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Roof Rack


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#1 Neon trifle

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Posted 31 March 2005 - 08:00 PM

Hi
Its coming round to the time of year when I start going fishing around the local lakes. Just got my Mini and have realised that taking the boys and my tackle on board will be tough going. Impossible without a roof rack. Anyone used a roof rack or roof bars and frame sort of thing on a mini?. Are they likely to harm any paint work ect...by taking them on and off. Am I thinking practicabily by thinking I can load up a min with 3 sets of fishingtackle. ?. I am such a dope I had forgotten about the feasability of fishing before I got the Mini. I do have a estate car but my wife uses that for work everyday and willl not do long miles driving a mini for work.
Every problem I have had with having the small mini I have put it down Character and fun (like 15 shopping bags on the back sat with the family) but this seems a bigger problem and the mini is not going.
Neon

#2 miniman5

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Posted 31 March 2005 - 08:03 PM

hello! im sure if you care full with it it shouldnt mark the paint, you can only put about 60 kg on it though so dotn get carried away lol.

#3 Pavel

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Posted 31 March 2005 - 11:11 PM

That's no problem at all mate!!!
A roof rack can be had for pennies, from a scrappy if you get an old one. Most old ones are universal and will fit the mini's roof gutter. They usually have rubbers on the clamps to avoid paint work damage but sometimes the top bit doesn't and the bottom does, so if you're really worried get a door or boot seal, slice it open and simply place a piece of it between the gutter and the clamp (all you need is a tiny piece) when tightening on the roof rack.

Mine is a good square metre of space on the roof of the mini ( will use mostly for transport of band equipment and my mountain bike ). A fishing set including your boxes and rods and whatnot should be no problem at all. All you'll need to come up is a system of straps to hold it on the roof rack, a good idea is to use old bicycle tyre tubes, as they're stretchy, won't damage anything and dont cost anything.
Bungee cord is the usual solution, and a very good one at that.

Depending on the roof rack, (well the mounts), I'd say 50 kg is no problem whatsoever, I'd trust my roof with around 70, but I don't think I'd ever carry that much stuff on the roof anyway...

#4 Pavel

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Posted 31 March 2005 - 11:13 PM

And you can always have some ally diamond plate cut out to fit on the bars of your roof rack inside, creating like a box. Have the plate held onto the bars by small u-clamp bolts or even self tappers, that way you can even take your shopping in the rack. Simply dump the bags in the rack on the ally plate, then get some polythene cover or a taurplin and cover them, holding the cover in place with bungee cord!!


P.S. Roof racks also make your mini look cool :P




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