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2018 Wrangler Sahara JLU Roof Rack For Premium Soft Top?

Kilowatt76

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I have been searching for a roof rack for my 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara JLU with a premium soft top. I have found some for hard tops but nothing for soft tops. Does anybody have one installed and pics they could share? Thanks!
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RussJeep1

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Johnfeht

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Hello, any updates out there for a roof rack? I would love a full rack but would be happy with a surf board rack. Thanks for the help.
 

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No updates really. I am waiting for something strong enough to hold a rtt that I could also use for surfboards. I've emailed smittybilt but they keep saying soon. Maybe sometime this summer.
 

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I am going to zombify this thread. Has anyone heard any news from any of the other many companies that made soft top roof racks for the JK? There were options all the way down to like $399 for the JK (barricade) up to $2000 (gobi). It looks like Garvin has some around $1000. But they're for the hard top only. The ****ing JL has been out for like 2 years now. You can't tell me this thing is that much different than the JK. The aftermarket for the JL is pissing me off. I am regretting getting it now. I should've just bought a low mile JK 4 door when I replaced my 2 door Sahara. I talked to Garvin and Kargo Master like 6 months ago and they both said they would be announcing soft top options in the very near future. It was Kargo Master I think that said it would be a couple weeks........Haven't heard any news from either one. At this point the 2,100 dollar GOBI and 14 week wait time seems to be the only option. You can almost get a freaking Hardtop for just a couple hundred bucks more. GOBI has lost their minds.
 

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I am going to zombify this thread. Has anyone heard any news from any of the other many companies that made soft top roof racks for the JK? There were options all the way down to like $399 for the JK (barricade) up to $2000 (gobi). It looks like Garvin has some around $1000. But they're for the hard top only. The ****ing JL has been out for like 2 years now. You can't tell me this thing is that much different than the JK. The aftermarket for the JL is pissing me off. I am regretting getting it now. I should've just bought a low mile JK 4 door when I replaced my 2 door Sahara. I talked to Garvin and Kargo Master like 6 months ago and they both said they would be announcing soft top options in the very near future. It was Kargo Master I think that said it would be a couple weeks........Haven't heard any news from either one. At this point the 2,100 dollar GOBI and 14 week wait time seems to be the only option. You can almost get a freaking Hardtop for just a couple hundred bucks more. GOBI has lost their minds.
This both is and isn't going to answer your question. LOD Offroad https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/lod-destroyer-series-sliding-roof-rack-for-jl/ is soon to release their rack that uses drawer slide like devices to slide the rack out of the way to be able to open the soft top and slide the rack back. I think the design brilliant all while having concern that drawer slide like technology--at least as I believe this rack operates on--normally does not having its mechanism exposed to the elements for mud/dirt/sand to risk gumming up the ball bearing apparatus. I hope I'm wrong.

If you literally meant "for the JK," as opposed to the JL they are releasing their JK version of the rack, I believe, this month, and the JL one hopefully in August.

This doesn't answer your question though because I can't image that this is going to be cheap.

With soft tops you're pretty much looking at racks that attache at the cowl and someplace in the back. If you want to install front and rear hitches you can always get two Extend-A-Trucks but even with rattle reduced hitch pins and put pipe between them but they'll rock a bit.



I think part of the problem here lies in the enormous investment in producing product, while hoping for sales of inventory, all while not violating any other vendor's patent pending status.

Vendors sometimes don't say what aspect of their rack is patent pending, and competitors worry that if they make similar designs and the patent is approved, the original vendor can issue cease and desist orders against the copier.
 

lodoffroad

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Here are just a few picts of our LoD Sliding Roof Rack. We are looking for a release of the JK at the end of July and JL shortly after that. Check out our video on our Youtube page.




Destroyer roof rack front page .jpg
Roof Rack With Tent.jpg
 

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Check out Hitchmount-Rack.com . This is a great solution but you have to have a trailer hitch !
 

Rahneld

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@lodoffroad : You guys must be busy with designing efficient assembly of this rack, writing manuals, determining pricing and product bundling, working out kinks and who knows what else. Still more you may want to introduce pictures and prices simultaneously.

I respect all of that.

But that said, any additional pictures you have to share, be it the JL implementation, the final powder coated version, estimated pricing windows, including initial offering, etc., and other features (e.g. I thought I heard that you ARE coming out with covers for the sliding mechanism) would be great!

Thanks!
 

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If it is for surfboards, kayaks, skiis, etc... Gobi or that LOD destroyer are complete overkill and over $1,000. Also you'll jeep will be inside a cage permanently.

hitchmount-rack is the best solution as of now for carrying kayaks, surfs, skiis, etc... around. And you can take on and off whenever you want. It isn't cheap though. But when properly installed it doesn't rock, at all. It is very sturdy and you get what you pay for. I still use it with my hardtop because I don't want to mount stuff on my rain gutters and I don't want to buy a cage rack. If anything, I would get the maximus 3.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/the-hitch-mount-rack-1-5-year-review.39674/
 
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Tug

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Gobi racks now work with both soft tops and hard tops. I just ordered the adventure rack.
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