MAF Tradesman Roof Rack (4 Viewers)

[Hltoppr]

I ended up going with a set of 4 yakima A towers with 78" load bars. So far I've been able to fit kayaks, mountain bikes, a rooftop tent and miscellaneous wood, etc. on the top with no problems.

I do have some con-fer feet that I'm playing around with other rack designs.

As for the "escape hatch" for me the rooftop tent is easier to deal with from the sunroof when I've got my two boats mounted on the side (see my user profile pic...) so I'd like to have at least a hatch there.

The down side of using the yakima load bars is that I loose some of the "basket" design of the Tradesman and other racks, as even a loadwarrior or like basket would be difficult to fit without adding an additional load bar. (The rooftop tent is supported by 3 bars.)

-H-

 

[sleeoffroad]

Wondering out loud if we can convince Christo to fab racks.... What are the pros and cons of a HD aluminum rack?

-B-

Uhm, that is why we import the African Outback Racks. You can not produce the same rack in the US for the same money. Labor is just to much.

 

[concretejungle]

Cons

'spensive, hard to weld vs steel, small market.

Pros

weight, cool factor.

Plus, no rust as a pro.

hltopper, how functional is that tent? Just curious. It looks like it would be really heavy, and cause the 80 to fill a bit tippy, and it looks like a bear to put up. Just curious. I have a mosquito net that with the back doors open and the back seats folded up, makes for very nice sleeping arangements.

I have the ARB 3/4 rack. It is very sturdy, and the mesh floor makes it easy to strap things to. But......it is loud. And it makes using the sunroof nearly impossible. With the sunroof open the wind noise is over and above the stereo.

 

[Cube Dweller]

Anyone else tried to fab their own rack? I need some ideas for mounting to the rain gutters. Con-Fer sells towers/ mounting feet? I've thought about using Yakima towers so the locks would be the same as the ones on the Accord. For the price of a 4x8 sheet of expanded metal and some steel tubing (~$60) I could build something pretty cheap exactly the way I want it.

Tony

 

[Hltoppr]

CJ,

The tent is friggin' awesome! I was fortunate enough to find it used from an IH8MUD member, but now that I've been on several trips with it I feel it would be worth the approx. $1500 asking price. It's easy to open and close, and is comfortable for my wife and I. It's been on the beach in Baja and at 11,800 feet in colorado, and has withstood rain, sleet and pretty good winds, with no problems.

Weight is about 120 lbs with the rack, so it's not too tough to get off with one other person. I just undo the locks and A Towers and lift the two crossbars/A Towers it's attached to off the rear of the Cruiser. Yes, I can tell that it's up there, but nothing that the heavy OME springs can't handle.

I was even amazed that the last trip I took I got 15.9 mpg fully loaded at 60-65 mph!

Sacto...

I don't think con-fer sells the feet separately. I happened to get a set of 8 from a client who wasn't using them...


-H-

 

[cruiserdan]

I was even amazed that the last trip I took I got 15.9 mpg fully loaded at 60-65 mph!



-H-

You used the same calculator that you use to add up your billable hours, didn't you?

 

[yooper]

Sacto...

I don't think con-fer sells the feet separately. I happened to get a set of 8 from a client who wasn't using them...

-H-

They do sell them separately. About $18 each for a complete bulldog clamp, less if you buy them in quantity. Three different sizes to pick from. They are a good choice for building your own rack - very strong.

Con-Ferr (Click on Roof Racks, then on BullDog Clamps)

 

[AMMO]

Con-fer does sell the feet separately; I think I picked up a set of ten for around $200. Then used them on my custom rack, I would suggest using at least 10 on ANY full length rack to distribute the weight... That is if you are planning on sleeping or standing on it.

-Matt

 

[Lars]

Ammo,


Nice pics!

Did you run out of paint with the front right fender?

 

[AMMO]

Lars,

Nah, there was a black flair on there at one time. Then some one said I couldn't climb over the hood of a Ford LTD and up a 3' wall. Got to love lockers. The result was the loss of fender flair, haven't gotten around to replacing it or beating the fender out. Besides, once you have some body damage it makes the next time it's not as bad to take. It was well worth it to see there faces, good thing it was a junk car because I crushed it.

-Matt

 

[blupaddler]

I have the full length Kaymar/Tradesman rack. I like it alot. I went with the full length to give me extra storage space and a longer rack space between the front and rear bar to hold my 18' paddleboard. The rack is made really well. Very sturdy, albeit heavy.

The only draw back, as others have mentioned is the noise. I cannot open the sunroof at hwy speeds and expect to hear the radio or have a conversation. I have heard though of people putting a windscreen on the front of the rack, and that will cut down on the road noise. But nothing actually confirmed yet.

 

[erics_bruisers]

I have the ARB 1/2 rack and never know it's on the truck, all windows down, etc -- it does what I wanted it to do -- though their powder-coating isn't the most durable I've seen --

eric

 

[Hltoppr]

You used the same calculator that you use to add up your billable hours, didn't you?

...I was just as amazed...guess I had a tail wind!

-H-
(Sending CDan a bill for .2 for responding to the thread... )