opinions on roof rack: dissent versus front runner (1 Viewer)

[hatchethead]

I think it's time that I upgrade my roof rack, and I want advice from the LC hive mind on my options.

I run a 2004 100-series with a narrow Thule box and a kayak rack on the stock roof rack. These two things take up most of the room up there. Sometimes, I want to add a water reservoir for a shower. This makes for a cramped roof. Now, I want to add an awning (ideally, a Bush Co 270 awning, but I haven't decided, yet). My stock roof rack cannot accommodate all this.

So I'm thinking about upgrading my OEM roof rack with an aftermarket rack. I am weighing the dissent rack, which is beautiful and hardy (aluminum with great static and dynamic load ratings), and a front runner rack (the slimsport -- which has a look that I like -- is out of stock but the slimline -- which is boxier than I like -- is in stock) is less expensive and local.

I'm neither made of money (the dissent rack, even before shipping, is expensive) nor do I hit the forest roads and rugged trails too often or with huge loads on the roof. (No RTT for me!). Will the Front Runner slimsport do what I need a roof rack to do, or should I invest in the dissent?

Please share your experiences for the benefit of all.

 

[hoser]

I would choose the lowest profile rack and the quietest rack..... and I don't think the Slimline is it. However, Slimline can store a table below the rack and that is pretty nice. See if you can score the Black Friday deal on the slimsport even though it is out of stock. I do have the Dissent Rack on my 200. It's nice. No complaints. Both the Slimsport and Dissent will do what you are asking. Personally, I wouldn't store water on top... simply because it can be stored somewhere else. Awning and Kayak can't.

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

My opinion take it or leave it is I really dont like the erector set style roof racks like the Dissent, Slimsport, Prinsu etc. I had a Prinsu a while back and while it was a good rack I think they are ugly and not really all that strong. You can definitely bend a side rail if you attached something to it and they just look "homemade". If you were to get a Frontrunner the Slimline II looks like a lot better rack. I have an ARB base rack on my 100 and other than the 2 mounting brackets the rack is 1 solid piece. Its also super low profile if that matters to you.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

I owned a Frontrunner Slimline II on my 100 series, and wouldn't buy another. I was disappointed with the finish (powder coat began to deteriorate on several components after less than 1 year). I was also disappointed with the lack of quality of a number of the accessories that I got from frontrunner: The ski racks were garbage quality (ended up building a better one with 80/20 aluminum). The expedition rails were also pretty poor quality, in that they didn't fit the rack without cutting, and required additional shimming to make them fit snuggly.

For my 200 series, I've ordered the Dissent rack, and I've been waiting (somewhat impatiently now) for delivery for several months...I'm looking forward to receiving it, as everything I've ordered over the years from Dissent is top notch.

 

[Mike NXP]

I'm sure both options will do what you need it to do but there is something about these style racks that just don't do it for me. I don't the slotted rail / bolt together style design. They seem more of a DIY put it together style rack. Going to go out an a limb here and assume, made in China? I'm sure is great for modular accessories that a lot of people have, and will work great for your use case too, but it's just not for me.

I prefer a more tubular style , classic rack. Welded steel, made in America. In my biased opinion Gamiviti is the most flexible option on the market. He can build it differently based on your needs but mine is a tube rack in the front and rear with a drop basket in the middle. The tubes can also accommodate a grid panel for when I want a flat space to pack on to. I have strapped just about anything I need to up there with room to spare. The grab handle "upside down" style rack is a huge plus when standing up on a tire and getting up there.

It took me a while to cross over and invest all this money in a roof rack. Honestly you may want to look into finding 2 more OEM cross bars and just strap your stuff to an OEM style rack. Those cross bars are really strong, before I threw mine out I jumped up and down on them with no issues.

Here it is with the full size water port tank, chainsaw max trax, dry bags and chairs

Water tank removed and shovels and wood installed

 

[hoser]

My opinion take it or leave it is I really dont like the erector set style roof racks like the Dissent, Slimsport, Prinsu etc. I had a Prinsu a while back and while it was a good rack I think they are ugly and not really all that strong. You can definitely bend a side rail if you attached something to it and they just look "homemade". If you were to get a Frontrunner the Slimline II looks like a lot better rack. I have an ARB base rack on my 100 and other than the 2 mounting brackets the rack is 1 solid piece. Its also super low profile if that matters to you.

Some good points. I also have an African Outback rack which is similar to the Frontrunner Slimline. Thinking about it some more.... I would give more consideration to the proposed Bush Co 270 degree awning. These awnings deploy with 6ft+ long arms that are freestanding/unsupported. I can see big winds picking up in the middle of the night. I would choose the heavier duty rack of the two, which is the Slimline. The ARB base also seems like a good choice but I have not seen one up close to compare.

 

[hatchethead]

I'm sure both options will do what you need it to do but there is something about these style racks that just don't do it for me. I don't the slotted rail / bolt together style design. They seem more of a DIY put it together style rack. Going to go out an a limb here and assume, made in China? I'm sure is great for modular accessories that a lot of people have, and will work great for your use case too, but it's just not for me.

I prefer a more tubular style , classic rack. Welded steel, made in America. In my biased opinion Gamiviti is the most flexible option on the market. He can build it differently based on your needs but mine is a tube rack in the front and rear with a drop basket in the middle. The tubes can also accommodate a grid panel for when I want a flat space to pack on to. I have strapped just about anything I need to up there with room to spare. The grab handle "upside down" style rack is a huge plus when standing up on a tire and getting up there.

It took me a while to cross over and invest all this money in a roof rack. Honestly you may want to look into finding 2 more OEM cross bars and just strap your stuff to an OEM style rack. Those cross bars are really strong, before I threw mine out I jumped up and down on them with no issues.

Here it is with the full size water port tank, chainsaw max trax, dry bags and chairs
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Water tank removed and shovels and wood installed

View attachment 3492689

View attachment 3492696

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View attachment 3492695

Beautiful set-up. Thanks for sharing this. My short-term solution WAS to find a couple more OEM cross-bars, but my attempts to find them have struck out. Maybe I need to keep looking.

 

[dogdaysindurham]

For your use case, I think Gamiviti would be a wonderful choice! Plus they now offer a ton of accessories. I have bought some other stuff from Gamiviti and it has been top notch fit and finish.

I have a Gen 1 Dissent Rack and prefer this look for my roof rack. I think it's a bit different from Prinsu and other racks, as it has the angled side profile. I don't believe the Dissent Rack uses 80/20 extrusions for the load bars or as frames but rather these more custom aluminum ones and stainless steel brackets.

The awning bracket and RTT bracket were perfect for my needs. I have to take my RTT on and off and the RTT mounting kit made it easy to remove and install (just 8 5/8" bolts that are easily accessible). I don't have to monkey with any nuts or bolts below the tent.

It does take some patience when assembling the rack itself, but I felt it's quite stout (assembly instructions here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...100_Roof_Rack_Intall_Guide_1.pdf?v=1684795754). It looks like they also reduced the number of parts of the roof rack, I think on mine the side rails were 4 pieces a side and now it is just 2 a side. I have an aluminum shell RTT, 200 W solar panels (bulky aluminum frame kind) and 5 gallons of water in the aluminum solar shower without any flexing or undue noise.

My only nitpick is the aligning of the tent to the mounting holes requires some precision (have to line it up just right for the 8 holes). It would be nice if the top and bottom track would be slotted, which I believe has been updated in Gen 2 of the rack.

Note the addition of slots on the side of the V2 of the rack. Dissent provides a backing plate with welded in nut for cross bar accessories, which also has been improved based on the instructions I have seen in V2.

I also wish they would offer more accessories like the rear window external mounting panels. I would love to mount my planar diesel heater on the PS side.

 

[Exiled]

I love the look and style of the Dissent rack, but opted for something a little cheaper. I chose the Prinsu rack as a compromise and one of the things I liked about it was that it was lighter duty and would likely bend before it damaged my roof (maybe wishful thinking?). It's been on there for 3+ years and I've been very pleased with it. No incremental noise, still lets me park in the garage (no mean feat running 35's) and fits my particular needs.

A good friend has the Front Runner rack and I really like that one, super low profile and seems sturdier than the Prinsu.

If money was no object (ha!), I would have picked the Dissent just for the looks and super high quality.

 

[Sean9421]

To be honest, I didn't like the dissent rack when I first saw it and was shopping for a roof rack, but after seeing one in person, and seeing pics of the newer version, I think cosmetically it's the best looking rack on a 100 series. If I were buying today, I'd be debating between the same racks as you.

I bought the front runner slimline II. I've had it for 4 years now, and it's been really good. They have a ton of accessories for it, and it plays well with other brand accessories also ( I have a Thule ski racks, arb awning/brackets). The one thing that really sets it apart is the option to mount both on top and under the rack, as far as I know, you can only do this with the frontrunner. I have the under rack table, and also wired lights on the bottom so that the tent and other crap can go on and off easy without messing with wiring or plugs. I haven't noticed any increase in wind noise, however there are a lot of threads of people who have, but I also have mud terrains, so that may just drown it out. I can't speak of dissents customer service as I've never ordered anything from them, but I hear it's good, I did have an issue with my rack this past year and the warranty process was quick and easy, I just had to take pics and email them, and they sent out a replacement part right away. The lifetime warranty was a big consideration when I was shopping, and after sales support is worth alot when you're spending 4 figures on a part.

For utility, I don't think you can beat the frontrunner, for looks I don't think you can beat the dissent. Pics for prosperity: