60 Series Sherpa EC Rack (1 Viewer)

[Sloaner]

NEW PRODUCT

Hi everyone,

Posting on here about a new low profile rack option for the 60 series. While Sherpa has been making racks for 80, 100, and 200 series, they recently released a 60 series rack. I do not work for Sherpa, but I do work with them and utilize their products on a regular basis. I worked with them on my 60 because the 60 is definitely in need of more low profile and modern rack options. In the overlanding industry, Sherpa's racks are the most widely used and undoubtedly, one of the most durable racks on the market.

These racks are made start to finish, all in house, in Colorado. They are fantastic guys to work with. Here is some info and pictures of the rack on my 60:
- Price: $1599
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Dimensions: 92.5”x56-1/2”x2.25”
- Weight: ~ 65 lbs
- Load Capacity:
300 lbs. Dynamic
700 lbs. Static
- Materials:
1/4” thick aluminum side panels
3/16" steel gutter mounts
10 Aluminum extrusion crossbars
- Link: 60 series rack

I am not an affiliate, nor do I make money on the selling of the product- I am just supporting a local vendor and quality product. Let me know if you have any questions!

Cheers

 

[dbbowen]

the 60 is definitely in need of more low profile and modern rack options.

Looks nice. The gamiviti is still the lowest roof rack you can get for the 60

 

[Sloaner]

Looks nice. The gamiviti is still the lowest roof rack you can get for the 60

No doubt- Gamivity racks are great; they are right down the road from me.

Modularity on these will be a bit different since all 10 crossbars have t-tracks. Also just a different style for those who like side panel style racks.

 

[EnchiladaFrittata]

what are the long term upkeep/maintenance requirements for a rack system like this one?

 

[Godwin]

what are the long term upkeep/maintenance requirements for a rack system like this one?

Don't know about the racks of this thread. I'm running a Bowfin on my 60 and 80 and the maintenance is minimal, and the rack on my 60 gets a lot of use.

 

[EnchiladaFrittata]

Don't know about the racks of this thread. I'm running a Bowfin on my 60 and 80 and the maintenance is minimal, and the rack on my 60 gets a lot of use.

Bowfin! another option on my radar now. Thanks for your reply. Specifically curious because I'm a new LC/100 series owner. First SUV or truck ever actually. I'm trying to narrow down what I like best so I can take advantage of the presumed up and coming holiday discounts. The big bearded fella at the local installation shop seems to want to steer me more towards a front runner system. When asked what made him recommend that as opposed to something more like a dissent or sherpa system.. he told me long term maintenance on the frontrunner would be less.

(this same guy quoted me 8 hours of labor for a bolt on rock slider system so I'm just trying to get my finger on the pulse of what's actually what in the space.)

 

[dbbowen]

Bowfin! another option on my radar now. Thanks for your reply. Specifically curious because I'm a new LC/100 series owner. First SUV or truck ever actually. I'm trying to narrow down what I like best so I can take advantage of the presumed up and coming holiday discounts. The big bearded fella at the local installation shop seems to want to steer me more towards a front runner system. When asked what made him recommend that as opposed to something more like a dissent or sherpa system.. he told me long term maintenance on the frontrunner would be less.

(this same guy quoted me 8 hours of labor for a bolt on rock slider system so I'm just trying to get my finger on the pulse of what's actually what in the space.)

The reason i chose the gamiviti over a flat sided rack like these are side access. I can slide my hand in under the rack from the side to secure stuff to the rails or grab stuff. Also the Gamiviti is made from steel and i use magnets on mine a lot to attach lights, string lights, rope with string, etc from it when camping.

The downside to the open sides are that its harder to hide wires but i dont really have any wires up there to begin with. I dont leave my tent on top of my truck when its not in use really. I normally remove it between trips. The only thing that would make the gamiviti rack better would be some type of quick attach/detatch system for the towers so i could take the rack off too when im not using it. Im in the very small camp that does not like the way ANY roof rack looks on a 60.

Heres some images of mine.

with tent

without tent

back

 

[MDH33]

I agree with dbbowen and also have a Gamiviti. I think the side panel racks look neat, but accessing the underside for bolting things down seems like it would be impossible. And T tracks only work for for certain specific items. And what about clearing snow/ice, pine needles, etc? Seems like rain gutter rust waiting to happen.

 

[CruiserTrash]

@EnchiladaFrittata Taking 8 hours to install any roof rack on a 60 must include a couple lunch breaks, running some errands, and maybe a nap. Really any of these shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. I also have a Gamiviti and the owner of the company and I installed it in about 45 minutes - and I wasn’t doing much of the work. A second person is helpful just for lifting heavy stuff though.

The established rack businesses that are part of the community all make good stuff. I’ve seen plenty of the Bowfins up close and they’re really nice too. Different look than the Gamiviti, but not of lesser quality. Both companies are owned by dedicated Land Cruiser guys (not that the OP’s company isn’t - I’m not familiar with them. Like @MDH33 said the rain gutter rust thing concerns me on the racks with a side plate, but I don’t really have any evidence for that. Plenty of people seem to run them without issue.

At the end of the day I’ve used and abused my Gamiviti and have been super happy with it.

 

[dbbowen]

@EnchiladaFrittata Taking 8 hours to install any roof rack on a 60 must include a couple lunch breaks, running some errands, and maybe a nap. Really any of these shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. I also have a Gamiviti and the owner of the company and I installed it in about 45 minutes - and I wasn’t doing much of the work. A second person is helpful just for lifting heavy stuff though.

The established rack businesses that are part of the community all make good stuff. I’ve seen plenty of the Bowfins up close and they’re really nice too. Different look than the Gamiviti, but not of lesser quality. Both companies are owned by dedicated Land Cruiser guys (not that the OP’s company isn’t - I’m not familiar with them. Like @MDH33 said the rain gutter rust thing concerns me on the racks with a side plate, but I don’t really have any evidence for that. Plenty of people seem to run them without issue.

At the end of the day I’ve used and abused my Gamiviti and have been super happy with it.
View attachment 3747795

Same for me. My Gamiviti went on in about 30 minutes solo. I just put a blanket on the roof and slid it up there. It’s really light weight

 

[Godwin]

@EnchiladaFrittata some of the uses I've found with the Bowfin Bowfin rack on 60 series - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/bowfin-rack-on-60-series.1285920/

 

[Sloaner]

what are the long term upkeep/maintenance requirements for a rack system like this one?

Good question- there really shouldn’t be any long term maintenance on these. IMO it should be the same for most racks. If you need to replace any bolts or rubber feet, these can be purchased on their website pretty easily.

 

[Sloaner]

Bowfin! another option on my radar now. Thanks for your reply. Specifically curious because I'm a new LC/100 series owner. First SUV or truck ever actually. I'm trying to narrow down what I like best so I can take advantage of the presumed up and coming holiday discounts. The big bearded fella at the local installation shop seems to want to steer me more towards a front runner system. When asked what made him recommend that as opposed to something more like a dissent or sherpa system.. he told me long term maintenance on the frontrunner would be less.

(this same guy quoted me 8 hours of labor for a bolt on rock slider system so I'm just trying to get my finger on the pulse of what's actually what in the space.)

If a rack takes 8 hours to put on, that’s a huge issue these racks are quite easy to install. Easiest if you have a friend to lift it on each side, but not too heavy to do by yourself. This isn’t a job I would hire someone to do for you

 

[Sloaner]

I agree with dbbowen and also have a Gamiviti. I think the side panel racks look neat, but accessing the underside for bolting things down seems like it would be impossible. And T tracks only work for for certain specific items. And what about clearing snow/ice, pine needles, etc? Seems like rain gutter rust waiting to happen.

View attachment 3747764

Like the gamivity rack, the Sherpa rack has gutter mounted feet, so the side plate isn’t touching the gutter. No need to worry about rust. With that, still pretty easy to get your hand under crossbars for mounting, or you can remove the side plate if really necessary since it’s not structural

 

[Sloaner]

@EnchiladaFrittata Taking 8 hours to install any roof rack on a 60 must include a couple lunch breaks, running some errands, and maybe a nap. Really any of these shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. I also have a Gamiviti and the owner of the company and I installed it in about 45 minutes - and I wasn’t doing much of the work. A second person is helpful just for lifting heavy stuff though.

The established rack businesses that are part of the community all make good stuff. I’ve seen plenty of the Bowfins up close and they’re really nice too. Different look than the Gamiviti, but not of lesser quality. Both companies are owned by dedicated Land Cruiser guys (not that the OP’s company isn’t - I’m not familiar with them. Like @MDH33 said the rain gutter rust thing concerns me on the racks with a side plate, but I don’t really have any evidence for that. Plenty of people seem to run them without issue.

At the end of the day I’ve used and abused my Gamiviti and have been super happy with it.
View attachment 3747795

Definitely a good rack and great company. Like the gamivity rack, the Sherpa has gutter mounted feet, so the side plate doesn’t touch the gutter. Just bolts onto the crossbars

 

[matmattmatthew]

I have a Sherpa rack on my Tundra and on my Smart cap topper. I bought generic T-slot hardware and was able to fit my roof top tent, water tank and awning on a recent road trip with minimal hassle. I'm happy to see them offering it for the 60 series, I will probably get it for my 62 when I put it back together. I would love to see pics of the rack with the LED fairing on a 60 series before ordering. I know it won't look "period" correct but it seems like a good option for guys doing "resto-mod" builds.

 

[dbbowen]

I have a Sherpa rack on my Tundra and on my Smart cap topper. I bought generic T-slot hardware and was able to fit my roof top tent, water tank and awning on a recent road trip with minimal hassle. I'm happy to see them offering it for the 60 series, I will probably get it for my 62 when I put it back together. I would love to see pics of the rack with the LED fairing on a 60 series before ordering. I know it won't look "period" correct but it seems like a good option for guys doing "resto-mod" builds.

My experience with lights up on the rack is just glare off the hood. After i tried it with my firstgen 4runner I only mount lights below the hood line now. My trucks are white though so that might have something to do with it haha

 

[CruiserTrash]

My experience with lights up on the rack is just glare off the hood. After i tried it with my firstgen 4runner I only mount lights below the hood line now. My trucks are white though so that might have something to do with it haha

But lights on the roof rack look so badass! I’ve never done it because I’ve heard about glare off the hood. I guess for high speed desert racing it might work since the lights are pointed so far down the road. Average night driving on pavement or the trail they’d probably have to be angled downwards towards the hood too much though.

 

[dbbowen]

But lights on the roof rack look so badass! I’ve never done it because I’ve heard about glare off the hood. I guess for high speed desert racing it might work since the lights are pointed so far down the road. Average night driving on pavement or the trail they’d probably have to be angled downwards towards the hood too much though.

I had combo spot/floods on the top of my 4runner for like a month and took it off. Ended up running them on my front bumper and some pods behind my grille. They do sure look cool up there but for me it killed my night vision