Sorry for the late arrival here you guys, since I am not a cruiser owner myself I typically spend most of my time on the Tacoma forums. Since this is my first post I will make a few things clear and introduce myself as well. I am Zach, owner of PrInSu Design Studio. For the time being I am not here to sell or promote the buying of my product. Forums have strict rules about selling and "soft selling" and I don't want to overstep my boundaries until I can properly contribute to the forum as other vendors do. That being said, Adam is probably getting overwhelmed with all the questions thrown his direction. I really appreciate him taking on all the questions up till now and never expected such an enormous response to this rack. I will try to answer as many questions as I can on here but realize that I work full time outside of PrInSu so my responses may be delayed sometimes.
I got an email from jeffro109 with some questions so I will try and start there.
1. height of top of rack over roof line (say a few points like at sunroof, rear, etc)?
I will defer to Box Rocket for these measurements. Our goal was to leave about 1" of clearance from the tallest part of the roof. We hit that about perfect, maybe even a little less. That being said, other than looking at the tallest point I didn't take measurements elsewhere to see.
2. will it be offered in the prototype height or just the stated 1 inch higher profile?
The rack will likely be offered in only one height. The prototype model on Boxrockets truck might clear the factory luggage strips but it would be close. By adding a 1/2" you then have clearance without a noticeable difference in height. It also gives the wind deflector and the rear crossbar a bit more clearance which were both minor concerns I had on BR's rack.
3. can you drop tie downs in without taking the bars out? If not, can you fix that issue from the start or would we need to break out the grinder?
The current option requires you to undo the screws at the end and slide the tie downs in. Various types of tslot nuts can be purchased that drop in from the top. I haven't used those personally but my customers have with good success. It is possible to have the crossbars machined with an "access point" like boxrocket showed above. I have refrained from doing this because it adds to the cost, about $3-5 per crossbar which adds $50 to the entire rack. If enough people wanted this then I could make it an option, however my racks are built to provide the best solution at the lowest cost. Using a drill, grinder, or rotary tool could produce a similar function for those that want it without them having to spend the money. Again its really up to each person. I want to be able to save people money where I can though.
4. can the sides just be anodized vs powder coat?
The sides could be anodized, however unless done in large quantities it isn't cost effective. The extrusion crossbars are a standard industrial product. TSLOTS or 80/20 makes this profile standard and sell it all over the world. They have massive tanks to do the anodization and produce anodized versions in large quantities. I simply don't have the volume to do this with the side plates so powdercoating has been a better value. Personally I also think PC is a little better. It is a thicker coating so it holds up to dings and scratches a little better. Anodizing excels on the crossbars because it can be easily distributed into the small spaces of the extrusion. PC tends to go on uneven inside the TSLOTS and sometimes to thick which causes the tslots to be less useful.
5. is the hardware very corrosion resistant?
This is the best solution for hardware I have found. It is a black zinc finish. Essentially the same thing as normal zinc plated but with a darker coloring. Due to the weight and size of the machine screws they get a more tumbled look than the smooth washers and lock washers but that is my only complaint. Aside from powdercoating the screws or painting them this is the next best thing.
6. approximate weight?
I didn't stick this on the scale and haven't shipped any yet but my tacoma racks with similar build materials are ~40lbs boxed up to ship. 35-38 lbs installed. This rack is longer and has more crossbars and more mounting hardware so I would estimate the rack being ~60lbs give or take a few pounds.
