It has been a while but I remember doing my trip across AU up through the Kimberleys and down the west coast, and finding many of the tracks littered with fiberglass canopies, cheap trailers and aluminium roof racks, with regard to the last one, there is aluminium and then there is aluminium, these days the varieties of aluminium are even greater, some weld good some weld not so good off course this still also depends on the skill of the operator. I had an aluminium rack on my truck at the time with a boat on the top but it was a name brand rack and I paid for the privilege, but I finished the trip without issue.
It all comes down to homework, particularly on the more expensive items and something that can absolutely ruin your day if it fails, you already know the comment the poor man pays twice, if you go into a transaction armed with all the info you can gain you are much better off, if companies won't give you info, simply don't buy.
