MU-X build: RacksBrax installed

A vehicle-mounted awning is an awesome bit of kit to have on your 4x4, but for some users they may not be something they want to keep fitted to the car full-time.

If you’re only using your car for one camping trip a year, it might be worth removing the accessories from the roof rack to reduce fuel consumption and preserve them from UV damage or thieving hands.

Unbolting an awning is not a difficult job, but it’s a task made even easier with these quick-release mounting brackets from Aussie manufacturer RacksBrax.

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RacksBrax has developed a range of hitches to make mounting items like awnings, traction boards or fishing rod holders quick and easy, and by adding extra parts you can make swapping these rack-mounted accessories quick and easy.

Add another set of the mounts to your garage wall and you then have somewhere to store your gear when it’s not on the car.

RacksBrax come in HD and XD models to suit the different weights of selected accessories. For the Blockout 270° awning on the Rola Titan Tray on our MU-X, we went with a triple pack of the XD mounts that sells for $285 from the RacksBrax website. The site also has a handy guide to help you select the right hitches to suit your accessories.

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The RacksBrax basically have two parts: one that attaches to your awning (or other accessory) and the other to your roof rack. The two parts then come together to give a secure and lockable connection to fit the accessory to your car. They are adjustable for height and can be spaced along the length of the awning to suit your roof rack.

For our set-up we used the optional long foot brackets for the section that bolts to the roof rack. These extend across the rack to fasten on two of the rack’s mounting slats and spread the load of the weight.

Each of the brackets is rated to carry 20kg, while the OZtrail 270 weighs 27.1kg. A pair of MaxTrax Xtremes, like the ones we carry elsewhere on the roof rack, weigh 9kg and could also be carried on the RacksBrax hitch using a suitable mount.

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To remove the awning you simply unlock the mount using a key, pull the pins from the mounts, in our case all three of them, and lift the awning off the vehicle to put it away for storage.

RacksBrax also has neat covers that fit into the brackets to tidy the look up when there’s nothing attached to them.

I can unlock, disconnect, remove and refit the awning off the MU-X myself using the RacksBrax and there’s no messing about trying to hold it in place to line bolts up. I am 185cm tall, and it would probably be easier and safer with two people and a step for shorter folks.

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As mentioned, the hitches are lockable with included keylocks. These lock the hitch pins to the mount so that your accessory can’t be removed.

The RacksBrax hitches are manufactured solidly and look and feel to be durable. They are made with ’glass-reinforced nylon that is UV-stabilised to protect the products against the harsh Aussie sun while up on the roof of your 4x4. Best of all, they are made in Australia!

Pricing

• XD triple pack: $285
• XD long foot brackets (triple): $430

Available from: www.racksbrax.com