Roof rack with safari windows?

[Shopkeep]

Thank you! I've been sick since, but am getting better.

It's nice to get in the vehicle when it's 115*F and be able to pop the roof open while maxxing the A/C until the steering wheel cools off enough to touch. It's over 110*F every summer here, for weeks sometimes. Opening the windows doesn't exactly have the same effect. Again, when it's nice, like today, in the 50s, it would be nice to have the fresh air of the roof open and windows up with the A/C or heat for temp regulation.

But, I'm on the fence. I've seen folks argue on the Facebook groups about hard tops don't leak, are cooler (are they?) and I'll likely never use the safari windows to stand up in the seat as they're designed. Probably once, to say I did it. Do I need the roof rack? No. It looks cool, and I like the idea of being able to throw on a spare tire and a jerry can or two. (I got 2 NATO cans for Christmas - Duluth Trading has the best price right now on genuine Valpro / Wavian cans). As far as needing space to store stuff because the interior storage is full? I can't imagine ever doing that. But, I see really cool looking overland type vehicles on the road, and they all have a roof rack.

Go for the Safari Windows, can always retrofit the roof rack but not the windows. Given Arizona's wide open spaces, great nature parks, intense heat and easy access to firearms I would have thought the Safari Windows were non-negotiable!

 

[globalgregors]

I think the ARB Base Rack or one from frontrunner have movable cross slats that might allow at least a tilt.

ARB is fully welded, but they do have a 3/4 length platform. Frontrunner you could delete slats 2-4 from the front, or shorten the rack also to 3/4 length. 1st slat carries the front perimeter rail and wind deflector if one chooses to fit it.

 

[globalgregors]

So then the question comes for me, which is more important, factory safari windows I cannot have retrofitted or solid roof, vs getting a full roof rack, which will be warranted by Ineos, or wait and hope someone builds a Grenadier compatible aftermarket (no warranty) 3/4 length roof rack and get the safari windows. I don't think that the roof bars would be something I'd be interested in.

You can also fasten the Rhino N-S slats directly to the roof bars (eg individually), although that might look somewhat scruffy in comparison to a resolved rack solution…

 

[DaveB]

ARB is fully welded, but they do have a 3/4 length platform. Frontrunner you could delete slats 2-4 from the front, or shorten the rack also to 3/4 length. 1st slat carries the front perimeter rail and wind deflector if one chooses to fit it.

Justin Hocevar told me Rhino are developing a 3/4 length rack the same as the full length one.
Personally I think the Rhino rack on the vehicles look horrible with those large mounting feet and side panels
I was told they were necessary to get the load rating but then the whole thing weighs so much you lose half your load

 

[globalgregors]

Justin Hocevar told me Rhino are developing a 3/4 length rack the same as the full length one.
Personally I think the Rhino rack on the vehicles look horrible with those large mounting feet and side panels
I was told they were necessary to get the load rating but then the whole thing weighs so much you lose half your load
View attachment 7799049View attachment 7799050

Yes, the Rhino Rack folks said the same thing to me (3/4 version en route).
I hear what you say about the mounts. I think I’d be drilling those to mount lights/shovel.
Leaning towards the ARB though as I like the idea of a fully welded platform after I had the issue with (galvanic?) corrosion of fasteners etc on my Frontrunner.
If not for the shitty powder coating and corrosion I’d be modding and re-fitting the Frontrunner, despite the stress fracturing last time around.

 

[Tu Sugars]

Supermarket carparks all seem to have, on average, a headspace of 2.2 M... I have always had a low-height yellow beacon up top; recently, one shopping centre's 2.2 M height warning bar let me in... A moment later, some freshly installed sprinklers scraped off the yellow light. I had a similar issue on a 200 series GXL; the Toyota roof bars scraped in some buildings, and I learned to avoid those! "Stuff" installed much over 2M topsides screws fuel consumption and is a pain in many civic amenities - architectural structures are not always well thought through.

 

[DaveB]

Supermarket carparks all seem to have, on average, a headspace of 2.2 M... I have always had a low-height yellow beacon up top; recently, one shopping centre's 2.2 M height warning bar let me in... A moment later, some freshly installed sprinklers scraped off the yellow light. I had a similar issue on a 200 series GXL; the Toyota roof bars scraped in some buildings, and I learned to avoid those! "Stuff" installed much over 2M topsides screws fuel consumption and is a pain in many civic amenities - architectural structures are not always well thought through.

I had a carpark under a hotel that had 2.2 metre clearance.
Problem was the driveway went down.
So the height when the front wheels were at the bottom and the rear wheels were still on the driveway meant that I couldn't fit.

 

[Barney]

So today worked the first day this year. That's why I'm only writing now. Thank you for your statements. I need the rack as a hunter because you are allowed to hunt from the roof of a car in Germany. I have had a sunroof in all my cars so far and I saw in the prototype that the window does not open fully, but the driving experience with light from above is much better in my opinion. My plan is to partially shorten the bar so that the windows can be used and the bar can still be covered over the full length of the vehicle. For a long time I thought about whether a three-quarter bar looks so good and I came to the conclusion that if a track is mounted, then a full-length one. When I get the Grenadier I will work on a way to hunt boar from the rhinorack.
And yes, it increases air resistance and I can't get into the underground car park either. You have to make compromises…

 

[Nixon_04]

Does somebody knows width of the standard IG roof rack? Looking for 3/4 standard length roof rack alternatives, I am struggeling which width should bei applied. Thank you.

 

[das mo]

Does somebody knows width of the standard IG roof rack? Looking for 3/4 standard length roof rack alternatives, I am struggeling which width should bei applied. Thank you.

1,59m wide. 2,53m long. 60kg.

 

[IG_in_AZ]

Go for the Safari Windows, can always retrofit the roof rack but not the windows. Given Arizona's wide open spaces, great nature parks, intense heat and easy access to firearms I would have thought the Safari Windows were non-negotiable!

Can't discharge a firearm while touching a vehicle, so I'm told. I haven't actually researched the statute, but probably should. Hunting from a vehicle is an absolute no-no, but I believe that they can ticket, fine and possibly seize your ride if you so much as target practice leaning against a vehicle. Laws suck sometimes.

But yeah, I think I'll get much more use from the windows than a rack.

 

[m-j]

Can't discharge a firearm while touching a vehicle, so I'm told. I haven't actually researched the statute, but probably should. Hunting from a vehicle is an absolute no-no, but I believe that they can ticket, fine and possibly seize your ride if you so much as target practice leaning against a vehicle. Laws suck sometimes.

But yeah, I think I'll get much more use from the windows than a rack.

Same in California, at least it was years ago.

 

[globalgregors]

Same in California, at least it was years ago.

Disappointed to discover The A-Team was not factually accurate.

 

[Krabby]

Disappointed to discover The A-Team was not factually accurate.

Most certainly was! Remember. they were convicted of a crime they did not commit, but in the eyes of the law they were guilty. So they were on the run from the law anyway so why not rock and fire?

 

[martinjmknight]

Can't discharge a firearm while touching a vehicle, so I'm told. I haven't actually researched the statute, but probably should. Hunting from a vehicle is an absolute no-no, but I believe that they can ticket, fine and possibly seize your ride if you so much as target practice leaning against a vehicle. Laws suck sometimes.

But yeah, I think I'll get much more use from the windows than a rack.

Shooting from a stationary vehicle in England is permitted, Wales is usually the same legally bit check. Scotland may well be different. I’ve ordered Safari Windows with Roof Bars. As per a previous comment, 3 roof bars would be good. Front to be forward of window to support roof load or rest rifle on while standing on front seat, middle to rear of safari window leaving enough gap to sit on roof with legs through safari window hole for spectating at events or shooting, back bar close to rear door For loads. I‘ve got long kayaks that would benefit from three bars but I cannot find a roof box big enough to fill the roof area. Boxes that go on a roof rack invite theft on overnight stopovers at hotel en route to final destination. Obviously fine for remote areas only.

 

[Shopkeep]

“…..sit on roof with legs through safari window hole for spectating at events…..”

I have already specced the safari windows but had not thought about using them that way, bonus! I hope the roof is up to it!

 

[Sam]

Personally I think the Rhino rack on the vehicles look horrible with those large mounting feet and side panels
I was told they were necessary to get the load rating but then the whole thing weighs so much you lose half your load

Fugly I agree. 3/4 rhino rack on standard mounts would solve.

IMO load rating isn't everything ... I need to carry surfboards, some camping equipment, some building supplies, they don't weigh much. And the practicalities of having 100's of kg on the roof have to be thought through... particularly the manual handling (for example, a spare wheel/tyre on the roof seems a good idea until you actually try and lift one up there) and the effect on driving stability.

 

[DaveB]

“…..sit on roof with legs through safari window hole for spectating at events…..”

I have already specced the safari windows but had not thought about using them that way, bonus! I hope the roof is up to it!

The roof is self regulating
If you can fit through the safari window then the roof can take your weight
If you can't then it doesn't matter what the roof can take you have other issues to worry about

 

[emax]

At Krah + Enders the display car had a plastic roof. It didn't feel like you can sit on it. You'd need a roof rack.

 

[LifeAquatic]

Does anyone know if you can get a tray/flat-top (ALA the rhino rack) that would attach to the cross bars on offer, as opposed to the gutters on the vehicle? Although it would have limitations in terms of load weight, it may be a more versatile storage solution than cross bars themselves and would mean we are not milling around for the Rhino Rack 3/4 offering. However, it may be that such a product doesn’t exist.