Roof loading system. Any ideas?

[Fulcrum]

I have a 70-series Troopie as a work vehicle and I need a way of getting some really long, (kind of) heavy boxes on and off the roof. Just lifting them by hand is going to get me thrown off a work site one of these days...

Can anybody point me in the direction of an engineering outfit or even a company that specializes in this sort of stuff? Custom roof rack kits are a dime a dozen in Australia but over here it's a different story.

Thanks in advance,
Gaz.

[Jerry]

on the latest 4wd action dvd they had a one person boat winch system, another option may be to talk to the places that do the roof wheelchair lift thingys

[badnuz]

http://www.rhinorack.co.nz/AccSubCategory_Side-Boat-Loader_52.aspx

[Fulcrum]

Thanks guys. Those boat loaders are a good idea but they are just a bit too lightweight for my needs. I have two boxes about 40 and 50kg and I'd like to have capacity for two more in future, so around 200kg would be preferable. I wonder if they can make a stronger version of the same thing, I'll give them a call.

I've seen troopies in Australia with hiabs sticking through the roof and I really want to avoid that

[nismo26]

http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/diy-modi ... nch-80474/

What about something like in post 8.

[tow99]

just throwing this out there but what about trailer?

[tweake]

I have two boxes about 40 and 50kg and I'd like to have capacity for two more in future, so around 200kg would be preferable.

whats the max roof weight load on the Troopie?

[Fulcrum]

http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/diy-modifications-accessories-40/spare-tyre-winch-80474/

What about something like in post 8.

Wow, that's a much more elegant form of something I already looked at with an engineer down in Invercargill. I guess the length of the crane is determined by the length of the boxes on the roof (it would have to reach the middle of the boxes).

just throwing this out there but what about trailer?

I used to tow a trailer everywhere, it just ended up being too difficult to get into some of the more remote/muddy drill sites. Sometimes the area you're working in is barely big enough to turn the cruiser around let alone a trailer. I haven't discounted it as a possibility though.

whats the max roof weight load on the Troopie?

That's an excellent question, I have no idea. I know that the three roof rails I have now would struggle with another tool up there.
I assumed that a sturdier basket-type system with more mounts would hold more but by the look of some of those other posts it might be controlled by the strength of the actual roof?

[tweake]

the baskets only held up by the roof. i have no idea what weight they take but i see a mention of a measly 100kg on some 4x4's.
no idea if its legal but i have seen pics of a basket thats attached to the bullbars/running boards rather than the roof.
the other question is do you want it that top heavy? not sure how it will handle with that weight up top.

[mudlva]

for that type of weight i would be looking at a trailer as the safest option with a super fat jockey wheel fitted

mount a winch on the front of your cruiser and have a second winch that will fit into or onto the rear tow connection with a supper heavy plug fitting for power supply

on your tight sites off load trailer and use your winch combo to turn the trailer around and drag it up to the rear of the wagon re-hook and away you go

your back will really appreciate it

and the winches will be real handy if the sites get real bad as well

[Fulcrum]

^This seems like pretty sound advice to me. Having a trailer also comes in handy sometimes when you need to go somewhere but leave your gear onsite, like working shifts and one person leaving to go to sleep.

It's tricky designing something on the roof like that while keeping it versatile. I quite often have a helicopter just fly the gear on and off the roof for the really remote jobs, so it needs to be able to just unstrap and go.

I'll talk to the bosses about getting a trailer, they weren't keen at all last time I mentioned it.

[mudlva]

^
I'll talk to the bosses about getting a trailer, they weren't keen at all last time I mentioned it.

i would mention the OSH aspect of having all that gear sitting on the roof and then corning and the higher chance of roll over that that load will generate

200kgs is a pretty sizable load to have sitting 1.8/2.0 mtrs off the ground

[wjw]

Where about's are you?

[Fulcrum]

Where about's are you?

Based in Hawkes Bay but the vehicle more or less lives in Christcurch / Dunedin.

*200kg is a bit of a "safety margin" exaggeration, right now it's more like 75kg with a chance to double it over time.

[wjw]

Speak to Rick @ 4wd accessories, when he did the official opening of his new workshop there was a guy with all sorts of vehicle loading systems, roof racks, trays, ladder loading things..... If I could remember which manufacturer it was I could send you straight there, wasn't that interested at the time....

[Sadam_Husain]

I have two boxes about 40 and 50kg and I'd like to have capacity for two more in future, so around 200kg would be preferable.

sounds like you need to trade the 70 series troopy in for a 70 series truck