Land Rover Roof Rack Flooring - Red Wood Composite Construction

[maxingout]

I spent a couple of weeks deciding what I wanted to use for flooring on my Brownchurch roof rack. I read through all the threads and considered all options. I really wasn't happy with any of the options as they all are a compromise. Some flooring is too heavy, some split/check, some require protective coatings, some are not UV resistant, some last only a few years before they need to be replaced.

Good flooring that lasts for years can be expensive and relatively high maintenance. I wanted low maintenance, low weight, good strength, and low price. I decided to do an experiment with composite flooring that does not require coatings, has moderate strength, does not check, and is supposed to last for many years, and is relatively cheap. In about five years I will know whether I made the right choice.

I went to Home Depot and purchased "Composite Pickets" that are fake red wood. Each picket is only $3.77, and so the twenty four slats required for the roof rack cost $90.48. The price was right for the experiment. I countersunk stainless steel sheet metal screws, and I also ran slats down the sides of the rack to provide additional floor support and to tie things together a bit more.

Here are the results. It will be interesting to see what it looks like in five years. If I break a slat, it will only cost $3.77 to replace.

Roof-Rack-1.jpg

Overall result getting ready to test drive and blow off all the swarth in the roof gutter.

Roof-Rack-2.jpg

Eight countersunk screws per slat.

Roof-Rack-3.jpg

Jerry can holder in the back.

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Close up of fake red wood composite slats.

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Underside view with side supporting slats.

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Underside with supporting slats.

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View of composite slats on side of roof rack.

It will be interesting to see how it stands up to rough use. We tested it by having two 200 lb people walk around on top, and one person slept overnight on the roof rack.

I hope it is durable long term. I will make a report in a couple of years.

Defender-Roof-Rack-3.jpg

For those interested, the one year old Brownchurch rack is still for sale at $200 for pick up in Phoenix.

[huskyfargo]

Looks good!

[RangeBrover]

It looks pretty awesome. If you ever decide to go the regular wood route, I've had great luck with teak wood. It's good enough for salt water boats, so it's more than adequate for exposure to the elements in the mid Atlantic. The only questions I have is how slick do the composite slats get when wet, and how heavy is the material? The only reason I ask is because my father in law refinished his deck with all composite material and I swear it got slicker than all hell.

[maxingout]

It looks pretty awesome. If you ever decide to go the regular wood route, I've had great luck with teak wood. It's good enough for salt water boats, so it's more than adequate for exposure to the elements in the mid Atlantic. The only questions I have is how slick do the composite slats get when wet, and how heavy is the material? The only reason I ask is because my father in law refinished his deck with all composite material and I swear it got slicker than all hell.

The slats are light weight. It drills like it is plastic. I would have preferred real wood. All my roof racks in Arabia had wood floors. I hope I never live in a place where there is a great deal of rain so that slickness will not be a problem. I like teak a great deal and I have a fair amount of it on my catamaran named Exit Only. All of the seats have teak slats. Teak is quite expensive. When I drive around the world, maybe I will put teak slats on the roof rack in South America where the wood is less expensive.

Dr-Dave-Exit-Only.jpg

If you look in the back of the cockpit of Exit Only, you will see eighteen feet of teak slats covering the cockpit lockers. I love teak. It doesn't split, it's durable, and it has natural oils that make it stand up to harsh environments. The teak on board Exit Only is eighteen years old and still going strong. It has never been coated with any preservative.

[blue bomber]

Very nice job!

[RangeBrover]

Good point on the rain and weight, also that's one beautiful boat.

[maxingout]

Good point on the rain and weight, also that's one beautiful boat.

That is my catamaran Exit Only which is my "Ocean Rover" that I sailed around the world and up the Red Sea.

[4xdog]

Good job. Looks super, and I have high confidence that it will give many years of service.

(I might put a few pickets in storage now, though, in the event that some sort of repair or modification is needed down the road to ensure that exactly the same composite decking is available).

Don

[maxingout]

Good job. Looks super, and I have high confidence that it will give many years of service.

(I might put a few pickets in storage now, though, in the event that some sort of repair or modification is needed down the road to ensure that exactly the same composite decking is available).

Don

I have six pickets cut to length and in storage. If those are not enough, then I will definitely need a different floor.

[ebg18t]

That looks great and should hold up quite well.