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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86  
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Due to the weather things have been a little delayed. The first of four boxes finally arrived today and as luck would have it this box was the main rack. The box looked a little worse for wear but the parts inside were mostly good to go. There was a couple small spots that the black had been worn off but nothing big nor to really worry about. I bet I do more damage myself putting stuff up there once mounted.
Here is how the box looked.  Click image to enlarge Inside parts boxes Click image to enlarge The rack went together nicely. I have everything together without loctite at this point. My plan is to put all the roof mount bits on and mount the rack to make sure everything lines up properly. Then I will go around and loctite and tighten everything. Will also wait for final adjustment of the extra crossbars for when I mount some ROAM cases. The light mounts will get moved into final position once the rack is on the roof. Included picture just to show what it all looks like and how it fits together. Here is the progress so far. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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25th Jan 2024 3:30am |
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| Lightwater Member Since: 28 Jun 2020 Location: Sydney NB Posts: 72 
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The cheapskates usually screw the platforms, at least that was my experience with the Rhino rack, together with zinc plated screws. Replace with 316 stainless steel. Nyloc nuts save a lot of fluffing about.
Any screws going directly into the car, use hot dipped galvanized, not zinc plated. If you have to use stainless, wrap with teflon gas plumbing tape (gas teflon tape, yellow, is not only thicker, it is more dense). Visitor - Freelander owner |
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25th Jan 2024 5:58am |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Thanks for the advice and information.
At this point I am starting to think this is going to be a very slow process. Apparently customs is going to clear one box per week. Four boxes total with two delivered. A week between them. So it is looking like it will take a month to get the whole order. Today the aero conversion kit arrived. Still waiting on the floor panels and most importantly the vehicle mounting parts. Put a couple more bits together just to see how it is fitting together. Fit and finish are very nice. Aero front mounting points Click image to enlarge Added a Camel Trophy decal to the aero front. Click image to enlarge |
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30th Jan 2024 12:30am |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 139 
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My wife gave my a Porsche 911 advent calendar this year. One little door per day with Porsche model parts (actually big door for an advent calendar as it's a 1:18 model). The most fun I've had with an advent calendar since I was a kid.
If you try to adopt that mindset - roof rack advent calendar - you might even come to enjoy the customs delays. 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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31st Jan 2024 4:50pm |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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I had a good laugh with this. We buy our kids advent calendars every year. That would definitely make this waiting game more fun. I am hopeful that the final package will be here soon.
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31st Jan 2024 10:36pm |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Well the humor is starting to fade. I am still waiting on the fourth box and as luck would have it that box contains the mounting kit. So u until it arrives there is no more progress to be made. Coming up on a month since it was shipped and as of this evening fedEx is not sure where it is. Said the last time it was seen it was at customs but they are not sure if it is still there or why it has not processed through. So they will open an investigation tomorrow into its location and hopefully before the end of the week I will have an answer as to location and progress. Fingers crossed it is found or that it was insured. The rack is ready for installation as soon as the mounting bits arrive. Put on the floor plates. Planning on a rear access ladder and roof cases so put the platforms so I can access the middle between the cases.
Click image to enlarge |
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6th Feb 2024 6:45am |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 139
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Sorry to hear that. I know how it is. I had a package from the UK (to the EU) that took 11 weeks to clear customs!!! In the meantime I'd wasted countless hours on the phone with DHL. The high point in my correspondence with DHL came when an agent told me that the package had been seized by customs, that I could not file a claim with the shipping insurance as the package had not been lost but seized, and that I had no legal recourse whatsoever. All my explaining that it was simply a radiator duct for my Land Rover and not contraband of any sort and that government agencies could not simply make items disappear made zero impression on this chick. 2 days later the package showed up out of the blue.
And the same money that funded the idiocy that is Brexit is also funding the magas... 
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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10th Feb 2024 3:33pm |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Sounds like I am reliving your experience. I have never had issues with customs before but for some reason this time a box of metal parts is a big issue. I too have spend a bunch of time on the phone with FedEx and honestly I am convinced at this point the FedEx agent has no clue where the package is or what is going on. I was told it cleared customs a while ago and is sitting in the Memphis hub to then be called and asked for a description of the package so they could find it. I explained I had never seen the box so was unsure exactly the size, color, contents count, and so on but gave them a general description based on the three other boxes that had been delivered. I also asked why they needed the description since they said they knew where it was already. To which I was told they were just confirming. Two days later a new person called wanting the same information. At that point I was told it was not lost as it had been scanned the day before and until it was not scanned for seven days it was not lost. I asked if you are scanning it how is it that you need a description as you have it if you can scan it. But wait now the system does weird things at times but I was assured it would be located and delivered in the next couple days. The next day I get notification on the tracking site that it has cleared customs and an agent calls to tell me it has finally cleared customs. What??? Wait you told me it had already cleared. Now they say it will deliver soon. Guess we will see if this information is any more reliable than all previous info. Good times.
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10th Feb 2024 3:53pm |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Let the saga continue. Exactly one month to the day the final of the four packages has arrived. I would be excited except FedEx lost almost everything in the package. There are six total mounting feet and associated mounting hardware. All gone except one center section of the mounting feet. Box might as well have been empty. Honestly I thought it was at first. Given the Prospeed customer service so far I am not worried just a pain for all to have to make it right. So the wait starts again.
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13th Feb 2024 1:37am |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 139
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RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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25th Feb 2024 1:43pm |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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The final box finally arrived and all was there and good. So I was finally able to complete the install. First step was getting the mounting feet mounted which consists of three sections per side. The front two bolts under the ditch finisher have to be removed which are the dreaded loctite bolts into rivnuts. I went slow and used a micro torch to heat them which worked out great. All four came out fine. Sealant and spacers applied and mounting pucks inserted into factory rails made for a secure base on both sides.
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Following the mounting hardware install it was time to put the rack on top. I had no help so I used a rope and pulley to hoist the rack up on one side. Then I lifted the other side up manually and set it on the roof mounts. Slowly slid it into place while lowering the rope down until the rack was in place. Worked perfect. You can still see the rope attached on the left side. Click image to enlarge Attached the rack to the mounts with provided hardware measuring to ensure it was in the correct location. All the bolts go through the square brackets which clamp to the rack then the bolt extend through a slot in the mount that is secured with a washer and nut. There are ten of these five per side. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Finally installed the aero front parts into the rack mounting locations. Did not get good pictures of this but here is just before and then the finished product. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Overall I am impressed with the rack. Very sold and well built. I drove with it mounted before I put the aero front on just so I could hear the difference which was noticeably different. The aero front makes a big difference in reducing wind noise. I do have the fabric roof so it is noisier to start but is not bad even on the freeway at 75 mph. |
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28th Feb 2024 12:59am |
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| Moo Member Since: 01 Oct 2021 Location: UK Posts: 1399 
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Looks good.
I’m impressed with the work in progress to hide the colour…. Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy. |
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28th Feb 2024 1:22am |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Haha thanks.
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28th Feb 2024 4:20am |
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| ODPA Member Since: 06 Jul 2023 Location: Northwest Posts: 86
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Now that the rack is done I could finally get the lights mounted. Four Baja Design LP6 Pro LED light pods. Outer two are driving combo and the inside 2 are spot. Should make a nice mix of light once completed. All that is left is the connection to the SPod I just ran out of time for today. Did test out the rack too when I climbed on top to hook up the lights. Very stable and the floor insert made for a nice platform.
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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8th Mar 2024 7:21pm |
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