WWith the limited cargo capacity of the mid-size MU-X wagon, a roof rack was definitely called for to carry any bulky gear. Thankfully, Isuzu has given the MU-X a generous 100kg roof rating, so you can get up there if you need to.
With some of the hard shell roof tents weighing 80kg or more, you will use every part of this rating when calculating the weight of the rack itself and any mounts.
After sampling and being impressed with the ridge mount rack on its 300 series Land Cruiser earlier this year, we headed straight to Rolla Rack to see if it had a ridge mount for the MU-X. no. It turns out he didn’t but wanted to produce one ASAP, so our MU-X will be the guinea pig.
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The Ridge Mount System is a good-looking alternative to traditional mounts for the Rolla Titan Tray Flat Rack. They form a stylish spine that runs down the length of the roof giving the Titan Tray a more stable mount. Ridge mounts attach to the vehicle in factory channels and mounting points, so no drilling or modification to the vehicle is required.
The team at Rola’s Melbourne HQ managed to build the Ridge Mount for the MU-X before we got there, so, all going well, it should be a relatively easy installation with basic skills and tools. Anyone can do it at home.
In fact, the hardest part of the job was removing the factory sealant that is in the roof where the mount bolts are. When you’re bolting the ridge mounts to the car, don’t forget to apply sealant around the bolt holes.
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With the two ridge mounts lined up and bolted to the Isuzu roof rack, it was time to fit the Titan tray. We chose 1800mm x 1200mm Titan trays to suit the MU-X, but they are available in larger sizes for larger wagons and smaller trays for utes and cargo hardcovers.
The Titan Tray has slats running across your vehicle’s roof from front to back instead of side to side, giving you plenty of adjustment for what you need to carry on your roof.
There is also a large range of Rolla accessories for specialist items such as jerry cans, gas bottles, traction boards, light bars, shovel/axe holders and awnings. The accessories attach via T-bolts into the slot, so again there’s plenty of adjustment for where you need to carry the load. Raised side rails to hold your cargo are also an option.
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A lightweight tray is relatively easy to fit but is best done with two people due to the size and having someone on each side of the vehicle. Once it’s there and lined up where you want it to sit, it’s just a matter of putting it down and it’s ready to go.
The Titan Trays and Ridge Mounts are rated to hold 300kg, which is higher than the 100kg rating of the MU-X and most other vehicles.
So far we’ve only mounted our Narva LED light bars to the front of the Titan tray using the Rola accessory bracket, but in the coming months we’ll be loading up on a roof tent, awning, recovery gear and other accessories. will (not all at once) on the rack, to go through its paces.
Pricing
Rola Ridge Mounts for MU-X: $551.55 (plus fitting)
Rolla Titan Tray – 1800 x 1200 mm: $839 (at Super Cheap Auto)
Available from: www.rola.com.au