because of the size not the weight and I am not a big guy. And mine is a four post rack built by an Aluminium fabricator so quality all round.

Just my two cents

[frenzy]

Update: I called Paul from boltonparts and mentioned a few other prices I had seen on ebay. He said the best he could do was $480 plus postage. He was really helpful and said he had no idea how these other sellers do them for that money. So, I contacted one that was selling them for $399 plus postage.

(http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290582277629&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

He only had some with a few dents in them for $299 so I requested and received photos of the dints. Didn't look like the dints would weaken the thing at all, but still hadn't seen one of these things in the flesh.

The very next night, I saw a Patrol in the carpark (basically a clone of mine) after the QLD Patrol Club meeting and it had exactly the rack! Had a chat to the owner, checked it out, climbed on it, tried to pull it off...... He has had his for a while and regularly stands on it to take photos and gives it a hard time.

Went home and ordered it!

Should receive it in a couple of days. Will be sure to let you all know how it goes.

Cheers,

Steve

[MudRunnerTD]

Personally i think that is a bit over priced considering I bought my full length ally rack for considerably cheaper and it weighs a hell of a lot less than a steel one and has the same carrying capacity. The only reason I need a second person to fit is because of the size not the weight and I am not a big guy. And mine is a four post rack built by an Aluminium fabricator so quality all round.

Just my two cents

Hey Gert,

I am in the market for one for my GUIV and have been really keen to find a good quality Aluminium one for the massive weight saving.

Have you got a pic of yours? where did you get it from?

An Ali one will be 40+ kgs lighter which is 2 x Jerry cans of fuel..........

BUT! the Black widow ali one is $1500!

One of these for $400 and buy a long range tank and i am in about the same boat!

Any info would be great. I am looking now.

[macca]

I got one of these cheap, light and strong
http://roofcage.com/
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh94/maccas01/Nissan%20Forum%20Pics/Mactrolresize12.jpg
Located near Newcastle NSW.
He made it to my dimentions so a custom job for $800
Made my own mounts from 6mm aluminium bolted through the bottom rail to suit the roof bars I had, it has done all I have asked it to do including carry large bits of firewood as we like good sized whitefella fires
Macca

[frenzy]

Rightio. Got the roof racks and fitted them. Here's the low down....

Ordered a slightly dented and scratched one from an ebay seller for $299 + $125 postage. It arrived a few days later...
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4582.jpg

The "damage". Easily fixed with some touch up paint. I scratched it more than that moving it around myself!
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4586.jpg

The kit
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4591.jpg

I went down to the bolt shop and bought some more washers to put between the mounts and the rack to avoid bending the mounts. I also replaced most of the mild steel bots supplied with high tensile bolts. $26 worth.
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack3.jpg

On the truck.
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack.jpg

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack4.jpg

Very happy with it for the price. You can see where the quality control isn't 100% but I was expecting that.

It does take a couple of hours to install because I needed to tap out all of the captive nuts to remove weld splatter and there are 56 bolts to do up! To remove it now would only require 8 bolts to be undone; 10 minutes work.

Thanks to big Fletch for posting his roof rack pics. I wasn't considering a cheap knock off type rack before then.

Hope this thread helps out some others as well.

Cheers,

Steve

[big_fletch]

Rightio. Got the roof racks and fitted them. Here's the low down....

Ordered a slightly dented and scratched one from an ebay seller for $299 + $125 postage. It arrived a few days later...
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4582.jpg

The "damage". Easily fixed with some touch up paint. I scratched it more than that moving it around myself!
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4586.jpg

The kit
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/IMG_4591.jpg

I went down to the bolt shop and bought some more washers to put between the mounts and the rack to avoid bending the mounts. I also replaced most of the mild steel bots supplied with high tensile bolts. $26 worth.
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack3.jpg

On the truck.
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack.jpg

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee518/fieldfrenzy/roofrack4.jpg

Very happy with it for the price. You can see where the quality control isn't 100% but I was expecting that.

It does take a couple of hours to install because I needed to tap out all of the captive nuts to remove weld splatter and there are 56 bolts to do up! To remove it now would only require 8 bolts to be undone; 10 minutes work.

Thanks to big Fletch for posting his roof rack pics. I wasn't considering a cheap knock off type rack before then.

Hope this thread helps out some others as well.

Cheers,

Steve

Ripper buy mate. Looks the same as my rack with nice strong mounts.. Def looks the goods all bolted up buddy

[MudRunnerTD]

Well i have been in a chat with a seller from ebay for these racks and to quote him... "There is a War on ebay over roof racks right now"

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320718887269&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:AU:1123#ht_2720wt_982

That is a Tigerz11 rack which is the same as the Powerful4x4 rack too, all the same factory.

If you are going to buy one of these NOW is the time. This should be unmarked and not a second. Brand new with warranty.

$299 plus $80 delivery to Melbourne. WOW.

[frenzy]

Good stuff. There are heaps of people bringing these things in right now.

Reminds me of the pizza wars in Canberra in 2003/4. We were getting unlimited large pizzas for $3 each!