twistedpress Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Which roof rack would people recommend on around a £200-250 budget? The current choices I have are either a second hand Bearmach BA123 or a new bolt together Bearmach BA008. I recently missed out on a second hand Brownchurch HD, so I don't expect to see another one for a while. It is mainly for weekend use, so bikes and camping equipment will be going on it, and on occasion we might have to out some sort of board up there and a pop us tent. It will mainly be used on the south coast seaside towns, but on occasion up into the peak/lake district etc, and one or twice a year on a month long European trip. Any suggestions/advice would be a big help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedpress Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 I'm sure it won't make a difference to the answers, but I forgot to put that it was a 2005 110 Defender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 With you having a 110 I suggest the bolt together one. that way the rack will move when the body flexes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstevemex Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Wait for a brownchurch one you won't regret it I've had one for 4 years and it's great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Wait for a brownchurch one you won't regret it I've had one for 4 years and it's great Has the roof opened up yet at the front ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 This is what I mean by the roof opening up. It's my Defender. I only had a four foot length rack on mine so I didn't expect to find that. Should yu manage to visit Land Rover at Solihul. Look at the same place on the white Defender 147 that they use for ferrying people on site. You'll see that the welds on that one have started to open up. When buying a rack for a 110, the rack should be lain on a flat surface. Then you shouyld lift one corner. The other three corners should stay on the ground. That's how much a 110 will flex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Lying at the top of my garden is a BA 123. It is now a climbing frame for Ivy, as a roof rack it wasn't that good, the powder coating fell off, the swing away ladder seized solid and one of the tubes it is made of rusted through from the inside..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Which is going to be the easiest to remove when it's not needed? [hint: roof-racks can set up some bowel-loosening thrumming and vibrating noises when you're cruising on motorways at the legal-limit-plus-10% with nothing on the rack]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedpress Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share Posted July 13, 2014 Would love to wait for a Brownchurch one, do they turn up that often or could I be waiting months? I also don't really need to worry about it coming off as I am pretty sure it will be a permanent fixture.Cheers for the heads up about the BA 123, I have had items like that before where all the powder coating does is hide the cheap steel and before you know it the thing has fallen apart. Yeah it is sleek looking but I thought that would be a compromise for practicality........At the moment I am swaying towards the Galvanised Bearmach, but taking my time in the hope a cheap Brownchurch will turn up. I am still open to suggestions though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Remember to take the weight of a roof rack into your roof rack load. Max roof weight including the rack is 75kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 The BA123 is a lot heavier than it looks. Also when clamping it to the gutters, the bolts (stainless!) strip the threads on the roof rack. Due to it's design you cannot panel it out with ply etc as the ends of the crossbars are angled down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 The bolt together ones are carp. Used to sell them and they break in no time. OK for light use but if you want to leave a spare wheel up there all the time forget it. I have a Brownchurch 90 rack on my 110, but if you want a full length one the commercial HD model that bolts down to the rear body and the windscreen 'hinges' is the one to go for - had one on my old 90: You can get 110 versions, sold a few to customers in the past and no roof problems even if thoroughly abused! Anything plastic coated or powder coated is a waste of time if you are going to carry anything on it - it has to be galvanised or there will be rust everywhere in no time. The plastic coated ones look nice on G4 shopping trolleys and in the brochures but are f all use for work! Yes the roof breaks, but adding a roof rack that also breaks is a case of two wrongs not making a right........ Mrs BM's 110 roof has broken there and it doesn't have a roof rack on it and never has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 It depends on what you are carrying of course, but if you can get away with a set of roof bars they would be my personal choice. Lighter, easier to fix, easier to store and a lot quieter when unladen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Roof bars then ply planks held down with big cable ties or (if you've got time on your hands) exhaust clamps / U bolts. They are flexible enough not to affect the roof, adaptable - you can rearrange the bars depending on what you are carrying and best of all, low cost. Granted they don't look as 'sexy' as some of the racks out there but I think they are a whole lot more practical for real, every day use. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wermy Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Wait for a proper galvanised Brownchurch type, there are plenty around that people have replaced as they want a nice streamlined one. Mine came with the vehicle as has only been removed for bodywork changes. It saves the decision factor if you want to buy something big. As for weight, it weighs about 75kg from my estimations. So technically you can't put anything on it Taking it off isn't that bad as you stand in the middle of it and walk to the rear of the roof. Then back on the ground with it hanging over you tip it towards you and stand it on it's end. Mind out for the legs on your legs as they are sharp ! Makes a great climbing frame for the ids as well, once you show them how it's done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedpress Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 I am waiting as long as I can for a Brownchurch to come on the market, but I don't think I'll be lucky enough to come across one before it is needed.Conflicting opinions here about the bolt together ones, one person says they are good as they will flex with the 110, another says they will fall apart with any wait. Was this the bearmach ones you sold or another brand? Everything I have had from Bearmach so far has been pretty good quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Look at what Land Rover recomend. Land Rover ZA only recomend Frontrunner. OR Do Simonr's idea, use roof bars and make a wooden lath rack. I had one of those many years ago on my Morris 1000 Traveller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedpress Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 I would love one, but a Frontrunner roof rack for a 110 is over a grand new, so there's no chance of one of them ever coming up within my 200-250 budget.Definitely not keen on the wood and roof bar idea, I would rather the budget Bearmach rack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Another vote for the Brownchurch HD rack. The struts take some of the load down to the body, rather than all on the roof. I have 4 bike carriers bolted to the ply bed, which stay up there all the time. No dramas with the roof after two years so far - it has always leaked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Have a full roll cage instead, yep far more than your budget but think of the added safety benefits ... also no weight at all on your roof The 75kg weight limit is to do with handling and not the load a roof can take, various Land Rover documents say 75KG max roof weight but others say 150KG roof weight for overlanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I have a fully welded galvanised Brownchurch rack for my Ninety. It is not HD as defined above, it simply clamps to the gutters. It weighs nowhere near 75KG! I can easily lift it off single handed. It is bluddy strong though - once I carried four sleepers on top - wouldn't recommend doing that again, very top heavy! It has five legs each side, I often only fit four clamps as I use it infrequently and for local light but awkward loads. I remove the clamps and standing facing the spare wheel, slide it along the gutters until the centre legs are at the rearmost edge. Then it will tip on the centre legs to the point where I can lift it off in a vertical hold and lower it to the ground. Hope that makes sense, My 110 has a full length bolt together jobby that 'looks' similar but is nowhere near as strong. It also has five legs each side, but spaced apart more, as they are spread out along the longer roof. The longitudinal rails are only flat bar, and have sagged. Also the front section slopes down in line with the roof over the front seats. This makes removal a right PITA without scraping the roof. It also means that any straight or flat loads are not supported over the front area. I wouldn't have chosen to buy this configuration, but it was on the truck when I bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedpress Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Excellent post as a direct comparison between the two, thank you. Looks like I will have to dig in my hills and wait for a Brownchurch one to come on the market...... Fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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