Installing a roof rack on your off-road vehicle is like adding a second floor to your house. The biggest advantage is that it provides a lot of space that otherwise would not be available for you to use. For all of you off-road enthusiasts who need to carry extra luggage, car roof racks can be an invaluable addition to your vehicle. Buying one is a pretty straightforward process if you’ve taken the time to do your homework in order to determine what type of roof rack is best for your vehicle.
Some vehicles come with factory-installed roof racks, while for others you need to purchase car roof racks as aftermarket accessories. Find an online guide suitable for your vehicle’s make, year and model to ensure a proper fit for this versatile system.
The benefits of roof racks include increasing the legroom and storage space in your vehicle as well as providing a solid platform for transporting sports equipment. Safely securing sports equipment to your vehicle is essential, as if this is not properly done, it could easily become a safety threat for all traffic participants. Roof racks are categorised according to the types of roofs they fit on. Don’t forget to check your car’s suspension system, and aquire the best struts if your old ones are already deteriorated. Let’s take a look.
Rain Gutters
Rain gutters were extremely popular in the past when there weren’t many options for roof racks available. Nowadays, there are more alternatives but rain gutters are still around. They’re most commonly used on passenger vans and full-size cargo vehicles. They have a cross bar system which requires only gutter foot packs and load bars.
Raised Rail
This is the most common type of vehicle roofs these days, and it’s commonly found on wagons, minivans and SUVs. Raised rail roof racks run the length of the vehicle from front to back and are attached to the edges of the roof. A crossbar system is generally involved and it’s simple to install without using any type of lifting kit. The only thing you need are foot packs and load bars.
Flush Rail
This is a relatively new type and it was first introduced on European vehicles. Flush rails are flush with the roof, hence the name. There’s no space between the roof of the vehicle and the rail and there’s typically an almost invisible outer and inner groove which allows the cross bars to be connected to the system. Besides being incredibly functional, they also look amazing.
Half Rails
Some owners opt to have two rails located on both sides of the vehicle. These run parallel on the sides of the roof and you can install a fully-functional rack. There are no cross bars involved here, so in order to set up this system, you need a roof rack mounting pack.
