Tracklander Roof racks

[boxie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close boxie]

Hi Guys,

I am a new member and hope someone can provide me with some information on roof racks for my 2001 Prado.
I have been researching cargo racks on the net and can only be guided by the manufactures websites, all of them claiming their product to be the best on the market ( of course ). I really need some advise of people that have actually used the products.
I have 4 children so cabin space is limited, the roof rack will be a permanent accessory on the vehicle so I want to make sure I purchase the right one.
I want to go with an alloy rack for weight reasons and it must have a mesh floor.
I have 3 options so far
- ECB - not really liking the look of this rack, the mounting brackets look as though you could get things caught up on them although it looks like a strong rack. Quoted $1499
- ARB - Obviously a quality trusted brand, Quoted $1655
- Tracklander - I like the look of these and they claim the weight is only about 25kg??, Australian made and heaps of accessories also available Quoted $1590

Any information would be helpful, I pick my car up on Friday and want to get something organized ASAP, Defiantly before the Easter break as we are heading away camping

[g.t Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close g.t]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Hey mate,
I purchased mine on ebay, and it looks like one of the ones from Powerfull4x4 if youve seen them.
The quality is good and they are alot cheaper than some of the other brands if your looking to save some money.
Im happy with mine, heres a link to the one i've got
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TOYOTA-LANDCRUIS ... 3a629d2b4f

[boxie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close boxie]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Thanks g.t,
The price difference is a huge saving, I will have to look in to it, It is good to know that it is a strong rack, never sure when you buy something off ebay what the quality is like especially when the price difference is so great. Thanks for the link

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

ECB and ARB are good brands, you will not have any problems with them, I would be worried about the build quality of the Tracklander, if they are only quoting 25KG, that is a very light rack, is it going to last as the metal would be very thin and the welds would crack easerly, as well as the rack is going to cop a few knocks, so it needs to be strong and have a good mounting system, the Powerful4X4 seens to have upped their mounting system strength, so it could be worth looking at too.

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

I dont have any of the brands you are looking at, but the Tracklander is made by Jaram who have a very good reputation for top quality roofracks. I'm still unsure if getting a larger rack is right for me, but if I was the Tracklander is the one I'd be looking at.

I havent seen any Powerful 4x4 products, but I think they are relatively new on the market, so I guess there could be a bit of concern about their long term reliability.

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Something to keep in mind is your roofs load limit.
They make the roof racks out of steel or alloy.
Both the steel and the Alloy have there benefits.
Steel is stronger but you may not be able to put as much on it as you will be getting closer to the roof's load limit.
the Alloy is not as strong but can fit more on.
I have a TJM alloy one i got from EBAY for $500 top condition with not a scratch on it. It is about 20kg which is perfect because when i need to get it off the Prado the Mr's can just grab the other side.
Keep an eye on the "For Sale" bit on Prado Point, lots of people upgrade all the time and sell off there bits and pieces.

[g.t Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close g.t]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Seems alot of people are hung up on this 'roof load limit' number, has anyone actually had a gutter fail?
I know ive had well over the 100kg figure on my roof with no problems. Anything with a safety rating is going to be well under the realistic limit it can hold, so if your worried about a few extra kg I cant see the problem really.
I know for me I rather a solid steel unit on my roof than a light weight alloy item, regardless of this safety rating load limit thing.
Just my opinion 8)

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Seems alot of people are hung up on this 'roof load limit' number, has anyone actually had a gutter fail?
I know ive had well over the 100kg figure on my roof with no problems. Anything with a safety rating is going to be well under the realistic limit it can hold, so if your worried about a few extra kg I cant see the problem really.
I know for me I rather a solid steel unit on my roof than a light weight alloy item, regardless of this safety rating load limit thing.
Just my opinion 8)

It is not that the gutters will fail, it is the weight up high, it can pull a vehicle over if you need to do evasive action.

[boxie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close boxie]

Re: Tracklander Roof racks

Thanks everyone for your input, I ran into somebody the other day who had a Tracklander roof rack and I asked them what they thought of the rack. He has been extremely happy with it and recommended their product. I picked my Prado up yesterday from the transport depot in Brisbane and visited Opposite Lock who had a decent range of various brands on display, I Drove away with a Tracklander rack which I am very happy with. They have 8 legs and are very sturdy, I understand a steel rack is probably stronger, but for me I went with the lighter weight alloy one. I plan to pack quite lightly on it as most of the heavy gear goes in my camper, although I did buy the spare wheel carrier with the rack, this will only be used when I go bush.

Now I just can't wait to get my truck dirty and see how well it handles off road. Bring on Easter holidays so I can have some fun in the sand at Kinkuna.