Cracked fiberglass shell horror stories?

Anyone got em?

I'm looking add a rack and carry cargo on my non-reinforced ARE shell. Anybody have experience doing this, good or bad results?

 

No horror stories... but I did this. 1/2 ghetto, 1/2 engineering genius

 

Almost a horror story....

I was broadsided by a moose. I had my canoe mounted to my Yakima rack on my cap. Her head/neck knocked off the passenger side towers and canoe hung on precariously before I managed to slow down. Not a speck of damage to the cap (Leer 180).

Was fully expecting serious damage.

The side of my truck didn't fare so well.

 

That rail system underneath gave me a great idea for storing stuff up there, nice!

 

I’ve read a few around here which is why I opted not to get one. From what I read most of the issues were from lateral movement offroad and not necessarily top down weight either static or dynamic.

When I was looking at the Z series I believe they said it was a 350lb dynamic load and 700 static but this doesn’t consider lateral movement.

 

If you guys have any ideas on how I could reinforce it from the inside (because I keep hearing about people doing that) I'd give it a shot. Don't want to crack my $2000 shell, thinking I may sell if eventually and put the money toward a GFC

 

Lol we went with the GFC. Explored toppers, racks, and ultimately for the the money the GFC was more than worth it.

Luckily fiberglass is easy to repair, people repair fiberglass boats all the time.

 

Curious what makes the GFC worth the money in your opinion? They are rad but I don’t understand the upside for the cost.

 

Cuz theyre fucking rad duh!

 

Well they are much more expensive now but for the initial price-point it checked off all the boxes without having to make compromises like the other options for us.

When we were researching options we considered toppers (Leer, ARE, Snugtop) of various constructions and models, roof racks, bed racks (CBI, Leitner etc) and different tents (James B., Treeline, etc)

Without getting into too many details, all of the combinations we looked at priced out between $5k -$6k and had compromises, fiberglass strength while offroading, exposure of gear to theft, rain, dust, etc. Weight was also a big factor as a topper, tent and rack can add up to 400lbs.

With the GFC the steel frame was light and could handle weight distribution, side panels were sealed and locked, tent was hardshell with good construction using aluminium and composite materials, it clocked in at around 250lbs and came in at pretty much the same price-point.

It's not for everybody but it works for us. With our options I think they price close to $7k now, which is a tough pill to swallow considering I think we paid around $5600. Comparatively an ARE Z is $3k, Treeline 4 season is $2.5k, and a rack for $600

 

Thanks. They are a really cool option. And I think yeah they start at $6k and the wait times are crazy unless you can jump the line.

 

Yeah @JoeCOVA has a good point about the price
If i add yakima tracks $200
to my shell $2000
Victory 4x4 rack $700
Then a cvt tent $2500
Thats a total of $5300
And for $1200 more you could have a GFC

But im wondering if I can load a bunch of crap on top of my shell... anyone?

 

As a carpenter, I'm always carrying loads of lumber on my shell. A few times I was worried about the rack failing but never the shell.

I would recommend bed stiffeners especially if you do serious offroading. Flexing of the bed is more likely to crack the cap than a load on top.

 

Not a roof issue but I'm getting my Rebel back today from being repaired by Snugtop. Back in January the rear window glass was the victim of my carelessness. The glass was shattered and the hardware ripped off by my garage door.the The most expensive damage was because the fiberglass anchor got ripped away.

I'm expecting a $1200 bill. Will update my post this afternoon.