Surco Safari Roof Rack - Intro

Last year when I embarked on my Colorado Expedition, I knew I would need external space to carry some additional gear and items that should not be inside. A roof rack/basket was the obvious choice, but which one?

I liked the Yakima LoadWarrior and its line of accessories, however, after doing some research, I found that it did not have a very good weight rating. It does have a spare tire mount but I was also looking to put two 20 L gas cans up there along with a large water container.

The Roadie steered me towards the Surco Safari Rack. It has a 300 lb weight rating, is made out of aluminium (won't rust, lighter), and was cheaper than the Yakima (and others).

Unfortunately I ran out of time last year and could not finish it like I wanted. Here is what it looked like on the trip:

The rack is pretty easy to put together, the kit recommended for a SWB (short wheelbase) TrailVoy is the 45" x 60" version - part# S4560.

Tip #1 - Replace as much as you can of the provided hardware with stainless steel. If you are in southern areas this may not be necessary but for me, its required, even though I am not using the rack in winter. It helps tremendously when storing it.

Tip #2 - Reinforce the 4 interlocking pieces over and above the screws provided to lock the pieces together. The Roadie indicated that his started to rattle something fierce so he pop-riveted the pieces together. What I did after assembly is to drill holes through both pieces where one slides into the other one. I then used longer stainless bolts and lock nuts to tighten everything up (8 in total).