Roof racks are a great addition to your 4X4 as they allow you to maximise your internal storage space but allowing you to put the stuff that can dirty on top of your rig. This can be quite valuable if you’re heading on a long trip, or taking the whole family along for the ride.

Roof top campers add another dimension to roof top storage, not only allowing you to store you gear on the roof, but give you an quick, easy, and secure way to pitch your tent.

That said, roof racks in all their glory do have a downside which you should be aware off before you purchase one for yourself…

Greater wind resistance – A roof rack will increase your rigs wind resistance and will reduce your overall engine performance. You’ll also probably see a noticeable difference in your fuel mileage as you’re engine needs to work harder to get your rig going. Some racks have angled fronts to minimize this, but you’ll still see a change

Higher center of gravity – putting stuff on your roof will increase your centre of gravity making you more susceptible to rolling. You can minimize this by reducing the weight put on your racks, but even the weight of the racks themselves will have an impact. If you’re trips are long hauls across open plains then you’ve got nothing to worry about, however if you’re traversing rocky and undulating terrain, you might want to take it easy.

I would have to say that the benefits of roof racks far outweigh the downside, but don’t you feel so much better being more informed

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