After researching a fair bit, then finding a great expedition style roof rack on eBay, I set about boarding the base and sorting out how I was going to store stuff on there for a longer trip.
Weight and its distribution. That's the key. Too much weight and in the wrong place and over the truck goes in rough terrain, especially dunes. It also make a difference to wind noise levels and how much fuel your truck uses as it travels.
Storage solutions were explored across the internet and I settled on two aluminium lockable boxes as a start.
A solar panel would also go on top. As I hadn't found an auxiliary fuel tank I could afford, it had to be fuel containers. These can be side mounted, (so on the rear side panels) or roof rack mounted. I favoured the roof rack as I was very reluctant to drill holes in the side body and I'd used a similar system in the Antarctic on sleds, so knew what was needed. That, and the thought that 25kg + x 2 on each of the side panels will just create vibration holes that will compromise the side panels over time. I already have three plastic fuel containers that have been used for years, so I'll take these and upgrade as needed.
Next up was drawing out the various items on a sketch and checking the measurements. Problem 1 soon appeared. I concentrated so much on the solar power output, I forgot to check it's dimensions! So when the one I ordered arrived, it was bigger than expected. That changed all the planning.
My initial thoughts were to have the alloy boxes and jerries' at the back, with the solar panel at the front. This thought was mainly based upon weight distribution for the suspension. However, the solar panel issue forced a re-think. Also wind noise whilst driving played a part. It turns out, wind noise is reduced if the boxes and fuel are at the front and the solar panel is also better protected if it is at the back. So version 5 of the planning took account of these updates.
A big issue was the second spare tyre. I could mount it on the bonnet, but I really wanted it on the roof and out the way. The size of the solar panel however killed that idea. I'll come back to that bit later.
So, back to practical stuff. I bought some 5.5mm plywood to use as a base board. The roof rack is an odd size for a sheet of standard ply, so three sheets were needed. The front and back need a 147cm width and 122cm depth which left a gap of 31.5cm. Once cut to the basic size, I then needed to cut out the notches for the upright bars on the rack so the boards would sit onthe bottom bars properly. That was easier to do correctly when the board was resting on the top bar rather than with measurements as each measured version ended with an error at the last notch. Once these were cut out, then it was four coats of varnish to try to weatherproof the boards a bit. The final part was to fit the boards to the rack and tie them down. I just drilled holes and used cable ties for this as it was the easiest option I'd found.
The base board is thin as I was conscious of general travelling weight. Where I need it to be a bit stronger, I've glued on supporting sections of either 11mm or 18mm ply. Under the solar panel and the aluminium boxes, there was no need for thick ply and the fuel only need a wooden bar to prevent them from sliding sideways. Although, I'll maybe add a second baseboard under them. The main reason for that is they are heavy and awkward when full, (25kg each). It's easy to drop them and they would go straight through the 5.5mm.
For the solar panel, I plan to raise it off the rack by about 70mm. I made some ply brackets for either end. Underneath, I will store two 50mm deep fibreglass waffle boards. These will be in addition to the plastic recovery boards and mainly used for bridging and adding length in any 'stuck vehicle' situation. they'll provide some support for the panel as well, although, I'll need to protect the solar face on the underside for later use.
The final part to this part of the truck is the mounts for the farm jack, a shovel/mattock and a rear door awning. The shovel clamps came from eBay, £17 for 4. I may yet mount them onto the bonnet, but wind noise and I'd like to put a black water bag on there. For the farm jack, I decided to make my own brackets from some old bits of steel I have in a box. They have been bolted to the base board with some extra wooden pieces to absorb shock and level up the longer bar section.
ARB are the only ones making rear door awnings in the UK it seems at the moment and I couldn't find a second hand one anywhere. So that's £200. Terrafirma make the shovel mounts, or you can get the same thing on eBay for half the price. I'll make home made steel brackets for the farm jack as I refuse to pay £54 for two small pieces of bent steel plate, which is what Hi Lift want for their RAC mounts.
Total costs for the roof rack soon added up; £629 in total
Roof rack + ladder £150
Mileage 284 mile round trip £65
5.5mm Ply boards x 3 £63
2.5l x 2 Exterior Varnish £34
Aluminium boxes x 2 £100
Cable ties £3.00
Awning £200
Shovel Clamps x 4 £17.00