The traveling experience requires ultimate preparation. In many instances, when traveling from one area to another over long distances, you may want to book a flight or a train. However, if you are one of the adventurous types, getting someone to drive you around would be an inconvenience. The inconvenience is worse when you want to explore one of the remote regions of your country.
As such, heavy-duty four-wheel drive vehicles do the trick when traveling around in remote and rocky terrain. An example of such a car is the many models of Land Rovers, tailored to move around even in the most challenging and rough terrains. However, if you are traveling for a long time with a lot of luggage, having the extra rack on the car’s roof will guarantee the optimum enjoyment of your journey.
Expedition Style Roof Racks
Before installing a land rover defender roof rack, you should understand the structure’s basics and components. Failure to comprehend the features of the roof rack could inhibit your ability to install it and impede your effectiveness when it comes to using it.
The standard roof rack has three main components. These are:
- The Crossbars – The crossbars are an essential component of the roof rack. They are necessary since all your luggage is placed on the cross bars. As such, they lie horizontally across the car’s roof and have fitting screws that keep them in place.
- Leg Fittings – While the crossbars are essential components of the roof rack, fitting the crossbars on the car’s roof is challenging without the leg fittings. The leg fittings provide a base for affixing the crossbars to the vehicle’s top. Additionally, they allow for a space between the roof of the car and the crossbars, thus providing room for placing the luggage.
- Fixing Kits – The fixing kits connect the roof rack to the car’s roof. The fixing kits are connected to the leg fittings to ensure that the connection is strong and that the roof fitting does not move around when screwed on top of the car.
Tools To Use When Installing The Land Rover Expedition Style Roof Rack
Unlike any typical DIY task requiring a whole range of equipment, the roof rack does not require high expertise, experience, or many tools. You only need the following tools to install the Land Rover Expedition Style Roof Rack:
- 17mm Spanner
- Ratchet Straps
These tools are available for purchase at any hardware store or supplies store. With these, you are good to go.
Installing The Roof Rack
While installing the roof rack is not a technical task, you will need assistance from at least one other person to carry the roof rack to the top of the car. Carry the cross bars to the top of the vehicle, taking care not to scratch the car’s roof with the legs of the roof rack. Every car owner has their way of placing the rack on the top of the vehicle. However, you may want to try carrying it from the back to ensure you do not damage your windscreen.
When placing the roof rack on the top of the car, ensure that the legs of the roof rack are directly fitted onto the crevices on the rain gutter of the Land Rover. The recommended space gapping for the roof rack to the trenches is 50mm to 52mm from the rear of the bodywork.
The next step is to place the roof rack clamps in each of the roof rack’s legs and tighten the joint that connects the roof rack to the roof of the car. You may need to use the spanners to ensure that the joint is as tight as you want. However, do not tighten every nut directly. Go round the car, gradually tightening each nut. When each nut is tight enough, go to the next. However, you may need to go around the vehicle multiple times to ensure that everything is tight sufficient since every time you tighten one nut, the previous one could loosen a little.
Lastly, place the ratchet straps strategically along the outermost cross bars. The ratchet straps are essential to keep abnormally large loads on the car.
Why Should You Have A Roof Rack?
If you are wondering what the fuss is about with roof racks on Land Rovers that work well already, then the first thing is to note how much room a good roof rack provides for luggage storage. The roof rack helps decongest your car, allowing for more fresh air, better lighting, additional comfort, and room space to carry more people.
Conclusion
Traveling around Germany by car is easy, especially if you already have the roof rack installed. You will rarely need a passport to drive to Germany if you come from a European Union country. Thus, you should plan your routes well to enjoy a scenic view and a smooth journey.
