Other uses for the African Outback roof rack tracks

[greynolds]

I got an African Outback roof rack from Slee a month or so ago. It's definitely an awesome rack, but I definitely won't be keeping it mounted all the time because it decreases gas mileage, adds extra noise (especially with the sunroof open), etc. There are times when having a rack is useful, but the AO rack would be overkill for the task and takes a decent amount of time to put on and take off so I decided to look into other ways to make use of the tracks that get mounted as part of the install for the AO rack and remain mounted when the rack is off the truck.

The 2 obvious options were Thule and Yakima as they both have extensive lines of rack mounts that will work with just about any vehicle. I took a trip to REI this morning and brought one of the AO studs that slide in the track with me for comparison. Starting with Thule, none of their options looked like it would work well. They have some kits that are intended to work with tracks but nothing that looked big enough to not be a sloppy fit in the AO tracks. I then looked at the Yakima options and found exactly what I needed. They have various "Landing Pads" that are designed to mount to various types of tracks and then "Control Towers" that the crossbars connect to and then attach to the "Landing Pads". It turned out that Landing Pad #1 is nearly a perfect fit for the AO tracks. The minimum bar length for the 100 series is the 58" bars. Since nothing around here exists without pictures , here are some:

 

[dclee]

Hey, that's pretty cool! How much was this setup? Also, Christo does sell just the load bars which are basically the same thing, but they seemed a bit pricey at $245 a pair.

But the Yakima option looks nice for the flexibility of the entire system, plus, at least in my case, we already have ski racks and such to fit on Yakima bars, so this is pretty much a no-brainer. Thanks for doing the research!

 

[dclee]

On a related note, how are you guys with AO rails sealing up the front of the rail? It's all open under there allowing water to get into the body rut under the rail and sit there (I'm fearing rust issues in five or ten years). I stuffed some pieces of rubber under there, but it's not an ideal solution.

 

[greynolds]

Hey, that's pretty cool! How much was this setup? Also, Christo does sell just the load bars which are basically the same thing, but they seemed a bit pricey at $245 a pair.

It cost $207 at REI for the Landing Pads, Control Towers, and a pair of 58" bars. You could certainly get the parts a bit cheaper online, though shipping might be a killer on the bars. I felt though that since I was opening boxes to check sizing it wouldn't be fair to then go purchase the parts elsewhere to save a few bucks and REI has always been very good on the customer service side.

I had considered the load bars that Christo sells when I first ordered the AO rack as I had thought they would be perfect for quick jobs where the AO rack is overkill. However, they are not compatible with the AO tracks - they bolt directly to the roof so you would have to remove the tracks to use them. Those bars also wouldn't be fully compatible with the Yakima or Thule product lines.

But the Yakima option looks nice for the flexibility of the entire system, plus, at least in my case, we already have ski racks and such to fit on Yakima bars, so this is pretty much a no-brainer. Thanks for doing the research!

It's always a tough choice choosing between Thule and Yakima as I've always felt they're pretty much equivalent. In this case it turned out to be easy because Thule didn't seem to have an option that would work with the tracks.

 

[greynolds]

On a related note, how are you guys with AO rails sealing up the front of the rail? It's all open under there allowing water to get into the body rut under the rail and sit there (I'm fearing rust issues in five or ten years). I stuffed some pieces of rubber under there, but it's not an ideal solution.

I haven't done anything yet, but I share your concern. I'm hoping that it's open enough in there that highway driving will clear out any water.

 

[rockclmbr]

how are you guys with AO rails sealing up the front of the rail?

Good question! I seam to remember putting clear silicone sealant in some holes before mounting the rails. I can't remember where now

Luckily for us in CA, we don't have too much rain to deal with

 

[sleeoffroad]

There should not be any issue, a little silicone on the screws should take care of any water going into the truck. Any water that gets under the track should be pushed back and out.

All the parts under the track is painted, so I do not believe that anything under the track should rust.

I do like the towers though. Looks like it was made for the tracks.

 

[dclee]

Yeah, when I bolted on my rails, I actually put black gasket sealer on the threads and in the holes, used it sort of like waterproof anti-seize grease! Hope this was OK.

 

[greynolds]

There should not be any issue, a little silicone on the screws should take care of any water going into the truck. Any water that gets under the track should be pushed back and out.

Thanks for the feedback on this. I definitely put some silicone on the bolts going into the roof, so I should have no worries.

I do like the towers though. Looks like it was made for the tracks.

Yeah, they're a nearly perfect fit and can pretty easily be positioned anywhere along the track. The only thing is that since the spacing between the tracks isn't constant along the length, you have to loosen the crossbars within the towers when moving the towers along the track, but these adjustments are very easy to do with a single allen wrench.

The combination of having the AO rack and the ability to use the Yakima system for everyday use is exactly what I was hoping to be able to do. Plus it looks much better than the factory rack did in any configuration (just the tracks, with the AO rack mounted, or with the Yakima crossbars mounted).

 

[Augie]

I really like that. When I design my home made racks I wanted to do something like that but could not find the material to build the rail.

Christo, Do you sell just the rail? I am considering redoing my rack and wanted to put rails like that.

 

[hoser]

X2 on wanting to buy just the AO rails, Christo! Excellent work, Greynolds.

 

[greynolds]

X2 on wanting to buy just the AO rails, Christo! Excellent work, Greynolds.

Not sure why you edited your post to take out the link to on online source for the parts. I knew full well that the parts could be had for less $$$ online, but it would have been tough to figure out exactly which Landing Pads were needed without seeing them first . To me, it was well worth paying the extra $20 (and sales tax). When / if I get other Yakima stuff, I'll most likely shop online knowing that I can save money by doing so.

 

[hoser]

I posted the online parts source for anybody else who might want to buy the parts and because I had a good experience with them (I saved $70 too). After rereading what I wrote, it sounded kinda prickish so I deleted it.

Thanks for sharing this information with us.

 

[greynolds]

I posted the online parts source for anybody else who might want to buy the parts and because I had a good experience with them (I saved $70 too). After rereading what I wrote, it sounded kinda prickish so I deleted it.

FWIW, it didn't sound prickish to me. Now how do I get those free locks .

Thanks for sharing this information with us.

No problem, glad people have found the info useful. Just wish someone else had done it so I could be the one saving $$$ and getting free locks .

[Edited to remove incorrect comments about AO rack mounting kit availability.]

 

[sleeoffroad]

Sorry, we actually do not sell the mounting kit as a separate unit currently. I might in the future. We got matching racks and install kits when we got our last order and if we sell the kits on their own I am going to be stuck with racks with no feet. Sorry.

 

[jonah]

i have messed around with a bunch of stuff i got from slee,rei and some home made parts and i like what you did with the rack. nice job
i have a set of the ao load bars and i love em but i use thule bars for my tent.

 

[macneill]

You drive your 100 for gas mileage...

 

[greynolds]

You drive your 100 for gas mileage...

Of course not, but since it is my daily commuter, a mile or 2 per gallon adds up especially with gas prices the way they are these days...

 

[davegonz]

Resurrecting this thread. What about using Yakima/Thule rails instead of the AO rails ? You'd have to drill new mouning holes on the rails to match the roof attachment points, but it could work. Anyone know the width/length of the AO rails?

Yakima Tracks with Bolts - 60 inch from REI.com

 

[greynolds]

Resurrecting this thread. What about using Yakima/Thule rails instead of the AO rails ? You'd have to drill new mouning holes on the rails to match the roof attachment points, but it could work. Anyone know the width/length of the AO rails?

The width is 2" and the length is 78".