TrailRax "TRMRR" Bow/Flex Test:
So a few folks have asked about the rack's rigidity, flex and bow, both under load and without any weight on it. I'm hoping the following photos and videos provide valuable, real-world experience so you can see for yourself how solid it's built.
tl;dr - There's no bow, unless you're concentrating weight of 300+ lbs in the unsupported center of the aluminum beam. And there's very little flex under load except for that which, IMO, can be expected when loading considerable weight onto any roof rack. Nothing is going to be flex-free. Read on....
First question to address is whether there is a bow in the natural, unloaded state. Here's the question:
The answer is NO, and as far as I can tell, this is an optical illusion from the curvature of the roof and the cutout section. Also, just for clarity, I'll note that there was nothing in the Roam box in this photo, so we're talking just 25lbs... effectively no load. See below:
From this angle, it's easy to see that the roof is curved, with the highest point right where the front row of panels and the back row of panels meet. (Zoom to see the level indicating the slope at the front.)
But in case you're still skeptical of what your eyes are telling your brain, I overlayed some parallel, evenly spaced lines on top of this image to prove the rack is perfectly straight on top and bottom.
Without the truck there, here's the lines:
Validating this with a level, you'll see the rack is sitting level in the front row and level in the rear row, too.
So for this first question "is there a bow", I think the myth should be considered BUSTED. There's no bow in the rack when mounted and with no load.
But what about UNDER LOAD, right? I've got some findings there, as well. I did two tests, first with a distribution of 250lbs, then one with 350lb.
250lb maintained its level posture, no problem (zoom to see level, try not to fall for the optical illusion of the curved roof, again):
I also gave it a good bang with my hand to test how much vibration and play there was. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me in how it absorbed the impact. Watch the plates to see the amount of motion, because if you're looking at the rails you'll probably not even notice anything.
250lb Smack Test:
Next I upped the weight another hundred pounds, and finally saw a little bit of flex in the rails. At 350lb, here we were:
Considering the weight and the amount of space that these rails cover from the front mount point to the rear, I'd say you couldn't expect more from an aluminum rack, and it's very impressive to me.
I'll also note that the rear of the rack had no flex whatsoever, event at 350lbs... definitely something to keep in mind when distributing your weight across it:
The final test I did is in direct comparison to the "three-finger wiggle" I've seen on YouTube involving a competitor rack. I used all of my weight and force to move the rack up and down, and only saw maybe a quarter or eighth of an inch in flex, less than what these other guys see with just finger pressure. Again, I can't imagine it's reasonable to expect better than what we're seeing here:
Body Weight/Pull Test:
So there's no bow, unless you're concentrating weight of 300+ lbs in the unsupported center of an aluminum beam. And there's very little flex except for that which, IMO, can be expected when loading considerable weight onto any roof rack.
*** In the spirit of full disclosure, please know that I don't work for TrailRax, but I am now part of their affiliate program. I did receive a rack at a discounted rate, but the information I have put in this post is a true and accurate description and my own honest opinions. ***
Great questions!
Thank you for such a quick response!
We do not have pictures of it on a 4 door bronco. It has not been a popular option amongst our testing group when it comes to them choosing what rack they want to run. Here are product photos of it.
I'm surprised. I think the big selling point of the Bronco is the removable roof and figure more people would want to keep that option without bars covering everything up.We do not have pictures of it on a 4 door bronco. It has not been a popular option amongst our testing group when it comes to them choosing what rack they want to run. Here are product photos of it.
The HiLift on the Pak Rax overhangs on either side too much and in combination with its weight, it will damage the Pak Rax.
Our Roof rack offers the ability to remove the front and middle panels to the Bronco while the full roof rack is on. This is why the Half rack does not sell nearly as well. You can get the benefit to the full rack while still offering the ability to remove the hardtop panels.
While we cannot share the exact dimensions of the rack's footprint, you will want roughly a 46-48" wide tent, and length-wise is limited on a two-door but measures out around 80". Overhanging a clam shell does not look bad either. pictures to come on that soon from Justin.
