Rooftop crossbar options for LX - Landcruiser or aftermarket

[arbetrader]

Hello, I have a 2008 LX570 (with the short rack). I was wondering if there are any other crossbar options, OR if I put stronger crossbars on will it be able to hold a rooftop tent?

I've been looking for the longer bars (landcruiser style) but nobody in my area has one available... OR the other options is to invest in a prinsu rack which my local distributer has one in stock for my vehicle. I know that is the best option but $$$.

I imagine I could just get new strong crossbars that attach to the outer edge of the existing sidebars - has anyone done this? Is it strong enough for a rtt? I'm guessing I'd probably need longer bars to help with the weight given you can't have too much cantilever - just looking for any input?

Thanks to ALL that reply!

 

[CharlieS]

Yes, I've done it with both Thule and Yakima bars. Both companies make mounting options that attach to the factory roof side rails. We've run a rooftop tent that way on our land cruiser. Yakima's system is called Timberline.

 

[TeCKis300]

Rhino Rack also makes cross bars that can attach to the stock side rails. I don't have any firsthand experience with them, but the vender had confidence they're plenty strong to support a 165lb RTT.

Regarding the shorter LX rack, you'll want to make sure that there's enough front to rear spread. Many RTTs will spec how much overhang there can be beyond the cross bar front and rear.

 

[nakman]

With the short rack your cross bars are only going to be around 36" apart... which would work well for a shorter RTT but if you're thinking one of the really long ones it may not work so well. You can't center the tent across the bars as your hatch will hit it- so you'd wind up with 3' of tent ahead of the bars, which would kinda flop around on the highway and fatigue the whole system. it can also make it more difficult to latch closed, etc., if it's bending under its own load.


edit: @TeCKis300 types faster than me. what he said.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Installing a full "expedition" rack only to cover it with a RTT is pretty pointless IMO. Extra expense, extra weight, extra complexity, and lower access under the tent, all for no gains.

I have three 49" Rhino Rack Vortex bars on my LX. (There are about a hundred vendors around Vancouver/Fraser Valley that you can buy these from.)

I previously had an AluCab Gen3 RTT and their Shadow Awning mounted to these (about 250lbs total) with no issues. Great setup.

 

[TeCKis300]

Installing a full "expedition" rack only to cover it with a RTT is pretty pointless IMO. Extra expense, extra weight, extra complexity, and lower access under the tent, all for no gains.

I have three 49" Rhino Rack Vortex bars on my LX. (There are about a hundred vendors around Vancouver/Fraser Valley that you can buy these from.)

I previously had an AluCab Gen3 RTT and their Shadow Awning mounted to these (about 250lbs total) with no issues. Great setup.

Hadn't seen that option before. I thought the Rhino option only could clamp to the stock side rails. So there's towers made to bolt directly into the rain gutter bolt points?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Hadn't seen that option before. I thought the Rhino option only could clamp to the stock side rails. So there's towers made to bolt directly into the rain gutter bolt points?

Yes, Rhino Rack sells towers that mount directly to the OEM rack mounting holes. The three pairs of towers are even different height and shape so as to match the curvature of the roof and position all three bars horizontally (relative to each other). Very versatile setup, I've loved it since day one. And with the (supplied) rubber strips in the bars' channels, it's silent.

 

[CharlieS]

Installing a full "expedition" rack only to cover it with a RTT is pretty pointless IMO. Extra expense, extra weight, extra complexity, and lower access under the tent, all for no gains.

I have three 49" Rhino Rack Vortex bars on my LX. (There are about a hundred vendors around Vancouver/Fraser Valley that you can buy these from.)

I previously had an AluCab Gen3 RTT and their Shadow Awning mounted to these (about 250lbs total) with no issues. Great setup.

I love my Gamiviti expedition rack, and am always baffled when people crap on them. It is a brilliant design, and the rooftop tents I've owned were all removable, leaving a massive flat mounting surface to either mount things to, or keep open to haul things with full length and width support. I can haul long, wide, oversize stuff with endless tie down options. It is the perfect place to haul sheet goods and long boards. I have tons of handholds all the way along the sides and back when I want to climb the side of the vehicle to load stuff. And there are now all kinds of options for mounting lighting and antennas (none of which I do at the moment), traction boards, and whatever else you carry on your trips. Of course there are lots of other solutions, and I've used a lot of them. I just don't get why all the hate on expedition racks.

 

[HSTexan]

I used to run the Eezi Awn K9 load bars with a RTT (which is coincidentally for sale bc I missed having a full platform rack)

There are cheaper ones, but I did appreciate the modularity of the K9 setup

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I love my Gamiviti expedition rack, and am always baffled when people crap on them. It is a brilliant design, and the rooftop tents I've owned were all removable, leaving a massive flat mounting surface to either mount things to, or keep open to haul things with full length and width support. I can haul long, wide, oversize stuff with endless tie down options. It is the perfect place to haul sheet goods and long boards. I have tons of handholds all the way along the sides and back when I want to climb the side of the vehicle to load stuff. And there are now all kinds of options for mounting lighting and antennas (none of which I do at the moment), traction boards, and whatever else you carry on your trips. Of course there are lots of other solutions, and I've used a lot of them. I just don't get why all the hate on expedition racks.

I think you misunderstood my thoughts; I've no hate for expedition racks - they have a purpose and they serve that purpose well. But covering one of these racks with a RTT defeats that purpose.

Very few folks have the means and desire to regularly take off the RTT and use the expedition racks for other purposes. Most will bolt a RTT to the truck and leave it there forever, and precisely in these scenarios, load bars make a heck of a lot more sense than an expedition rack.

 

[coleAK]

I have Yakama round bars on the OEM rails. Has the original LX rails for 7 years then switched to LC rails ~1.5 years ago. Here are some pics with the canoe and RTT are LX rails, others are LC rails.

 

[a200]

Installing a full "expedition" rack only to cover it with a RTT is pretty pointless IMO. Extra expense, extra weight, extra complexity, and lower access under the tent, all for no gains.

I have three 49" Rhino Rack Vortex bars on my LX. (There are about a hundred vendors around Vancouver/Fraser Valley that you can buy these from.)

I previously had an AluCab Gen3 RTT and their Shadow Awning mounted to these (about 250lbs total) with no issues. Great setup.

Can You share a few more photos up close of the towers? I have used these bars on my truck for a couple years now and they have been great. My only dislike is the soft rubber insert is a little too grippy when sliding boats around on the roof. Where did you buy this set at? I assume you can buy just the front and back bar? I have always found 3 odd and unneeded in my use case.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Can You share a few more photos up close of the towers? I have used these bars on my truck for a couple years now and they have been great. My only dislike is the soft rubber insert is a little too grippy when sliding boats around on the roof. Where did you buy this set at? I assume you can buy just the front and back bar? I have always found 3 odd and unneeded in my use case.

I've got more photos in my build thread (link in signature), pages 14-15 (or so) and onwards.

Not sure about buying two instead of three, best to ask a Rhino Rack dealer. I ordered my parts from Canadian Hitch Store | Auto Roof Racks | Towing & Trailer Parts - https://www.hitchweb.com/, but that's a Canadian store. The US has tons of Rhino Rack dealers, and any of them will be able to get what you need. Ask for LC200 parts, they probably won't have the LX in their systems.

 

[arbetrader]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the comments/options people! That's great!

Hey coleAK, with your setup, I see you used the factory LX rack and aftermarket round bars with a RTT. There will be myself (215lbs) possibly another person etc (wife much lighter than I lol), so at least 2 people, plus a small amount of gear. Most other heavy gear witll be in the vehicle.

Naturally this will be a static load, do you feel that with a side entrance RTT like yours that will be okay for the factory rack to handle? I'm assuming YOU use it that way too, or??

OR alternatively, should I mount a front bar in ADDITION to the factory rack and try to get the crossbars to all reasonably match in height? Or wondering if I'll really need that?

I might want to get an awning too. I'd RATHER not have an aftermarket rack just for this purpose. I can't imagine I'd. put more than that on it. I'm not into hardcore offroading stuff, just a basic camping setup is perfect.

It would have to support MINIMUM 500lb static load though. That's the big deal, so thoughts on this?

 

[doru]

Static load != dynamic (rater) load. Yes, all those people and stuff can go on the roof rack when parked.

 

[arbetrader]

Has anyone kept the factory LX setup and just mounted thick round crossbars to replace the factory flimsy ones, BUT ALSO added a FRONT mounting bracket and crossbar across the sunroof location thus adding more capacity in the front?

I'd REALLY just want the factory landcruiser sidebars but I cannot find them anywhere. That way it would be easy on the eyes, with the front crossbard capability, but nobody seems to sell them, I've looked all over... Not sure where all you are getting yours?

 

[coleAK]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the comments/options people! That's great!

Hey coleAK, with your setup, I see you used the factory LX rack and aftermarket round bars with a RTT. There will be myself (215lbs) possibly another person etc (wife much lighter than I lol), so at least 2 people, plus a small amount of gear. Most other heavy gear witll be in the vehicle.

Naturally this will be a static load, do you feel that with a side entrance RTT like yours that will be okay for the factory rack to handle? I'm assuming YOU use it that way too, or??

OR alternatively, should I mount a front bar in ADDITION to the factory rack and try to get the crossbars to all reasonably match in height? Or wondering if I'll really need that?

I might want to get an awning too. I'd RATHER not have an aftermarket rack just for this purpose. I can't imagine I'd. put more than that on it. I'm not into hardcore offroading stuff, just a basic camping setup is perfect.

It would have to support MINIMUM 500lb static load though. That's the big deal, so thoughts on this?

We only really use use the RTT late summer when we go up the Dalton way above the Arctic circle into the Brooks range. That trip is 800-1000 miles of gravel/dirt/mud/washboard/potholes,….

Done it now 8 times with an RTT, 7 of those on the OEM LX rails. I mostly switched to the LC rails to give a longer platform for my canoe, that said I wish I had switched sooner.

For weight 3 of us sleep in the RTT (wife hates it and sleeps in the LX if she comes along). me (165 lbs) and my teens (120 lbs) and (150 lbs). So us plus the tent and gear are probably 550-600 lbs.

 

[coleAK]

Has anyone kept the factory LX setup and just mounted thick round crossbars to replace the factory flimsy ones, BUT ALSO added a FRONT mounting bracket and crossbar across the sunroof location thus adding more capacity in the front?

I'd REALLY just want the factory landcruiser sidebars but I cannot find them anywhere. That way it would be easy on the eyes, with the front crossbard capability, but nobody seems to sell them, I've looked all over... Not sure where all you are getting yours?

Got mine used from a fellow on here that replaced them with a safari rack.

 

[TeCKis300]

The factory rack is more robust and durable than most people give credit to, and I'd wager is probably stronger than most aftermarket stuff. The side rails in particular are large robust castings and extrusions, compared to the bent plate some of the aftermarket uses. The stock cross bars granted can be a bit flexy, but flexy often can be more durable long term than stiff bars bars without enough structure and development. Problem with the LX rack is that it's too short.

Has anyone kept the factory LX setup and just mounted thick round crossbars to replace the factory flimsy ones, BUT ALSO added a FRONT mounting bracket and crossbar across the sunroof location thus adding more capacity in the front?

I'd REALLY just want the factory landcruiser sidebars but I cannot find them anywhere. That way it would be easy on the eyes, with the front crossbard capability, but nobody seems to sell them, I've looked all over... Not sure where all you are getting yours?

Do you mean adding something like the Rhino Rack Vortex to one of the forward roof mounts, while keep the LX rack? That's actually a pretty brilliant idea. Try it, I think may do what you're looking for. Use it as the forward mount, and push the two stock cross bars rearward to work as a pair.

Here's what I'm doing for my RTT at the moment, which is to add another pair to double up cross bars. On an extended LC rack. It's not completely flat which means I have to use spacers on the RTT rail in a couple locations.

 

[sleepycruiser]

@LFDOffRoad makes some that will work with your factory rails!! They should send me some as much as I post about them…I don’t even have any. But I’ve heard great things about their stuff in the GX crowd.

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