Roof Mounted Tube Carrier

The client is an established manufacturer of aftermarket vehicle accessories. Among other products, the company is well known for its rooftop tube carriers, for transporting long items such as copper piping and electrical conduit. The client commissioned Hillside Product Design to devise a new tube carrier design to replace their existing product, which after a long and distinguished life in service, was beginning to lose ground to rival products. The client’s key criteria were for a product that was fresh, stylish, secure and inexpensive in order to regain market share.

The project began with initial sketches and ideas presented to the client, followed by a selection of concepts developed as CAD models. The main considerations of this project included the locking mechanism, which needed to be weatherproof and able to endure constant outdoor exposure, the strength of the product in withstanding standard crash testing and maximising the internal volume. 

The final design was selected and developed using CAD and rapid prototypes. Hillside Product Design arranged manufacture of the parts and assisted the client in subsequent on-vehicle testing and certification at independent testing to coincide with a phase-out from the current product the new product using JIT and zero stock principles