7 Ways A Jeep Roof Rack Enhances Your Adventure
Enjoying the great outdoors is one of the primary reasons many people purchase a Jeep. These versatile vehicles are perfectly suited to exploring rugged trails, secluded camping spots, and remote natural locales. Their go-anywhere capability combined with open-air driving creates the ideal experience for outdoor adventure seekers.
However, to fully take advantage of all a Jeep has to offer, many owners upgrade their Jeep with a roof-mounted rack system. A roof rack takes your Jeep’s functionality to the next level by expanding its cargo capacity.
Rather than being confined by the limited interior space of the Jeep, a roof rack provides a large, open surface above the vehicle. This extra space allows owners to securely transport essential camping and recreational gear wherever they go.
Here are 7 key ways a roof rack enhances your adventures in your Jeep.
1. Carry More Gear
The obvious advantage of a roof rack is increased cargo capacity.
With a rack, you can access the interior space of your Jeep’s cabin and rear storage area. A roof rack for jeep gladiator gives you a large, open surface on the roof to stack gear, equipment, and supplies. You can easily attach waterproof duffel bags, bike racks, kayak carriers, cargo boxes, and more to haul extra gear that wouldn’t otherwise fit inside the Jeep.
On multi-day trips into the backcountry, carrying additional tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, first aid kits, clothing, and food makes camping and excursions much more comfortable. You don’t have to compromise or leave essential items behind due to lack of space.
2. Leave the Interior Clear
Keeping gear on the roof rather than inside the Jeep has advantages beyond extra capacity. It leaves the interior completely clear and open for passengers. With gear strapped to the roof, there is no risk of items sliding around or taking up legroom inside the Jeep as you drive on- or off-road.
Passengers can sit fully back in their seats without anything at their feet. Loading and unloading people and gear is easier without obstacles in the cabin. The open interior lets you easily see navigational tools, controls, and gear selectors while driving over difficult terrain.
3. Secure Loads Safely
A quality roof rack system is specifically engineered to safely and securely carry cargo on the roof of your Jeep.
Rack components are strong yet lightweight and feature multiple tie-down points to lash loads using straps or cords safely. This prevents any items from shifting, sliding, or blowing off during high-speed highway driving or off-roading over rugged trails.
Tied down properly, gear on a roof rack travels as safely and stably as cargo inside the vehicle. You gain peace of mind knowing essential supplies, sporting equipment like bikes or kayaks, or large loads like cargo boxes are safely affixed above the Jeep.
4. Distribute Weight Higher
With items carried above rather than inside the vehicle, a roof rack helps distribute weight more evenly and raises the Jeep’s overall center of gravity. This improves stability, especially when carrying heavy or bulkier loads.
Concentrated weight low to the ground inside could cause handling or suspension issues, but mounting it up high on the roof offsets that effect.
The distributed weight also helps with payload capacity. You can haul more overall gear for multi-day excursions versus cramping it all inside and risking going overrated weight limits that could compromise performance or safety.
5. Versatility for Any Activity
A roof rack opens up your Jeep to all adventure activities simply by changing mounts and accessories. Are you going mountain biking? Add a rear bike rack to carry multiple bicycles up top. Have gear for hiking, surfing, snow sports, or any other activity? Roof-mounted gear is easily accessible when needed.
You’re no longer limited to what will physically fit inside the vehicle. Platform roof racks accept various mounting points to customize your setup for any expedition.
So, move gear up high as needed throughout a trip without changing how your Jeep handles.
6. Ability to Tow
While mid-sized Jeeps are usually only rated to tow small trailers or dinghies, a roof rack prevents loads from putting additional strain on the factory tow rating.
Mounting excessive gear inside could potentially put you over limits. However, with weight distributed above rather than concentrated behind the rear axle, a roof rack setup allows towing close to the vehicle’s rated capacity safely.
This functionality comes in handy for activities like overlanding with an enclosed cargo trailer in tow or pulling a small boat. The roof carries gear independently of whatever you tow behind, so you have maximum utility from both without compromising tow ratings.
7. Accessory Platform
Beyond just carrying cargo, a roof rack on a Jeep doubles as an elevated platform. Use it to mount accessories like off-road lights, a sun or shade canopy, a roof tent, or even a standing roof rack combo for added height. Some models even have built-in outlets, brackets, or rails for compatibility with things like LED light bars, speakers, awning mounts, or external fuel carriers.
The roof rack provides a stable place far above the dust and mud to position accessories for which you may otherwise have trouble finding a home.
Final Thoughts
Whether you enjoy weekend getaways into the woods, extended seasonal camping trips, hauling sports equipment to remote locales, or fully self-contained international overlanding, a roof rack opens your Jeep up to new levels of fun and functionality.
That said, securely and safely expanding cargo capacity while maintaining clear interior space and payload integrity enhances your off-road adventures. Furthermore, choosing a well-built roof rack system allows you to customize your setup depending on activities and maximize your Jeep’s versatility for years.