Hi Frenchy !
Great post indeed !
Would make it difficult to load that barrel full.
But surely overhead-lifting 300lbs is easy? 
Back in the day when I had a strong back and a weak mind it was easy. Now, both are just weak. 
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That will never work!
The problem is not to load the barrel full and the other stuff.
The problem is the weight is too much to be supported by the roof.
It seems to me rather unreliable.
Is the roof only made of shaped/glued canvas or is there some supporting structure beneath it?
My gut feeling is that a canvas only roof could cave in just from the weight of snow.
If the roof actually has some kind of internal framing it still needs to transfer the weight down to the chassis. This would need some kind of internal pillars since the frames between the windows are rather thin.
The weight distribution, center of gravity, is a bigger problem. If those jerry cans and the barrel are full (they could be transporting empties for all I know) the center of gravity will be rather high which could pose problems during off road driving and at speed in corners on level roads.
Looking at the link, it appears to have some bracing and with a rack, I think can hold more weight then we give it credit. Either way the modeler can choose as Dan pointed out to leave it off.
Anecdote about transporting empty barrels:
An excavator and truck owner who helped us with some jobs when I was a kid told us about his interactions with the Swedish police (overloaded truck …). Once he spotted them in time and managed to turn into the yard of the local concrete company (they made and sold concrete pipes and delivered ready mixed concrete). He’d rather tip off his overweight load of sand in their yard than get it weighed by the police (sand is cheap, fines are expensive).
Another time they thought they had caught him with an overload since they could see that the load of planks he was carrying was 1 foot above the (high, with extensions) sides of the load bed. Such a high load of planks must be a significant overload so they pull him over. They start weighing the truck and can’t get the sums to add up correctly. They try a few times but simply can not get it to add up to an overload. After a while they ask him about the load. He answers that the bed is filled with empty barrels and the load of planks are on top to make it easier to tie down the load .
“But why didn’t you tell us from the beginning?!?!?”
“You said you wanted to weigh my truck and I had no objections …”
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Just simply remove the top by cutting it off and make your own top with or without the roof rack.
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I would agree completely . The only issue is weight . Also attach the rack mounting points to the top of the vehicle side and not the roof itself
Just playing devil’s advocate here but the US Dodge Carryall also had a canvas roof insert. It also had metal around the edges and framing members that passed under the canvas and supported it.
I suggest you build some sort of rooftop wooden framework/deck and add the handrails to that.
Capt. Herman Wall 165th Signal Photo Company during training in San Antonio, TX. prior to D-Day. (My private collection ~ All Rights Reserved)
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Chris - vehicle design in this era is/was still too early for roof racks attached to “drip rails”.
I never said drip rails. Structurally the vehicle should be able to support a rack mount , just not directly on the top as was originally inquired about
Was the entire roof wood framed canvas like on the Ford '32 Woodie or did it have sheet metal around the curved edges with just a flat canvas insert on top?
I just added this kit to my stash. The way I see it is that it’s just a fun kit. Does there need to be a prototype? Maybe the barrels are full of hot air!! Sometimes I think we tend to over think these things.
bruce
To each his/her own but to me even am imaginary “paper panzer” model still has to obey the laws of gravity, proper structure and common sense.
Maquette is totally correct in posing this question.
One other thought. That is a workshop truck. I’m sure the crew would be capable of welding additional framework, inside, to support a roof rack.
I can see a rack that would carry light items but no 55 gal drums…
