I've been using an ARB 3/4 length rack for about 15 years and it has done everything I've needed it to do. By far the best thing I ever did with it was mount a Thule on top. Now I can just toss things in the Thule and not have to worry about strapping everything down.
Roof Rack
- Thread starter Lx450inNC
- Start date
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This is my prinsu rack. My vote is prinsu/bowfin as I prefer the low profile and sleek look. There are also plenty of accessories designed to easily connect to the rack.
Tachycardic
SILVER Star
Can you show how you attached the cargo box? I have the yakima version, and would like to do the same!
I just used some 1x2 aluminum tube, cut to length, drilled some holes and bolted it on. I found some plastic caps to finish it off.
Howdy @rolliges. Here are a few pics.
I don't think I ever ran the rack when I had the spoiler on...I've been deleting such superfluous stuff ever since I bought the rig. But, the spoiler would not interfere if the rack were positioned more forward than I have my rack set.
View thru sunroof was OK when I had a sunroof (see previous comment RE: superfluous stuff). The aluminum mesh floor has relatively large openings, so easy to see thru it.
Really can't discern any mileage difference due to the rack, but only because there are too many other typical modifications that squash all hope of good mileage. I'm sure a highly controlled test would prove that mileage will decrease, but I doubt by much. Best thing for good mileage is a light right foot.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you'd like any particular views or detail pics of the rack.
A bit of an old thread but figure I’d post some info in case someone searches in the future. Saw some questions about sound and I can kinda help.
Have 2 nearly identical 80’s. One is a build with my bro and one I just got for myself. He had chosen the Gobi for our build and I went with bowfin.
We have yet to put either to the test with loads but from what I can tell....
Gobi
Really heavy duty
Maybe too heavy if weight up high is a concern
Came with a shovel and axe mount (we changed that out for the ladder since we already had that with our slee bumper)
Looks easy to attach stuff on all the available surfaces
Flat area can be used to sit/walk on the car easily
Definite noise increase. “Hallowing”sound is the best I’d describe it, starts around 45mph but really gets noticeable around 60+
Time. Took forever, 4 months or so. I was able to wait 2 months after ordering, buy another cruiser, wait a month, buy a bowfin, and the bowfin came first lol
Bowfin
Lighter
Solid design. Not sure which rack is more sturdy, the Gobi is more heavy duty being all steel but the Bowfin spread the weight along the gutter instead of a few specific spots.
Easy removal. Just unlatch and take off, takes one minute.
Looks easy to mount stuff once you get the T bolts and such. Nice modular design with tons of possibilities.
Flat. You can more easy lug around mattresses while moving,RTT etc.
The flat bars though don’t make it as easy to walk on and you can’t really sit up there and relax like the Gobi
Barely any noise increase if any (really surprised me)
Time. None. I ordered it on a Monday, got it the next week. If they are out of stock, email them and he’ll tell you when the next batch is coming, I asked on a weekend and the following Monday was when they accepted orders again.
Cruiser association. Guy who makes these is all around the forums and the community, Gobi is just another big company with questionable morals
BONUS - my paint was fading up top and the bowfin hides faded paint extremely well. Won’t bother respraying now.
Both racks look great, different styles, different uses. I prefer the bowfin for many reasons, my brother prefers the Gobi. If I had to purchase again knowing what I know now I’d go with the bowfin, no question. Support a local vendor, get it quickly, get it for less money. The differences are personal preference but the real winner is noise. I will drive both these cruisers for thousands of miles at a time, less sound up there is the biggest thing I’ll notice both on long trips and day to day.
Grey cruiser is Bowfin
Green is Gobi
I think they each look good with their respective colors as well.
Have 2 nearly identical 80’s. One is a build with my bro and one I just got for myself. He had chosen the Gobi for our build and I went with bowfin.
We have yet to put either to the test with loads but from what I can tell....
Gobi
Really heavy duty
Maybe too heavy if weight up high is a concern
Came with a shovel and axe mount (we changed that out for the ladder since we already had that with our slee bumper)
Looks easy to attach stuff on all the available surfaces
Flat area can be used to sit/walk on the car easily
Definite noise increase. “Hallowing”sound is the best I’d describe it, starts around 45mph but really gets noticeable around 60+
Time. Took forever, 4 months or so. I was able to wait 2 months after ordering, buy another cruiser, wait a month, buy a bowfin, and the bowfin came first lol
Bowfin
Lighter
Solid design. Not sure which rack is more sturdy, the Gobi is more heavy duty being all steel but the Bowfin spread the weight along the gutter instead of a few specific spots.
Easy removal. Just unlatch and take off, takes one minute.
Looks easy to mount stuff once you get the T bolts and such. Nice modular design with tons of possibilities.
Flat. You can more easy lug around mattresses while moving,RTT etc.
The flat bars though don’t make it as easy to walk on and you can’t really sit up there and relax like the Gobi
Barely any noise increase if any (really surprised me)
Time. None. I ordered it on a Monday, got it the next week. If they are out of stock, email them and he’ll tell you when the next batch is coming, I asked on a weekend and the following Monday was when they accepted orders again.
Cruiser association. Guy who makes these is all around the forums and the community, Gobi is just another big company with questionable morals
BONUS - my paint was fading up top and the bowfin hides faded paint extremely well. Won’t bother respraying now.
Both racks look great, different styles, different uses. I prefer the bowfin for many reasons, my brother prefers the Gobi. If I had to purchase again knowing what I know now I’d go with the bowfin, no question. Support a local vendor, get it quickly, get it for less money. The differences are personal preference but the real winner is noise. I will drive both these cruisers for thousands of miles at a time, less sound up there is the biggest thing I’ll notice both on long trips and day to day.
Grey cruiser is Bowfin
Green is Gobi
I think they each look good with their respective colors as well.
Tachycardic
SILVER Star
What do you mean when you say, " Gobi is just another big company with questionable morals". Have they wronged people, or is this speculation?
When I was researching racks myself on this exact site you’d see a lot of forum members discuss how Gobi regularly brings about lawsuits to small manufacturers or independent people for things that are pretty questionable (small design elements, patent infringement, etc). They definitely have a right to their parents but as I understood it they were more so leveraging their size to just squash smaller companies. How different can roof racks be from each other anyhow?
To be fair I hadn’t researched it separately, just went from what members here had said. I just looked it up now though. They took out some smaller guy in a Tacoma forum, went after Baja racks as well at some point? Two sides to every story but it does suck to hear about that stuff and I don’t think any other roof rack manufacturer is pulling this sort of thing.
At the end of the day they are a major business (which is fine) but if I’m getting a comparable product I’d rather buy from a smaller vendor on here. I got the bowfin rack and follow them on Instagram and just see their kids in cruisers all day, it’s nice to see and buy into that. I put the bowfin sticker on my cruiser, probably wouldn’t put a Gobi one.
Would you happen to have a measurement of how high this sits above the top of the roof?
Yessir...this for the aluminum ARB full basket (87" x 49"):
Using a long straight edge and measuring down from the top rails of the rack to the formed ridges in the roof: ~7 3/4" (measured at rack midpoint).
Another reference: From top of rain gutter lip to top rail: ~11.0” (also measured at rack midpoint).
- Cheers
Awesome. Thanks for the information. I really like this basket style with the mesh bottom.
