Roof Rack Part III

I found that a plastic oil pan with the spout trimmed will fit perfectly upside-down inside the rim of the spare wheel. When going on trips, I usually carry this with a funnel underneath, and a small fuel can for easy access in case I need to assist someone who has run out of fuel. I can also keep unleaded fuel in the small can for refilling my dual-fuel backpacking stove. These items are held down with a bungee type cargo net that I purchased at Harbor Freight Tools. The fuel can wedges nicely between the rack frame and the spare tire.
The standard gear that is carried on the rack in Baja is the camping table/bench "suitcase", beach loungers, duffle bags with wetsuits/snorkel gear/clothing, and the solar shower. The solar shower is kept on top to get hot during the day while we drive around. Then it's ready to go at sundown when we're ready for a shower at camp.

When going on a canoe trip, I have found that my canoe will actually ride just fine on top of the rack and spare tire. When carrying two canoes, I have had to remove the roof rack and tire, and use wider cross-bars on the yakima towers. In the future I will be trying a new method of leaving the rack in place (with spare tire removed), and auxiliary cross-bars installed on the top of the rack.

A new addition to the rack is a removeable shade awning. The awning is made of heavy-duty canvas, and is supported with aluminum telescoping poles at the two rear corners. The front corners are stretched over the rear of the camper, so as to provide a surface to shed rainwater, allowing the rear of the camper to remain open during wet weather.

Close up of the awning

Back to the Expedition Vehicle page

Home