Well, the XJ bug has bitten me and I picked up my first XJ a few months back. Already had a lift, tires, heim joint, swaybar discos, etc... Anywho, I have also been researching roof racks and there are very few that I like (fabbed or purchased). My question is: has anyone put a roof rack on an XJ that is flat (possibly diamond plate) that you can stand on / sit on (see attached pic)? I am purchasing body armor with a step on it for access...in case I need to get to high ground during the zombie apocalypse!



Roof Rack





Panel With Step





My beauty!

 

The pic from JCR isn't a step, its armor. Think rock sliders but for trees.. Not that you can use it as a step, but its not really good for footing.. still like the idea of the solid floored rack for camping. Water collection concerns me, though.

 

If there is no lip around the edge and the floor is actually flat there shouldn't be a problem as most jeep arent perfectly flat.

 

lolz. True enough. Hell of a lot cheaper than a roof top tent and you have the advantage of it being multi purpose rack too.

 

I like multi purpose.

 

YUP! If I'm camping then the tents going on the ground anyways!

 

Takes 10 minutes at most to set up my tent. Roof top takes too much space.

 

Right. Besides ain't no lions around here and black bears are super skittish..




The quality is lame, but this is about the size of most of em around here..

 

PNW for me. I'm less afraid of a bear than I am of a pissed off elk or a mountain lion.

 

youtube bleepinjeeps zombie jeep, if i remember he built a ladder that bolted to the tree slider and the rack so it was more ladder like. plus hes a funny guy to watch

 

Try Nates4x4.com 72"x 48" rated for 500 pounds. $300 to your door. For a floor just mount 1" x 4" salt treated lumber, or expanded wire mesh or whatever.
JCR rock sliders with tube-step work well as steps. I coated the top of step with bedliner for traction.

 

Sounds like something he'd do. agreed he's a pretty funny guy. The Pabst Boys are pretty funny too.

 

A few people have used pallet racks. Here's one:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/in...lution-204334/

Since it's not a solid sheet of metal, there's less weight up there raising your center of gravity. Since it's mesh, no worries about water standing on it. You can sometimes find these things cheap at surplus and salvage stores.

 

I used a smaller mesh expanded metal in mine very strong. My grandson has had a chair up there but no way my fat azz is getting up there, its for storage period not people.

 

I am just finishing up mine- Bedlined it all, just sprayed the first coat of red- finish it tonight, tape it off and do gloss black on the rest. Color on photo is off a little.. crappy cell pic. The red matches my Jeep.


Expanded metal comes in several different sizes- all the way down to 1/4" holes. It doesnt have to be solid in order to hold weight. All about the support underneath. The ladder would be the hard part- I think I would rip it off since I have smashed the tail light a few times. The diamond floor plate (diamond plate) on the van is pretty inexpensive. You could get it in aluminum and never worry about rust.. just rivet it on.