How strong is a Front Runner Roof Rack?
Front Runner racks are designed for heavy off-road abuse – Africa style. We sleep well at night knowing we’re manufacturing an incredibly safe and strong rack. But because we live in a litigious world filled with endless disclaimers, getting the word out that the Slimline II is one of the strongest racks available is a bit tricky.
So, before we get to the fun stuff, please take a moment to digest this necessary DISCLAIMER:
This article is in no means meant to represent the use of Front Runner Racks as safety equipment, nor should this article be seen as an invitation to overload your Front Runner Rack! We insist you check your vehicle’s roof load rating before securing objects to any rack.
Now that that's out of the way, check out these real-world examples of how well our racks have performed under unusual circumstances.
Did you see the time we lifted a Jeep Wrangler by its rack with a construction crane:
This is what happens when you have a spare crane sitting around, a brave Jeep owner and a Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack.
How about the time a tree tried to take out a Jeep?
...and our rack got in the way.
While camping during the Final of the Bridgestone 4X4 Challenge Weekend at De Voetpadkloof, one of our Front Runner team members had a bit of surprise when a tree collapsed onto the roof of his Jeep Wrangler.
Fitted with our Slimline II Roof Rack, the tree barely left its mark and the rack was left in near-perfect condition.
And when a Cruiser went cruisin’
We don’t wish any off-road enthusiasts endure the scare of rolling their vehicle. But when a Toyota Land Cruiser recently did in the US, the owner crawled out and was amazed to find that their Front Runner rack not only survived the roll, but it was hardly damaged!
When you get plowed by someone trying to pass a snowplow:
An impatient vehicle trying to pass a snowplow on treacherous icy roads lead to an unexpected strength test with a Front Runner customer. Luckily, the roof rack maintained its solid state and our customer walked away unharmed.
No horsing around.
When adventure enthusiast headed into the mountains of Lesotho, he had wisely opted to install a Front Runner Roof Rack onto his Jeep. An unfortunate accident with a horse did irreparable damage to the vehicle, but the driver and his passenger were unharmed. The strength of the Front Runner Roof Rack may have contributed to the body of the horse being deflected up and over the vehicle rather than through the windshield.
And there’s that time we loaded 1500 lbs of water on a Land Rover’s Front Runner Rack.
We get thirsty just watching this.
Again, because we live in a ridiculously litigious world, here’s another legal disclaimer - do not under any circumstances attempt to use Front Runner Roof Racks as safety systems. They are not roll cages! And while it’s interesting and entertaining to see how our racks survived all this mayhem- we strongly advise you use best efforts to avoid any and all of these situations!
For more information about our strong and nearly indestructible roof racks, go HERE.
