When you’re loading up for a big trip, a tub rack can be either your best mate or your worst enemy. We’ve run plenty over the years and, truth be told, not all of them survive the punishment Aussie tracks dish out. Welds crack, braces bend, and you’re left chasing fabricators instead of chasing sunsets. That’s why Josh and the crew bolted on ARB’s Tub Rack and set out to see if it could hack it.
Built for the Rough Stuff
“We’ve well and truly put the ARB Tub Rack through its paces and have been stoked by its performance,” Josh reckons. That testing wasn’t just a quick run up a fire trail, it’s included long stretches of punishing corrugations with a rooftop tent and a stack of gear bolted to the rack.
Plenty of racks flex and fatigue under that sort of load, but Josh reckons the ARB unit didn’t flinch. “It’s shrugged off everything we’ve thrown at it, even in some of Australia’s harshest corrugations,” he says.
Lessons From Other Racks
The team’s not shy about admitting they’ve been burnt before. “We’ve tested other tub racks in the past and left the tracks licking our wounds and seeking fabricators to re-do welds and add bracing,” Josh recalls. It’s a familiar story for plenty of tourers, what looks tough in the catalogue sometimes folds when it’s loaded and rattled across the desert.
This is where the ARB Tub Rack is different. It’s designed from the ground up to handle not just the static weight of a rooftop tent, but the relentless dynamic load of corrugations, washouts and rough tracks.
ARB’s Take on Strength and Flexibility
The ARB Tub Rack isn’t just about throwing material at the problem to get it strong enough. Its modular design means you can bolt on accessories like jerry holders, recovery gear mounts and more, while still keeping access to your tub. It also sits at a practical height for tent mounting while still keeping a low profile, something to consider if your 4X4 lives in a garage when you’re home, or you still need to get into the occasional underground carpark.
That versatility didn’t go unnoticed in testing. With the tent up top and recovery gear strapped down, Josh reckons it felt dialled: “Nothing shifted, nothing rattled loose, and we didn’t need to make a single modification.”
The Verdict
After weeks of punishing use, the verdict was clear. “It’s shrugged off everything we’ve thrown at it.” Josh says. That’s high praise when you’ve got a track record of racks failing under the same conditions. For anyone planning serious touring or looking to carry heavy gear without worrying about structural failures, the ARB Tub Rack earns its stripes.
