Roof racks and fuel consumption

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Roof racks and fuel consumption

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

The faster you drive, the greater the fuel consumption increase.
Leave the Max Tracks at home and get an air compressor and a tyre repair kit and learn how to use it.
Cheers,
Peter

Whenarewethere · Guru

Drive slower to save fuel.

I had a roof platform but removed it. Unless you are planning to stand on the roof to take photos they are pointless.

I now use 4 crossbars with a net weight saving of 16kg. You have to save every gram possible.

I have the cheap tracks from Anaconda $99 a pair when on special, never used them, but there are places I would not have driven.

Have ARB 6m tow rope & 20m extension, used once to tow a bogged truck.

Our compressors we use all the time.

A bit of information here on our roof setup.

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t67758910/roof-rack-rail-platform-ideas-fuel-spare-wheel-sand-tracks/

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

I've looked at the link given and taken into consideration both your suggestions and decided to strap the Max tracks to the roof bars that came with the car and take one (not two) 10ltr plastic jerry can inside the car and only fill it if needed. After all if I'm not dragging around a roof rack and 2nd spare my fuel consumption won't be as bad. And face getting a second flat if or when I do.
I do already have a compressor and tyre repair kit and have learned how to use them.
This will also mean that my fuel consumption stays at 6.9 when used at home as a Nanna car lol
Not to mention the money I've saved not buying anymore stuff
Thanks for your input

travelyounger · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
The faster you drive, the greater the fuel consumption increase.
Leave the Max Tracks at home and get an air compressor and a tyre repair kit and learn how to use it.
Cheers,
Peter

Max tracks are for getting out of a bog why would he not want his recovery gear

cheers

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

travelyounger wrote:
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
The faster you drive, the greater the fuel consumption increase.
Leave the Max Tracks at home and get an air compressor and a tyre repair kit and learn how to use it.
Cheers,
Peter
Max tracks are for getting out of a bog why would he not want his recovery gear
cheers

I reckon Max Tracks are a fashion statement.

20 years ago no one carried them but many of us were travelling in deserts and remote areas just the same.

Consider the pic below.

Get out your max tracks, and 10 minutes later you are bogged again about 2 vehicle lengths away. Repeat many times.

Let some air out of your tyres and simply drive away and keep driving.

When you are past all the soft stuff, put the air back into the tyres with the compressor.

0910 (3).JPG

Cheers,

Peter

travelyounger · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
travelyounger wrote:
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
The faster you drive, the greater the fuel consumption increase.
Leave the Max Tracks at home and get an air compressor and a tyre repair kit and learn how to use it.
Cheers,
Peter
Max tracks are for getting out of a bog why would he not want his recovery gear
cheers
I reckon Max Tracks are a fashion statement.
20 years ago no one carried them but many of us were travelling in deserts and remote areas just the same.
Consider the pic below.
Get out your max tracks, and 10 minutes later you are bogged again about 2 vehicle lengths away. Repeat many times.
Let some air out of your tyres and simply drive away and keep driving.
When you are past all the soft stuff, put the air back into the tyres with the compressor.

Cheers,
Peter

Yes I agree Peter some people like to put them in all sort of places on the vehicle to show off.

Letting your tyres down and having air is always what should happen I have been bogged and used the trax and they work and other times they get buried in the sand and wonder if I should just leave them their.

They work sometimes

cheers

Whenarewethere · Guru

Apart from my compressors & air tank, sticking in a moisture trap is worthwhile & if you a keen an after cooler & refrigerated condenser.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Mount racks a little further back if you can so windscreen wind goes OVER the racks or load . A piece of alloy at front with angle to direct over load smoothly. . Much less turbulence, buffeting !

jontee · Veteran Member

G`day Wannabe nomad ,
I`d be more concerned about the weight that you are going to be carrying on your roof .
Cheers,
Jontee

PeterD · Guru

I would be a little worried about the roof loading. I believe the max roof load is 70 kg (or 80 kg if it is the model that comes with roof rails.) The loading includes the weight of the roof rack.

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Look I know I'm a newbie, but I'm not stupid and I'm certainly not a show off. My rig is a 2012 x-trail so I don't have much to show off about. I have every intention of lowering the pressure in my tyres before I get into trouble and lower them even more if I actually get into trouble. My maxtrax will be used only if all else fails.

As a single 67 year old female traveller the maxtrax (and a spade) seam like a better option than going looking for branches if I make a boo boo and get bogged. If they only get used once, like insurance they will have proved their worth.

Taking into consideration weight, cost, fuel consumption, handling and wear and tear on the car and my compromised body, my earlier response is what I have decided on, it's a compromise but hopefully workable. I really do have to use the car as a nanna car when not travelling, because that's qwho I am, I have 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

Decades ago, before maxtrax were invented, my old man used aeroplane reinforcement sheets, left over from the Second World War. He'd swear by them and considering the number of pictures he took of cars being bogged and then driving out over the tracks, it would appear that they are worth while. Though they won't get you far in black clay country after the rain.

iana · Guru

We used Marston matting when we went on 4wd treks in the 70's, in and about Papua New guinea. About 6 ft long and very heavy. We also used chains. Thinking back, I know we went to the airstrips and got some, but can't remember using it. Just used chains in the clay stuff.

-- Edited by iana on Saturday 30th of October 2021 08:44:39 PM

-- Edited by iana on Saturday 30th of October 2021 10:03:37 PM

Whenarewethere · Guru

Wannabe nomad wrote:
My rig is a 2012 x-trail so I don't have much to show off about.

On Sydney's Northern Beaches there are plenty of very expensive 4WDs which have never seen anything more than a speed bump.

It is basically all about tyres out there. Look after them & they will look after you.

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Absolutely

peatop · Senior Member

I used to do a lot of beach/sand driving and it was just a matter of dropping the pressure and away you go but I still managed to get stuck (it's part of the trip) it was just a matter of removing the sand from under the tire that was stopping you and away you go again.

Once I moved to an area that was moist (Otways in Vic)very grrrr wet, it was another story or was it? I still did the same and getting bogged was just part of the course so who cares? Me get out get bogged get out get bogged all within 20-30 m lol I had to use a jack to get myself out (no winch) but if I had those trax it would have been too easy.

I think get what you think you need but if you find you don't need them along the way leave them at home, good winching gear, compressor and a good tire gauge should be fine as the others have said if you on a very boggy track the trax may become useless, don't deflate your tires to far that's often done.

PS. anything on the roof will add a major amount to fuel consumption not so much if you have no, or a tail wind but any other wind just drives it up.

-- Edited by peatop on Sunday 31st of October 2021 06:31:10 PM

Possum3 · Guru

Try Bog-Out. www.bogout.com/

BOG OUT turns your wheels into winches. It is a 3.5 tonne, 4.5 m long harness designed to capture a driven wheel and can be used in almost all vehicle recovery situations.
Attach one end to the bogged wheel and then secure the other end to an anchor point. Then simply drive the vehicle out of the bog.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Just a small problem with "Bogout".
If you travel that 4.5m that the device allows and are still bogged, you are now all wrapped up with those straps around the wheels and can not repeat the exercise.
Cheers,
Peter

StewG · Senior Member

I recall being bogged in sand (EH Holden) down to the body and building tracks out of drift wood lying about. It worked well with the help of a small shovel and got me out of trouble. I couldn't afford a 4WD in those days and MaxTrax hadn't been invented.

Possum3 · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Just a small problem with "Bogout".
If you travel that 4.5m that the device allows and are still bogged, you are now all wrapped up with those straps around the wheels and can not repeat the exercise.
Cheers,
Peter

Peter they work in reversing out of bog as well - ie get out the way you got in.