twodoorgaz Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 (edited) Evening all. I've been bracing myself for the expense of buying a roof rack for my Defender 90. Every post, thread and article I read points to the same thing. Brownchurch roof racks weigh a ton and are tough, but aluminium roof racks are better (if you can run to it) on account of them being far lighter - meaning less body roll and more weight capacity on the roof. No issues there - just have to save up. But... I've just opened a Britpart catalogue (not my usual reading but it was lying around) and they have their version of a Brownchurch roof rack - the contoured type - and the weight is listed as 25kg. 25kg! And its £211 inc VAT: that's the same price as a pair of roof bars. The frontrunner Slimline II aluminium one (£1000+) is 33kg. The britpart aluminium one (£700) is 32kg. So that 25kg must be a type-o, right? Otherwise why wouldn't more people be recommending a knock-off of the tried and tested brownchurch-type rack - cheaper and with an extea 7-10kg capacity over an aluminium version. Edited November 9, 2020 by twodoorgaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Personally I think for anything but extreme use on slopes, people talking about excessive body roll due to the weight of a Brownchurch on top are not driving well setup vehicles. My 110 has had a Brownchurch the entire time I have had it (in my family since 1992 and in my ownership since 2006) - I havent rolled it yet and I drive it in a fairly spirited manner. I frequently carry a roof tent on top of the Brownchurch (including 2500 miles round Europe a couple of summers ago). My suspension is well setup - genuine LR Springs, shocks and bushes (no play/slop) and I run with a rear anti roll bar. No lift. It handles very well for what it is. I also use it on our land to drag a harrow and go collect logs etc - the slopes are steep in places but the rack gives me no issues. The biggest advantage of a lighter rack is more capacity as you say but how much stuff do you really want up there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 We have a patriot and have had a brownchurch. There is almost no noticeable difference between them, with the exception of wind resistance. Our patriot is much closer to the roof and a flat deck type. This is noticeable in strong winds and on fuel economy. You do notice either up there but soon get used to it and they make only a small difference to body roll. The patriot is nicer made, stronger, doesn't require and additional ply/Ali deck (read more weight). Flat deck (you need flat deck for a roof tent) is much more useful than the raised bar around the edges but you do need to strap things better. In summary the brownchurch style maybe lighter out of the box but without the addition of the deck. If you add a deck, making it comparable to a patriot it will end up the same weight or heavier. So you pay your money and make your choice. I won't change from the patriot now but I didn't buy mine new so the price was a bit more palatable. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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