Needing and wanting a full roof rack. My question is....do they make a lot of wind noise and is the wind drag resistance extreme ?
Roof rack
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For what model Rover? Yes, they add wind noise, yes they add wind resistance, yes they add weight (a Safety Devices rack is about 100 pounds by itself).
But are any of these really an issue in the broader context of Rover ownership? Both Rovers I've owned have been loud at freeway speeds. Between AT tires, old door seals, and other factors it's a noisy ride. If I want a quiet ride I'll buy an Acura. Otherwise turn up the stereo.
Most older Rovers have the aerodynamic coefficient of a brick. My Disco is reasonably close to stock and even then fuel economy is not its strong suit. Adding a roof rack will decrease your fuel efficiency, but it will be from a low number to a slightly lower number. If I want a fuel efficient ride I'll buy a Jetta TDI. Which I did.
"Extreme" is a subjective concept. If you really need (and want) a roof rack, then by all means get one. It can be a useful addition to a Rover. Expect more noise and higher fuel consumption. Whether any of those changes are "extreme" is all in the eye of the beholder.
But are any of these really an issue in the broader context of Rover ownership? Both Rovers I've owned have been loud at freeway speeds. Between AT tires, old door seals, and other factors it's a noisy ride. If I want a quiet ride I'll buy an Acura. Otherwise turn up the stereo.
Most older Rovers have the aerodynamic coefficient of a brick. My Disco is reasonably close to stock and even then fuel economy is not its strong suit. Adding a roof rack will decrease your fuel efficiency, but it will be from a low number to a slightly lower number. If I want a fuel efficient ride I'll buy a Jetta TDI. Which I did.
"Extreme" is a subjective concept. If you really need (and want) a roof rack, then by all means get one. It can be a useful addition to a Rover. Expect more noise and higher fuel consumption. Whether any of those changes are "extreme" is all in the eye of the beholder.
The noise can greatly be reduced by adding a fairing. I personally didn’t notice a difference in fuel consumption until I added lights, then again one doesn’t buy a Rover for fuel savings.
Thanks....and i agree on the points of why we dont worry about some rover characteristics. This is my first one by the way.
I never noticed how much noise a rack makes, my previous D1 had a rack, lights, mud terrain tires, light, louder exhaust, etc, so overall, it was a loud vehicle. I just installed a rack (Thank you Will) on my quiet and stock D1 and the wind noise is noticeable above 55-60 mph.
