Roof Rack (4 Viewers)

[yknot123]

Copy that. I'm a left-coaster and don't have to deal with road salt, so I may not see what others see, corrosion-wise. There is a smidgen of rust around some of the stamped steel mounting plates where the stainless steel bolt heads engage, but I've had the rack on and off many times, so it's not unexpected to chip the paint.

Retail cost of the big ARB in aluminum is over the $1k mark even before adding the rain gutter attachment kit (~$1100 + ~$230). But, you might find deal that will keep you close to your target budget.

Wind noise is increased with the basket-type ARB, but not by much. Never any annoying whistling or humming, just a slight uptick in the overall noise level. Can't say I notice it, really.

The ARB top rail is 1", same as Yakima load bars. I have used some of the Yakima clamps for attaching odd-n-ends - nice to have that compatibility.

The mesh floor is a big deal for my use...easy to walk on and sleep on with a normal Thermarest or foam pad, and I don't have to worry about cargo slipping out or dipping down and contacting the roof.

It's cool you get to ponder so many good options...wasn't always like this.

Lots of really nice rigs and roof top options. Things have definitely involved over time as what to do with all that space on top of our rig. Family of four and we camped, climbed, skied, mtn biked, cross country all four directions.
As you can see from my cover photo we went with old school options and modern fiberglass.
Changing from different sports to growing kids this worked out simple.
The on top system had the following
4- Yakima bars into rain gutter.
1- Large yakima box
4-Yakima bike trays.
This setup can carry majority camp gear, Light weight as much as possible in box. 4 MTN Bikes, 1 burly, on Cross country trips.
In the winter with bigger ski trips we swap bike racks with ski racks.
Kids have grown with my daughter driving and had her drive by graduation this week in the land cruiser.
The "Beast" as it is known at school, is down to box and 2 bars.
Last couple years no box and no bars.
Sharing a short history and glory of our 80 since we purchased when daughter was 1, 2003.

 

[CanVanLX96]

Lots of really nice rigs and roof top options. Things have definitely involved over time as what to do with all that space on top of our rig. Family of four and we camped, climbed, skied, mtn biked, cross country all four directions.
As you can see from my cover photo we went with old school options and modern fiberglass.
Changing from different sports to growing kids this worked out simple.
The on top system had the following
4- Yakima bars into rain gutter.
1- Large yakima box
4-Yakima bike trays.
This setup can carry majority camp gear, Light weight as much as possible in box. 4 MTN Bikes, 1 burly, on Cross country trips.
In the winter with bigger ski trips we swap bike racks with ski racks.
Kids have grown with my daughter driving and had her drive by graduation this week in the land cruiser.
The "Beast" as it is known at school, is down to box and 2 bars.
Last couple years no box and no bars.
Sharing a short history and glory of our 80 since we purchased when daughter was 1, 2003.

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View attachment 2328650

that's really cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ZackR]

I went with the super basic Yakima load bars since they can installed/removed in only a few minutes. I use these to haul stand up paddle boards, roof top tent, skis, or the canoe. I haven't hauled any gear however.

 

[Irish Reiver]

What about the racks that @TRAIL TAILOR makes? Another mud member. I have his low profile expedition rack and love it.

 

[NorCal97]

What about the racks that @TRAIL TAILOR makes? Another mud member. I have his low profile expedition rack and love it.

Yup, that's the real deal there. Super stout.

 

[Shipwreck]

I'm going to offer up a different suggestion based on the fact that you have 4 kids.

With 4 kids and 2 adults in the cruiser, you will have near zero room for camping gear and luggage inside. As the kids grow they will demand and require more space. This means that almost everything will have to go on your roof rack. It gets old really fast trying to lift everything up on top of the roof.
I understand that you may have a limited budget, may have limited storage space at home, but I would strongly suggest considering making the investment of a small offroad/utility trailer. I bought a used trailer for less than $800 over ten years ago and it was one of the best purchases I've made. It has made camping with the family so much easier and allowed us to add a canoe or bikes to our adventures. Trailers have increased in price and complexity since I bought mine, but deals are still out there if you are patient and willing to search.
...Just a suggestion...

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

What about the racks that @TRAIL TAILOR makes? Another mud member. I have his low profile expedition rack and love it.

Yup, that's the real deal there. Super stout.

Thank you for the kind words guys. As most know we make racks on a custom order basis only at a competitive price.

J

 

[ZackR]

I'm going to offer up a different suggestion based on the fact that you have 4 kids.

With 4 kids and 2 adults in the cruiser, you will have near zero room for camping gear and luggage inside. As the kids grow they will demand and require more space. This means that almost everything will have to go on your roof rack. It gets old really fast trying to lift everything up on top of the roof.
I understand that you may have a limited budget, may have limited storage space at home, but I would strongly suggest considering making the investment of a small offroad/utility trailer. I bought a used trailer for less than $800 over ten years ago and it was one of the best purchases I've made. It has made camping with the family so much easier and allowed us to add a canoe or bikes to our adventures. Trailers have increased in price and complexity since I bought mine, but deals are still out there if you are patient and willing to search.
...Just a suggestion...

View attachment 2328710

I highly recommend this option as well, especially if you bring a lot of stuff.

 

[izzyandsue]

Being in CLT, you are welcome to check what I have, the BajaRack Full size. If you dont need the super sleek ones, or a RTT style, a basket is a good deal.

 

[rex in bama]

I went with the super basic Yakima load bars since they can installed/removed in only a few minutes. I use these to haul stand up paddle boards, roof top tent, skis, or the canoe. I haven't hauled any gear however.

Second this - the 1a towers have always been my go to on the 80. That said, just ordered the the rhino rack pioneer for the gx because the functionality is awesome. Looking forward to putting it to use.

 

[ZCissner]

Second this - the 1a towers have always been my go to on the 80. That said, just ordered the the rhino rack pioneer for the gx because the functionality is awesome. Looking forward to putting it to use.

you are going to love it

 

[yknot123]

I'm going to offer up a different suggestion based on the fact that you have 4 kids.

With 4 kids and 2 adults in the cruiser, you will have near zero room for camping gear and luggage inside. As the kids grow they will demand and require more space. This means that almost everything will have to go on your roof rack. It gets old really fast trying to lift everything up on top of the roof.
I understand that you may have a limited budget, may have limited storage space at home, but I would strongly suggest considering making the investment of a small offroad/utility trailer. I bought a used trailer for less than $800 over ten years ago and it was one of the best purchases I've made. It has made camping with the family so much easier and allowed us to add a canoe or bikes to our adventures. Trailers have increased in price and complexity since I bought mine, but deals are still out there if you are patient and willing to search.
...Just a suggestion...

View attachment 2328710

Love your rig and a lucky dad with a young daughter. I was not clear that we had a total of 4 family members. 2 kids and 2 adults. This allowed just enough room in the vehicle over the years for heavy items. Now the kids are almost adults. You know when they leave the house for college and you keep paying for them. Enjoy cruising and your daughter will be driving a cruiser soon enough. Ours went through both son and daughter driving without any issues.

 

[retrofive]

Being in CLT, you are welcome to check what I have, the BajaRack Full size. If you dont need the super sleek ones, or a RTT style, a basket is a good deal.

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Any rust? Seems many have complained over the years of poor powder coating and let to rust in the welds. That said I have always liked that rack.

 

[Box Rocket]

From my experience, the flat platform racks seem to be the best and most versatile. Rarely is anyone just tossing something up onto a roof rack without tying it down or securing it somehow, so the basket style racks really aren't necessary. There are so many ways to secure items to a platform rack these days.

Low profile is good to minimize drag......i guess, if it really matters with our bricks, er I mean trucks.

I have a Prinsu and it has been very good for my use. Has a tent mounted regularly, has hauled all kinds of stuff from plywood to 12' peices of steel and has been used as a photography platform with 5 guys standing on it. Its super light and wicked strong. The t-slot crossbars are versatile for tie downs and other aftermarket attachments. The Bowfin rack is a similar design and will work equally well. Those would be my top two choices.
IMG_0212 by Adam Tolman, on Flickr

 

[izzyandsue]

Any rust? Seems many have complained over the years of poor powder coating and let to rust in the welds. That said I have always liked that rack.

None in 5 years, and it gets a beating. Powder coating is great for looks, but for me not functional as it will scratch up eventually and raffle can follows.

 

[BILT4ME]

Go look in the classifieds above and find one. Maybe that will make your decision.

You're probably gonna have to power through the many threads and opinions, then make your best guess based on your needs.

You can always sell it if you don't like it because there's always someone looking for one.

 

[retrofive]

None in 5 years, and it gets a beating. Powder coating is great for looks, but for me not functional as it will scratch up eventually and raffle can follows.

That’s good to hear. Just remembered some issues at one point in time here

 

[izzyandsue]

That’s good to hear. Just remembered some issues at one point in time here

I remember reading about that too, powder coating issues. I got it because my truck is used as a off-road training tool, far from being my shiny pride and joy. But just like I read about powder coat issues with bumpers and sliders, my thinking is "I would be scratching the coating off on the first trail guiding trip!", so opted for just plain paint on all my armor, or no paint and I did it at home. But the rack has done great, places where we have tossed (as in thrown from the ground) PullPals, shovels, propane tanks, and other metal flotsam I just retouch with rattle can or whatever black I happen to have. So it is not perfect, but extremely functional for my needs. And I like the aesthetics of the basket config, the HiLift is easy to get to and it is my first go to tool to get vehicles unstuck anyway.

OK Auto used to have a great deal on them for Black Friday, with free shipping, hard to beat.

 

[jfz80]

@Ncrunner4x4 has a front runner rack for sale in your area btw

Official ONSC member buying/selling thread

Want to buy ..... Looking for a HD go-kart frame. Axles a plus.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[rolliges]

@skhochay and @NorCal97 Can you post pictures of your ARB racks.

I'd also like to know about rear spoiler clearance with the hatch open; what does it look like through the sunroof, and any noticeable milage decrease.

thx