I RECENTLY purchased a used Nissan Navara D22 with the aim of turning into a touring vehicle for fishing, boating and camping. However, finding a way to carry fishing kayaks and camping gear while towing a boat and carrying a rooftop tent presented a unique challenge.
The idea was to have the Feldon Shelter rooftop tent sitting just above the dual cab’s tray, below or flush with the height of the Navara’s roof. That was the was the plan… Having it sit flush meant roof racks could be installed to the Navara and kayaks could be carried while the tent was collapsed and travelling, plus I could tow a boat! The problem was roof top tents are bulky and the packed tent was still sitting about 100mm above the height of the roof.
Another issue was the lack of carrying space in the dual cab, especially camping gear kids’ bikes, etc.
After searching for suitable roof racks which would sit high enough, be tough enough, and carry extra gear, the stand out product was the Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray.
I’ve been using Rhino Racks products for years and they’ve always proven reliable. They’re well designed, tough, and the wide range of accessories make them suitable for many purposes. The Pioneer Tray is no exception.
The Pioneer Tray is an enclosed tray which measures 1400mm x 1140mm (size varies depending on vehicle).
While most of the time I use it for carrying a kayak, more and more it’s became essential for carrying extra camping gear and items which don’t fit in the cab or tray. I can fit a double swag up there, water containers, gas bottles, Maxtraxs, shovels and more. I alos attached a 2.5m awning with some simple, yet strong attachments to the side of the tray.
There’s a long list of optional extras, attachments which make attaching these items easy and safe. For example, I recently purchased a shovel attachment. This allows me to attach a shovel securely to the outside of the Pioneer Tray leaving the inside of the tray itself empty for carrying more gear or a kayak. The pioneer Tray sits higher than standard roof racks, which meant anything I’m carrying sits well above the tent.
It’s a solid product, corrosion resistant and incredible tough with a 5 year warranty. The front of the Pioneer Tray is aeronautically designed to reduce wind noise. It works well and doesn’t create any excessive wind noise or drag on the car. That’s another reason for having a rooftop tent which sits below the height of the roof!
With a such a wide range of accessories for attaching everything you need for 4WDing and touring, and its high quality contstruction, the Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray comes highly recommended.
Stay tuned for a full review of the Feldon Shelter rooftop tent in an upcoming edition of Fishing World.
More info at www.rhinorack.com.au.
