Roof rack advice - suitability for carrying lumber as well as roof box?

[deema]

The major brands of roof bars sell the bars and connectors to the roof as separates (or they used to) so, you can buy the bars and when you change your vehicle it’s just the connecting brackets you need to update. EBay is your friend fir your old connecting brackets you/ updated brackets.

 

[MarkAW]

I would take the 75kg limit with a pinch of salt - that is the limit on the classic range rover I had yet we still had a huge roofrack and 6 people on top shooting clays at one point - together we might have been over 75kg

biggest issue with wood on the roof is air pushing it up, whatever you do make sure you can strap down at the ends as well as in the middle.

That's a static load. Not dynamic. What happens when you emergency brake or take a corner. All the weight transfers around the pillars and forces on the brackets are not so downwards. Same principle as roof tents. They can take people when stationary.

OP. I have no problem transporting lengths of timber upto 3.6m on my aerobars. The rubber seems to get more damaged moving the cycle carrier on and off.
I recommend a couple of smaller size ratchet straps too.

 

[akirk]

That's a static load. Not dynamic. What happens when you emergency brake or take a corner. All the weight transfers around the pillars and forces on the brackets are not so downwards. Same principle as roof tents. They can take people when stationary.

Fair point - though 6 adults moving and then shooting is a bit more on the dynamic side than static

 

[sploo]

Another vote for Thule aero bars; not cheap, but I've found them to be very quiet even at fast motorway speeds. I have "abused" them by strapping lengths of timber on, as well as carrying a roofbox or cycle carriers.

 

[Seascaper]

Hi folks,

I recently changed the car and now I have flush rails, so now I need a new roof rack!

I will not be carrying bikes up there (got a rack for the back of the car that does that) but I will probably be getting a roof box next year. But the first loads will be a Christmas tree, and then lengths of lumber of various sizes.

This last is important because I was just about to buy a set of aerofoil aluminium bars, but when I looked at the cross section diagram, I wondered if the aerofoil shape (not a flat plane) would be a problem when laying planks on it. Also, many of these designs have rubber strips, or rubber wind deflector strips, designed to keep them quiet at high speeds, and I wondered if a load of wood could flatten and damage this rubber.

Anyone got any experience and recommendations?

I was looking at these when I had the above thoughts:
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?emulate=roofbar&query=8271&vptype=585270&brand=Atera RTD&prodid=33171

Cheers

 

[Seascaper]

I carry my timber on a canoe carrying attachment that fastens to the roof rack. Great for carrying long loads, even a timber mast and spars. It is made of box section aluminium.
Regards

 

[woodieallen]

Get the timber merchant to deliver?