TROOPY PROJECT UPDATE

By Evan Spence 47 Min Read

You could hop in a stock Landcruiser Troop Carrier and pretty much take it everywhere you wanted to go in Australia, that’s what makes the model so great. But that’s not really much fun, is it? I mean, do you really buy a vehicle for what it can do out of the showroom, or do you buy it for what you can do to it afterwards?

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If you’re anything like me, then the idea of driving a perfectly stock vehicle sounds about as appealing as dental surgery. So after driving a relatively stock Troop Carrier for the last few months, I couldn’t handle it anymore – so I started modifying, and I’m afraid I went a little bit overboard, but I had a good excuse…

Even if you don’t own a Troop Carrier, you’ll still find that the majority of these products are applicable for your vehicle. Take the Front Runner Slimline II roof rack I installed for example – while it looks tailor-made for my vehicle, you can actually get the same exact rack for almost any vehicle, fit to size.

The same goes for the Terrain Tamer Adjustable Pro Shocks – they’re available for most modern four-wheel drives, and they’re even available for old ones like Snoopy. There’s also the TJM bar, side rails, and side steps that we installed. While they might be the best looking options on the market for the Troop Carrier, that aesthetic and build quality carries on to other models as well.

So essentially what I’m trying to get across is that my purchase of a Troop Carrier was completely selfless – it was a purchase for you, the readers. It definitely wasn’t because I love their slightly awkward yet iconic shape, nor because they’ll run forever without worry of failure; and it definitely wasn’t because (in my eyes) it’s the ultimate budget touring platform.

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But it hasn’t been all good. Bolting a few hundred kilos of aftermarket 4X4 gear, no matter how cool it is, will start to expose some of the platform’s weaknesses. In this case, I’m talking about the engine and the brakes. While my model year Troopy certainly benefits from the addition of front and rear disk brakes and a slightly more powerful 1HZ engine, it still raises an eyebrow. I can live with the lacklustre performance, but I enjoy a vehicle that stops, and as I found out in the High Country, you can quickly … and rather unexpectedly, burn through your brakes.

So what’s the solution to a vehicle that’s slow to get going, and hard to slow down? Adding a low-pressure turbo system to the vehicle will add more power, but regardless of what people say, it means more complexity, worse fuel economy, and worse reliability. Adding aftermarket upgraded brakes will certainly help the vehicle stop quicker and prevent brake fade on a long highway decent. But adding the two together is also a bit counterproductive – driving faster means adding more work to the brakes – and who knows what problem will surface next!

What will I do? Frankly, I’m not sure! But it would seem that the best way to tackle this problem is to decrease weight. Perhaps I’ll look at some camping gear that doesn’t weigh as much, maybe I’ll try to loose a few kilos myself! Whatever I do, the logical first step is going to be limiting the amount of excessive gear I’m bringing with me; and I’m pretty sure we could all learn a lesson or two from bringing less gear with us into the bush.

Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable Suspension

If I was reincarnated, I really wouldn’t want to come back to life as a four-wheel drive shock absorber. It really would have to be one of the worst jobs out there. Not only do you have to put up with the commute to work on the bitumen, where you’re expected to be ‘firm’ and ‘sporty’ but you’ll also have to have stones thrown at you all day long off-road. Here you’re being tortured over seemingly endless corrugations where your job is to make the ride as smooth as possible – without giving up.

Advertisement

Then there’s the problem of the vehicle’s load – while it’s the springs’ job to carry it, it’s your job to control it. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, in a perfect world, maybe so, but remember, you’re a four-wheel drive shock absorber – so the load is constantly changing, as is the terrain. Long story short, if I was a shockie, I’d probably be one that was quite confused, which is why adjustable shock absorbers make so much sense.

For suspension gurus out there, I’ll admit that remote reservoir adjustable shock absorbers seem a bit overkill for my Troop Carrier’s horse-and-buggy era suspension, but I don’t care – I like it. Plus, if you read my introduction story about my Troop Carrier project, you’d know that I’m fitting these parts out of selflessness because I’m testing parts that you, the reader, are interested in, and it just so happens that Terrain Tamer makes the Pro Adjustable shock for a wide range of four-wheel drives.

Simply put, the Troop Carrier’s leaf sprung suspension is not that advanced, and that’s what makes it a favourite of outback travellers. It seldom breaks, and when it does, it can be easily repaired. The problem lies within the ride quality, which makes you question what it’s actually suspending in the first place, as after a few hundred k’s, your spine compresses and you hop out of the vehicle an inch or two shorter.

A good, simple test of a vehicle’s suspension is to cross over one of the low curbs you drive over when entering a shopping centre at a 45 degree angle.
We have one in front of our office, which I drive over several times a day. Crossing it in the Troop Carrier, prior to replacing my suspension, was painful enough to make one commit harakiri. That’s because I could’t adjust my previous suspension, it was high-strung – completely ready for a lap of Australia with a massive amount of gear in the back, but completely incapable of driving to work.

After Automotive Excellence (if you’re in Sydney check them out) installed my Terrain Tamer leaf springs and Pro Adjustable shocks, there was an immediate improvement. Now before you jump out of your seats and say that it’s because I had crap suspension on there in the first place – I didn’t. I had a healthy set of leaf springs with well-respected Koni shocks, so an improvement is actually an achievement.

As time went o and the suspension settled in nicely, the ride became nicer, so I started to mess with the eight different compression and rebound settings that the Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable Shocks feature. With each stage of my vehicle’s build came more weight and different driving characteristics, yet I was able to fine-tune the vehicle to make it perform just as good around town as it did off-road.

Being able to stiffen the shocks when I have a roof tent on board helps immensely on a vehicle like the Troop Carrier, which is about three feet shorter than the Burj Khalifa. You barely notice the weight when you ‘turn up’ the shocks, but when you turn them down to the lowest setting, you’ll quickly notice that you’re driving a bowl of pudding and you gain immediate appreciation for the hard work that these little shocks are doing.

The other benefit of the Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable shock is the nitrogen charged remote canister. It adds a bit of complexity, but it means that you can enjoy good suspension all day, no matter how much you’re putting the vehicle through. In the high country, we’d drive for eight hours at good speed over seriously rugged terrain – stuff worse than corrugations. Did the shocks care? Not one bit.
I’d even periodically pull over to see how hot they were getting, being pleasantly surprised each time, as I’ve driven vehicles over similar terrain that would get shocks boiling.

I was also happy with the construction and quality of the shocks. They don’t have the ‘bling’ factor that comes with a King or Fox remote reservoir unit, but they also don’t have the massive price tag. Plus, being a Don Kyatt / Terrain Tamer product, you know they’ll stand behind the product if anything ever goes wrong.

I’d comfortably call this one of the better shocks for sale on the Australian 4X4 market. It might not be something you’d enter in the Dakar Rally, but that’s not the point. This is a high-quality adjustable shock absorber built for touring, which is something it excels at. I’m happy to have them on my project.

TJM BULL BAR

Choosing a bull bar for your four-wheel drive is a lot like picking out a new pair of glasses – it’s a defining accessory that people notice immediately. Therefore, it’s a choice that shouldn’t be taken lightly. An ugly bull bar on an otherwise beautifully built 4X4 immediately becomes the equivalent of a supermodel in your grandmother’s glasses … good looking, but you’re just left to wonder what they were thinking.

So when I set out to replace the ageing bull bar on Snoopy the Troopy, it wasn’t a matter I took lightly. It needed to be a high-quality unit from a company that would be around to back it up down the road, and it needed to fit the vehicle. After consulting with a few Troopy enthusiasts on Facebook, I decided to take a closer look at TJM’s offering, and overall, I’m pretty happy.

I personally think it’s one of the better looking bull bars on the market for the 75-Series. TJM designed a bar that is modern, but still compliments the classic shape of the vehicle – it looks appropriate, and when combined with TJM’s side rails and side steps, the entire package just works.

It’s also fitting that the old ambulance spec bull bar that came on the vehicle was designed and manufactured by TJM. Other than a terrible, hideous colour specified by the NSW Ambulance Service, there was nothing wrong with it. So in a way, it was right to put a TJM bar on there. The vehicle has been protected its entire life by TJM, and it’s in great shape, so why stop now.

The construction seems quite solid. High-quality steel is used throughout the bar’s construction, and good welds hold it all together. TJM has spared no expense in reinforcement, making it quite clear they actually intend for this bull bar to hit sh*t – which is good, because that’s what it’s made for.

Previous TJM bull bars I’ve seen and used always seemed to have rather questionable powder coat, but lately I haven’t seen that, so it’s clear that they’re starting to make some changes, and it’s evident in this bull bar which has a very nice coating. To me, this is a clear sign that TJM has really been stepping up their game lately.

I’ll be brief with my review of the TJM side rails, because after all, they are essentially just a piece of tube. No technological innovations will be won here. However, for a piece of tube, they’re a nice piece of tube. The powder coating matches the quality found on the bull bar, and the mounts seem incredibly solid. I’ve seen some side rails which can be moved relatively easy by just leaning on them, the TJM side rails feel like they could take an actual impact.

So, I’ve been pretty happy with my bull bar and side rails, but if I’m being honest with you (and you know I always am) I’m feeling a bit lukewarm about my side steps. They do feature the same beefy construction as the bull bar and the side rails, and they even have the same good powder coat, but they’re just a bit awkward. Now, I’m not a guy that tends to argue over an inch or so, but I really think they’re just a little bit too wide – an inch closer to the body and they’d be perfect.

Also, after putting so much work into the nice powder coat finish, I’m a bit confused why they chose to coat the alloy chequer plate in a rather drab grey, when the natural alloy would have been a much nicer look. Also, this might be nit picky, but there is some sort of foam placed between the chequer plate and the tubing, and within the first day it started falling off … it isn’t the end of the world, but it’s a bit annoying. Anyway, they’re damn good at doing their job – I accidentally hit them on a rock or two on my last trip to the High Country and they walked away unscathed.

It took a lot for me to not put a bull bar from another three-letter four-wheel drive company on my project vehicle, but I have no regrets. The TJM Deluxe bull bar is worth every penny, and in addition, my installation experience was great. It was professionally installed by a wonderful local shop, Penrith Off-Road Warehouse, who really went overboard to make sure the truck was done right.

Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack System

Front Runner might be a new name for a large portion of the people reading this, but I assure you, they’ve been around the block (and the world) dozens of times. Based and manufactured in South Africa, Front Runner has been responsible for building some of the coolest adventure gear ever to be fitted to a four-wheel drive – and I’m not just saying that to stroke Front Runner’s ego.

The Slimline II roof rack system is unique in the Australian market; it’s a modern rack built and engineered with modern materials. It’s not one of the ubiquitous steel roof racks that are nothing more than some heavy metal welded together with the idea that ‘it’ll be strong enough’.

Weight is always on my mind when I’m building a touring vehicle, especially weight in the worst place – above your roof. That’s where it most affects centre of gravity, which is why I like the Front Runner Slimline II roof rack which weights in at under 30 kilos. (They weigh even less if you don’t need the behemoth of a rack required for a Troop Carrier). It’s constructed from high-density extruded aluminium, and its low profile design keeps accessories as low as possible.

I know some people will loose their minds at the idea of a platform roof rack. From conversations I’ve had with people who didn’t like my Front Runner roof rack, they think without traditional basket-style side rails, everything will just fall out, or slide off when you’re driving. This is dumb, because if you’re not properly securing a load that’s on your roof, you have big issues. The side rails do nothing but make your vehicle taller, which is a problem for those who have to get into covered parking structures. If you can’t get over it, Front Runner does offer them as an option.

Front Runner’s extruded slats, which run side to side on the rack have holes for an 8MM hex head bolt to slide freely throughout. That means you can securely bolt almost anything to this roof rack, making it a canvas for your accessories and opening up options that you’d otherwise never have. No longer will you need to drill into your steel roof rack to mount auxiliary lighting, only to see it eventually rust because you forgot to repaint the bare metal.

Because of this, Front Runner has been able to design a multitude of accessories; everything ranging from a bottle opener, to a nifty table that slides between the roof rack and your vehicle’s roof, to awning mounts and roof tent brackets. When I mounted my roof tent, the brackets allowed me to mount it a few inches lower than I would have been able to otherwise, and when I can get 75 kilos a few inches lower on a Troop Carrier – I’m excited.

One slightly awkward thing about the extruded slats is that they have a habit of moving under weight. When you stand on them, they’ll flex a little bit … but they don’t bend. I’m told that this is part of the design and it’s one of the reasons why the strength to weight ratio of the Slimline II is so impressive. After a dozen or so days camping with the system, and getting up on the roof rack probably a hundred times by now, I can say that it’s a non-issue – but something you should be aware of.

The Slimline II comes flat-packed in a fashion similar to Ikea furniture. They include all of the hardware you’ll need, and even use high-quality nylock nuts. They claim that the roof rack can be put together and installed on your vehicle in an hour. From my experience, if you’re doing it yourself, I would plan for two hours, however, once you get going, the process is relatively straightforward. The bolt-together construction of the Slimline II will undoubtedly scare some people off, who prefer a traditional steel welded rack, but ask yourself how many times bolts rattle loose on your vehicle’s suspension … or its engine mounts.

I put my roof rack together after a long day at work, in poor lighting, with poor quality tools and set off early the next morning to cross the High Country. Five hundred kilometres on the highway there, and just as much, if not more than that off-road, and absolutely nothing rattled loose. To me, that’s a pretty good torture test. Oh, and it’s pretty quiet too, I didn’t even feel the need to install the included wind deflectors designed to lower noise, but you should probably do so otherwise Front Runner will yell at me.

Front Runner has almost 60 different configurations available in the Slimline II range. There’s a variety of lengths, widths, and mounts for almost every four-wheel drive in Australia. They’re now being distributed Down Under by Opposite Lock.

oppositelock.com.au

You could hop in a stock Landcruiser Troop Carrier and pretty much take it everywhere you wanted to go in Australia, that’s what makes the model so great. But that’s not really much fun, is it? I mean, do you really buy a vehicle for what it can do out of the showroom, or do you buy it for what you can do to it afterwards?

If you’re anything like me, then the idea of driving a perfectly stock vehicle sounds about as appealing as dental surgery. So after driving a relatively stock Troop Carrier for the last few months, I couldn’t handle it anymore – so I started modifying, and I’m afraid I went a little bit overboard, but I had a good excuse…

Even if you don’t own a Troop Carrier, you’ll still find that the majority of these products are applicable for your vehicle. Take the Front Runner Slimline II roof rack I installed for example – while it looks tailor-made for my vehicle, you can actually get the same exact rack for almost any vehicle, fit to size.

The same goes for the Terrain Tamer Adjustable Pro Shocks – they’re available for most modern four-wheel drives, and they’re even available for old ones like Snoopy. There’s also the TJM bar, side rails, and side steps that we installed. While they might be the best looking options on the market for the Troop Carrier, that aesthetic and build quality carries on to other models as well.

So essentially what I’m trying to get across is that my purchase of a Troop Carrier was completely selfless – it was a purchase for you, the readers. It definitely wasn’t because I love their slightly awkward yet iconic shape, nor because they’ll run forever without worry of failure; and it definitely wasn’t because (in my eyes) it’s the ultimate budget touring platform.

But it hasn’t been all good. Bolting a few hundred kilos of aftermarket 4X4 gear, no matter how cool it is, will start to expose some of the platform’s weaknesses. In this case, I’m talking about the engine and the brakes. While my model year Troopy certainly benefits from the addition of front and rear disk brakes and a slightly more powerful 1HZ engine, it still raises an eyebrow. I can live with the lacklustre performance, but I enjoy a vehicle that stops, and as I found out in the High Country, you can quickly … and rather unexpectedly, burn through your brakes.

So what’s the solution to a vehicle that’s slow to get going, and hard to slow down? Adding a low-pressure turbo system to the vehicle will add more power, but regardless of what people say, it means more complexity, worse fuel economy, and worse reliability. Adding aftermarket upgraded brakes will certainly help the vehicle stop quicker and prevent brake fade on a long highway decent. But adding the two together is also a bit counterproductive – driving faster means adding more work to the brakes – and who knows what problem will surface next!

What will I do? Frankly, I’m not sure! But it would seem that the best way to tackle this problem is to decrease weight. Perhaps I’ll look at some camping gear that doesn’t weigh as much, maybe I’ll try to loose a few kilos myself! Whatever I do, the logical first step is going to be limiting the amount of excessive gear I’m bringing with me; and I’m pretty sure we could all learn a lesson or two from bringing less gear with us into the bush.

Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable Suspension

If I was reincarnated, I really wouldn’t want to come back to life as a four-wheel drive shock absorber. It really would have to be one of the worst jobs out there. Not only do you have to put up with the commute to work on the bitumen, where you’re expected to be ‘firm’ and ‘sporty’ but you’ll also have to have stones thrown at you all day long off-road. Here you’re being tortured over seemingly endless corrugations where your job is to make the ride as smooth as possible – without giving up.

Then there’s the problem of the vehicle’s load – while it’s the springs’ job to carry it, it’s your job to control it. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, in a perfect world, maybe so, but remember, you’re a four-wheel drive shock absorber – so the load is constantly changing, as is the terrain. Long story short, if I was a shockie, I’d probably be one that was quite confused, which is why adjustable shock absorbers make so much sense.

For suspension gurus out there, I’ll admit that remote reservoir adjustable shock absorbers seem a bit overkill for my Troop Carrier’s horse-and-buggy era suspension, but I don’t care – I like it. Plus, if you read my introduction story about my Troop Carrier project, you’d know that I’m fitting these parts out of selflessness because I’m testing parts that you, the reader, are interested in, and it just so happens that Terrain Tamer makes the Pro Adjustable shock for a wide range of four-wheel drives.

Simply put, the Troop Carrier’s leaf sprung suspension is not that advanced, and that’s what makes it a favourite of outback travellers. It seldom breaks, and when it does, it can be easily repaired. The problem lies within the ride quality, which makes you question what it’s actually suspending in the first place, as after a few hundred k’s, your spine compresses and you hop out of the vehicle an inch or two shorter.

A good, simple test of a vehicle’s suspension is to cross over one of the low curbs you drive over when entering a shopping centre at a 45 degree angle. We have one in front of our office, which I drive over several times a day. Crossing it in the Troop Carrier, prior to replacing my suspension, was painful enough to make one commit harakiri. That’s because I could’t adjust my previous suspension, it was high-strung – completely ready for a lap of Australia with a massive amount of gear in the back, but completely incapable of driving to work.

After Automotive Excellence (if you’re in Sydney check them out) installed my Terrain Tamer leaf springs and Pro Adjustable shocks, there was an immediate improvement. Now before you jump out of your seats and say that it’s because I had crap suspension on there in the first place – I didn’t. I had a healthy set of leaf springs with well-respected Koni shocks, so an improvement is actually an achievement.

As time went o and the suspension settled in nicely, the ride became nicer, so I started to mess with the eight different compression and rebound settings that the Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable Shocks feature. With each stage of my vehicle’s build came more weight and different driving characteristics, yet I was able to fine-tune the vehicle to make it perform just as good around town as it did off-road.

Being able to stiffen the shocks when I have a roof tent on board helps immensely on a vehicle like the Troop Carrier, which is about three feet shorter than the Burj Khalifa. You barely notice the weight when you ‘turn up’ the shocks, but when you turn them down to the lowest setting, you’ll quickly notice that you’re driving a bowl of pudding and you gain immediate appreciation for the hard work that these little shocks are doing.

The other benefit of the Terrain Tamer Pro Adjustable shock is the nitrogen charged remote canister. It adds a bit of complexity, but it means that you can enjoy good suspension all day, no matter how much you’re putting the vehicle through. In the high country, we’d drive for eight hours at good speed over seriously rugged terrain – stuff worse than corrugations. Did the shocks care? Not one bit.
I’d even periodically pull over to see how hot they were getting, being pleasantly surprised each time, as I’ve driven vehicles over similar terrain that would get shocks boiling.

I was also happy with the construction and quality of the shocks. They don’t have the ‘bling’ factor that comes with a King or Fox remote reservoir unit, but they also don’t have the massive price tag. Plus, being a Don Kyatt / Terrain Tamer product, you know they’ll stand behind the product if anything ever goes wrong.

I’d comfortably call this one of the better shocks for sale on the Australian 4X4 market. It might not be something you’d enter in the Dakar Rally, but that’s not the point. This is a high-quality adjustable shock absorber built for touring, which is something it excels at. I’m happy to have them on my project.

TJM BULL BAR

Choosing a bull bar for your four-wheel drive is a lot like picking out a new pair of glasses – it’s a defining accessory that people notice immediately. Therefore, it’s a choice that shouldn’t be taken lightly. An ugly bull bar on an otherwise beautifully built 4X4 immediately becomes the equivalent of a supermodel in your grandmother’s glasses … good looking, but you’re just left to wonder what they were thinking.

So when I set out to replace the ageing bull bar on Snoopy the Troopy, it wasn’t a matter I took lightly. It needed to be a high-quality unit from a company that would be around to back it up down the road, and it needed to fit the vehicle. After consulting with a few Troopy enthusiasts on Facebook, I decided to take a closer look at TJM’s offering, and overall, I’m pretty happy.

I personally think it’s one of the better looking bull bars on the market for the 75-Series. TJM designed a bar that is modern, but still compliments the classic shape of the vehicle – it looks appropriate, and when combined with TJM’s side rails and side steps, the entire package just works.

It’s also fitting that the old ambulance spec bull bar that came on the vehicle was designed and manufactured by TJM. Other than a terrible, hideous colour specified by the NSW Ambulance Service, there was nothing wrong with it. So in a way, it was right to put a TJM bar on there. The vehicle has been protected its entire life by TJM, and it’s in great shape, so why stop now.

The construction seems quite solid. High-quality steel is used throughout the bar’s construction, and good welds hold it all together. TJM has spared no expense in reinforcement, making it quite clear they actually intend for this bull bar to hit sh*t – which is good, because that’s what it’s made for.

Previous TJM bull bars I’ve seen and used always seemed to have rather questionable powder coat, but lately I haven’t seen that, so it’s clear that they’re starting to make some changes, and it’s evident in this bull bar which has a very nice coating. To me, this is a clear sign that TJM has really been stepping up their game lately.

I’ll be brief with my review of the TJM side rails, because after all, they are essentially just a piece of tube. No technological innovations will be won here. However, for a piece of tube, they’re a nice piece of tube. The powder coating matches the quality found on the bull bar, and the mounts seem incredibly solid. I’ve seen some side rails which can be moved relatively easy by just leaning on them, the TJM side rails feel like they could take an actual impact.

So, I’ve been pretty happy with my bull bar and side rails, but if I’m being honest with you (and you know I always am) I’m feeling a bit lukewarm about my side steps. They do feature the same beefy construction as the bull bar and the side rails, and they even have the same good powder coat, but they’re just a bit awkward. Now, I’m not a guy that tends to argue over an inch or so, but I really think they’re just a little bit too wide – an inch closer to the body and they’d be perfect.

Also, after putting so much work into the nice powder coat finish, I’m a bit confused why they chose to coat the alloy chequer plate in a rather drab grey, when the natural alloy would have been a much nicer look. Also, this might be nit picky, but there is some sort of foam placed between the chequer plate and the tubing, and within the first day it started falling off … it isn’t the end of the world, but it’s a bit annoying. Anyway, they’re damn good at doing their job – I accidentally hit them on a rock or two on my last trip to the High Country and they walked away unscathed.

It took a lot for me to not put a bull bar from another three-letter four-wheel drive company on my project vehicle, but I have no regrets. The TJM Deluxe bull bar is worth every penny, and in addition, my installation experience was great. It was professionally installed by a wonderful local shop, Penrith Off-Road Warehouse, who really went overboard to make sure the truck was done right.

Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack System

Front Runner might be a new name for a large portion of the people reading this, but I assure you, they’ve been around the block (and the world) dozens of times. Based and manufactured in South Africa, Front Runner has been responsible for building some of the coolest adventure gear ever to be fitted to a four-wheel drive – and I’m not just saying that to stroke Front Runner’s ego.

The Slimline II roof rack system is unique in the Australian market; it’s a modern rack built and engineered with modern materials. It’s not one of the ubiquitous steel roof racks that are nothing more than some heavy metal welded together with the idea that ‘it’ll be strong enough’.

Weight is always on my mind when I’m building a touring vehicle, especially weight in the worst place – above your roof. That’s where it most affects centre of gravity, which is why I like the Front Runner Slimline II roof rack which weights in at under 30 kilos. (They weigh even less if you don’t need the behemoth of a rack required for a Troop Carrier). It’s constructed from high-density extruded aluminium, and its low profile design keeps accessories as low as possible.

I know some people will loose their minds at the idea of a platform roof rack. From conversations I’ve had with people who didn’t like my Front Runner roof rack, they think without traditional basket-style side rails, everything will just fall out, or slide off when you’re driving. This is dumb, because if you’re not properly securing a load that’s on your roof, you have big issues. The side rails do nothing but make your vehicle taller, which is a problem for those who have to get into covered parking structures. If you can’t get over it, Front Runner does offer them as an option.

Front Runner’s extruded slats, which run side to side on the rack have holes for an 8MM hex head bolt to slide freely throughout. That means you can securely bolt almost anything to this roof rack, making it a canvas for your accessories and opening up options that you’d otherwise never have. No longer will you need to drill into your steel roof rack to mount auxiliary lighting, only to see it eventually rust because you forgot to repaint the bare metal.

Because of this, Front Runner has been able to design a multitude of accessories; everything ranging from a bottle opener, to a nifty table that slides between the roof rack and your vehicle’s roof, to awning mounts and roof tent brackets. When I mounted my roof tent, the brackets allowed me to mount it a few inches lower than I would have been able to otherwise, and when I can get 75 kilos a few inches lower on a Troop Carrier – I’m excited.

One slightly awkward thing about the extruded slats is that they have a habit of moving under weight. When you stand on them, they’ll flex a little bit … but they don’t bend. I’m told that this is part of the design and it’s one of the reasons why the strength to weight ratio of the Slimline II is so impressive. After a dozen or so days camping with the system, and getting up on the roof rack probably a hundred times by now, I can say that it’s a non-issue – but something you should be aware of.

The Slimline II comes flat-packed in a fashion similar to Ikea furniture. They include all of the hardware you’ll need, and even use high-quality nylock nuts. They claim that the roof rack can be put together and installed on your vehicle in an hour. From my experience, if you’re doing it yourself, I would plan for two hours, however, once you get going, the process is relatively straightforward. The bolt-together construction of the Slimline II will undoubtedly scare some people off, who prefer a traditional steel welded rack, but ask yourself how many times bolts rattle loose on your vehicle’s suspension … or its engine mounts.

I put my roof rack together after a long day at work, in poor lighting, with poor quality tools and set off early the next morning to cross the High Country. Five hundred kilometres on the highway there, and just as much, if not more than that off-road, and absolutely nothing rattled loose. To me, that’s a pretty good torture test. Oh, and it’s pretty quiet too, I didn’t even feel the need to install the included wind deflectors designed to lower noise, but you should probably do so otherwise Front Runner will yell at me.

Front Runner has almost 60 different configurations available in the Slimline II range. There’s a variety of lengths, widths, and mounts for almost every four-wheel drive in Australia. They’re now being distributed Down Under by Opposite Lock.

oppositelock.com.au


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