Analysis paralysis: roof racks.... tips, tricks, opinions, experiences. Discuss. (1 Viewer)

[DRANGED]

There are so many prinsu style racks for the GX470 now, I can’t make up my mind. I want something more streamlined compared to the rhinorack and front runner rack. Leaning towards a rokmen rokrax but this Sherpa equipment co rack looks sweet as well.

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Those are pretty cool and full coverage too, yeah there seem to be more racks available now....

How do people feel about all the those screw heads though... I think those designs are part of what made me think i could come up with a decent tray from 80/20, but fabbing side rails and coming up with tidy corners were cruxes (to me) for a fully DIY platform.


Maybe I(/we) need to compile a summary list with prices and sizes of racks for the 1st post... ?

 

[ADVFamilyHauler]

Those are pretty cool and full coverage too, yeah there seem to be more racks available now....

How do people feel about all the those screw heads though... I think those designs are part of what made me think i could come up with a decent tray from 80/20, but fabbing side rails and coming up with tidy corners were cruxes (to me) for a fully DIY platform.


Maybe I(/we) need to compile a summary list with prices and sizes of racks for the 1st post... ?

I don’t have an issue with all of the screw heads. Haven’t heard anything about them loosening. I just wish there was a simple kit where you could buy just the side rails and fairing for cheap and then buy the 80/20 separately.

 

[DRANGED]

I don’t have an issue with all of the screw heads. Haven’t heard anything about them loosening. I just wish there was a simple kit where you could buy just the side rails and fairing for cheap and then buy the 80/20 separately.

Yeah, copy that!
I called/emailed several racks to see if they sold siderails separately...of course it was a big fat negative. BUT, that's where the rhino-rack backbone comes in. You can get that (comparable price to gamiviti towers but better fore-aft load dispersion/equalizing) then build up off it, from there my mental wrestling came to clean corners and side treatments (clean platform perimeter without outside slots...again doable with extruded)
80/20 has some okay angled corners and some 1/4 round ones and again it'd be way better if one could just rifle through shelves of options vs flipping through pages of a catalogue online.

 

[DRANGED]

There's been discussion for how to put a roof box on platforms. Rhino (and others) make kits to put their crossbars on their trays/platforms, of course, but we want to mod stuff or accomplish the same on the lower co$t side. My solution here was fabbing something with unistrut (superstrut, whichever you have @ your hardware store) and it's hardware for comparatively cheap.
Unistrut camming nuts fit in the t-slots of aftermarket platforms and the 1/4" spacer plate stepped the 13/16" cannel up perfectly for my roof box's clamps to clamp the unistrut crossbars yet the box rests on the platform. win-win!

 

[GXO]

Don't back out!

 

[ADVFamilyHauler]

Decided to go with a Prinsu rack. Mounted a 42” Plano box to it and there is almost zero wind noise.

 

[DRANGED]

Decided to go with a Prinsu rack. Mounted a 42” Plano box to it and there is almost zero wind noise.

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Info on that box, it looks great!
FWIW, On the shade-tree mechanic/cheap side, HF's rifle box is super-couponned @ $99 now.

 

[Delux2769]

There's been discussion for how to put a roof box on platforms. Rhino (and others) make kits to put their crossbars on their trays/platforms, of course, but we want to mod stuff or accomplish the same on the lower co$t side. My solution here was fabbing something with unistrut (superstrut, whichever you have @ your hardware store) and it's hardware for comparatively cheap.
Unistrut camming nuts fit in the t-slots of aftermarket platforms and the 1/4" spacer plate stepped the 13/16" cannel up perfectly for my roof box's clamps to clamp the unistrut crossbars yet the box rests on the platform. win-win!

That's how we mount Thule boxes on RhinoRack platforms at work. I just have the customer buy the accessory crossbar, and then space them up about 1/2" with spare Thule Snowpack ski/snowboard carrier spacers. Have tons of them laying around the shop, as they are an unnecessary part in the box... Any Ski/Snowboard shop in the area should have plenty of the plastic spacers laying around they could give ya.

 

[RuggedBound]

We are a little late to the party - but considering the amount of great feedback on this thread we are happy to say: if you are looking for a no-compromise, welded, thick walled aluminum longitudinal rack with negligible wind noise and top & bottom M8 perimeter channels and a flat surface that you can through-bolt standard hardware to (long list - we know) that also has all custom extrusions purpose made for the rack (no off-the-shelf extrusions) .... and has 30 years in the African overland scene..

....We have a group buy at 25%-30% off just for you in the GXOR main forum.