Roof rack with soft top for 88?

[REDrum]

Anyone ever seen or heard of such a creature, that is not a one off fabrication?

Would like to go soft top but also need basket type roof rack. No doubt it can be fab'd up, but would rather not have to engineer and beta test... Other option/compromise may be keep hard top and use roll-up sides....

Thoughts....pictures....myths?

[SafeAirOne]

Other option/compromise may be keep hard top and use roll-up sides...

...an only slightly easier engineering and beta-testing task.

I don't ever recall seeing any manufactured product to accomplish what you want, unless you count the NA$ Defender external roll cage$.

As far as fabricating something to work with a canvs top goes, I've actually thought about this in the past. The difficulty lies in the fact that the hoodsticks aren't a terribly stable base for even a simple over-the-cab basket. The front support of the basket is no problem, but the rear support would have to either reside outside the canvas like an external cage, or the supporting hoodstick would have to be made of a heavier material that was sufficienty braced, but then you'd have to work out how to deal with the through-canvas penetrations. I had come to the conclusion that neither choice was terribly practical.

Getting rid of the roofsides and using canvas walls is easier, though still not easy per-se. I was thinking of something along those lines for my 109 last year, but for different reasons than you. I may have even drawn up some plans somewhere. I think that I wasn't too thrilled about the asthetics of the setup and abandoned the effort, though like everything else, it is do-able.

[I Leak Oil]

Only ones I've seen had a seperate or modified hoop structure. The stock hoopset is far too inadequate for supporting even a mildly loaded roof rack. They aren't strong laterally or longitudinally. They're barely adequate straight up and down as is.
You could copy the Jeep guys and do the Congo Cage thing.....

[siii8873]

I was toying with this idea for canoe racks. What I was thinking of doing was to use a second front hoop with the tabs on the back with the tabs facing forward. Then I was thinking of 2 options, First was to install some groments in the canvas where the tab holes were and bolt on some uprights/cross piece. Was going to try this and then see if I needed to add some braces to inside hoop.
Second thought was to connect to the tabs with some flat stock through the flaps and attach an upright. Only drawback to both ideas would be that you would not easily be able to roll up the sides. I have carried canoes on the standard hoops without any problems. That was with a PU top and just the hoops in back.

[Firemanshort]

This is a photo of a New Zealand MOD Stage One with a soft top and a MOD roof rack. I am sure the same concept would work on an 88".

[east high]

I was toying with this idea for canoe racks. I have carried canoes on the standard hoops without any problems. That was with a PU top and just the hoops in back.

Really? I've been wondering about this. Assuming the hoops wouldn't be sufficient, I'd been daydreaming about building a canoe rack too. My idea was to roll up the sides and clamp scaffolding to the tub rails that would extend upwards and curve around top. Those would bolt together with a couple horizontal bars that would support the canoe.

Sort of like in my crappy-cool drawing

[disco2hse]

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This is a photo of a New Zealand MOD Stage One with a soft top and a MOD roof rack. I am sure the same concept would work on an 88".

Thanks for posting that.

Just a few words about it. These were not originally intended for carrying gear, but for slinging camo nets over the FFRs. But you know how these things are, too much stuff down below? No problem, stick it up top.

The rack is very heavy (about 80kg) and makes the vehicle top heavy. But they are strong. They are rated to no more than 60kg of cargo, but add that to the 80kg and you have 140kg (308lb in your money) swinging around up there like a pendulum. Believe me, it is not the best feeling when you are driving around a corner and the inside wheels start lifting off the road. I took mine off.

They are fitted to the rear of the chassis rear cross member. That is very strong. At the front, what you can't see from the photos is how they are held to the body. On the outside is a bent plate that bolts to the top capping rail and through the tub wall. On the inside is another plate with threaded holes that match the outside plate. Most of the force is downward and so the greatest amount of stress is on the cap, not the thin tub. This arrangement is very strong too. I have seen where these have rolled (not uncommon), destroyed the rack, but not torn off the mountings.

Much of the weight up top is in the steel mesh. I guess if this was not there the weight would be reduced by more than half.

[REDrum]

Thanks guys. Its a long range project. I'm working on a few ideas and details. Will post back if/when I run with an option

[REDrum]

I'm starting to revisit this project and thought I'd bump up the thread.

Options I'm exploring:
1) Found a slightly used Safety Devices full exo cage for a d90; could be fitted to SIII but not sure how soft top would roll up/down (or not...). But pretty heavy...
2) Stick build full exo cage with local cage builder and add Front runner or Hannibal rack.
3) Front cab cage from Safety Devices + custom rack with dual ladder (by local cage builder) in rear to transfer rack load down to rear cross member. But this would be a a lot of R&D and costs.

To be continued...

[Linus Tremaine]

I have a net made from one inch strapping stretched between the soft top side bars and attached on the front. I throw all the light stuff like pads, bags and coats up there leaving more room below. This keeps all your stuff inside. Im not sure what you wanted to put on the rack though.

[Boston]

What an interesting challenge! I'll put my personal preference for a trailer to one side.
Firstly, I'm convinced that Aluminum is the way to go.
Front mounts: look at the old Brownchurch expedition racks that mount to the windshield hinge/brackets for inspiration.
Rear: I'm convinced you'll be best off securing to the rear crossmember with possibly another connection at capping level.
That leaves a central brace/mount. Tough one. Either take a leaf out of the NAS roll cage design and come on the body curve and down to the chassis or secure it under the hoop on top of the body capping.

[Rat Patrol]

Why not just follow the Defender design and modifiy an exisiting canvas top?