Buying guide
Tradie roof rack buying guide for utes and vans
Short answer
For trade work, Wedgetail makes three racks: Wedgetail Trade (powder coated aluminium platform), Commercial Max (galvanised steel platform) and Trade Max (crossbars), and they differ on load, warranty and accessories such as ladder locks, conduit carriers, rollers and beacon plates. Wedgetail Trade is rated 100 or 150 kg dynamic (warranty 5 years), Commercial Max 100 or 150 kg dynamic (warranty 1 year) and Trade Max 50 or 100 kg dynamic on most kits (warranty 5 years on most). Every one is 100% off-road rated to its full rating.
Facts from Wedgetail product data, updated .
- Wedgetail Trade
- Aluminium platform, warranty 5 years
- Commercial Max
- Galvanised steel platform, warranty 1 year
- Trade Max
- Crossbars, warranty 5 years on most kits
- Off-road
- 100% of the rating on all three
The three trade racks side by side
| Wedgetail Trade | Commercial Max | Trade Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Platform | Platform | Crossbar kits (one to four bars) |
| Material | Powder coated aluminium with glass reinforced nylon | Galvanised steel, powder coated | Powder coated aluminium with glass reinforced nylon, or zinc plated steel on rail mount kits |
| Listed mostly for | Vans, plus EGR Gen 2 canopy and Caddy Storage service body fitments | Vans, utes, wagons and Caddy Storage service bodies | Vans, plus a few utes and Isuzu N and F Series trucks |
| Wind deflector | Included | Included | Not included |
| Suits | Ladders, conduit and mixed tools with one platform | Heavy daily use, steel build, boat roller option | Lighter loads and ladders on slides, the lowest price |
Load, warranty and price
Load: Wedgetail Trade is rated 100 or 150 kg dynamic depending on the fitment, Commercial Max 100 or 150 kg dynamic and Trade Max 50 or 100 kg dynamic on most kits; each kit lists its own figure. Static is 3.5 x the dynamic rating on all three, and none is derated off-road, so the figure holds on a site track.
Price (RRP inc GST): Wedgetail Trade $1,795 to $2,570, Commercial Max $1,155 to $5,200 and Trade Max $230 to $1,400. The spread in each range comes from vehicle size, platform length and mount.
Warranty: set per solution. The table shows the usual figure for each range and the exceptions.
| Range | Warranty | Exceptions | Solutions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Max | 1 year | 5 years on 1 solution | 211 |
| Oval Steel | 5 years | 3 years on 6 solutions | 143 |
| Trade Max | 5 years | 3 years on 2 solutions | 72 |
| Wedgetail Adventure | 10 years | 5 years on 1 solution | 139 |
| Wedgetail Core | 3 years | Same on every solution | 11 |
| Wedgetail Trade | 5 years | Same on every solution | 60 |
Ladder, conduit, roller and beacon plate accessories
| Accessory | Wedgetail Trade | Commercial Max | Trade Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladder | Ladder lock kit, ladder strap kit, ladder buffers, Technician ladder slide adaption kit | Safeclamp ladder clamp pair | Parallel ladder slide with roller or tapered ladder slide with roller |
| Conduit | 150 mm conduit carrier, top mount | 100 mm conduit carrier or 150 mm conduit carrier | None listed |
| Rollers | None listed as a separate accessory | Single roller or double roller | Single roller kit or double roller kit |
| Beacon plate | Top mount or side mount | Beacon plate or offset beacon plate | None listed |
| Tie downs | Ratchet strap kit, side tie down points | Universal tie down kit | Straps on the bars |
Commercial Max and Oval Steel also take a removable boat roller pair. For a dedicated ladder setup on a van, the Technician ladder rack is a Wedgetail sub brand; it has no wind deflector. All accessories are in the accessories range.
Ute or van
- Work van: all three ranges are listed for the common vans. Pick Trade Max bars for light loads and ladders on slides, a Wedgetail Trade or Commercial Max platform for ladders, conduit and pipe. See the van roof rack buying guide.
- Ute with a canopy or service body: Wedgetail Trade lists EGR Gen 2 canopy and Caddy Storage service body racks, and Commercial Max lists Caddy Storage service body racks. Long loads run the length of the tray.
- Ute cab roof: Commercial Max, Oval Steel and the Wedgetail Adventure and Core platforms are listed for ute cabs. See best roof rack for a tradie ute and the ute roof rack buying guide.
- Electricians: the conduit carriers above suit cable and conduit runs; see roof rack for an electrician's ute.
Aluminium or steel
Aluminium (Wedgetail Trade) is lighter, which leaves more of the vehicle's roof limit for the load. Galvanised steel (Commercial Max) suits rough, abrasive daily loads. The trade-offs are set out in aluminium vs steel roof racks and range by range in Wedgetail Trade vs Commercial Max vs Trade Max.
Fleets
For a fleet, list the vehicle models and years, cab or roof height, any canopy or service body, and the loads each crew carries; keeping one range across the fleet means one set of accessories for every vehicle. 134 stockists sell and fit Wedgetail, and racks are fitted on site at the factory in Bayswater VIC. See commercial roof racks for a fleet and where to buy.
Video
Questions people ask
Which Wedgetail rack carries ladders?
All three. Wedgetail Trade uses a ladder lock kit, Commercial Max a Safeclamp ladder clamp pair and Trade Max a ladder slide with a roller.
Aluminium Wedgetail Trade or steel Commercial Max?
Aluminium Wedgetail Trade for a lighter rack, with a warranty of 5 years; galvanised steel Commercial Max for a steel build, with a warranty of 1 year.
When are Trade Max bars enough?
When the load is light or is mostly ladders on slides. Trade Max is rated 50 or 100 kg dynamic on most kits, against 100 or 150 kg dynamic for Wedgetail Trade, and costs $230 to $1,400 RRP inc GST.
Do I need a roller for ladders?
It makes solo loading easier. Rollers are listed for Commercial Max (single or double) and Trade Max (single or double roller kit).
Is a wind deflector included?
Yes on Wedgetail Trade and Commercial Max. Trade Max crossbar kits and the Technician ladder rack do not include one.
What do I need to know to quote a fleet?
The model and year of each vehicle, the cab type or roof height, any canopy or service body, and what each crew carries. Every Wedgetail stockist sells and fits.