EVO MFG Trail Roof Rack Installation / Review

[CaptainJLU]

Paint was bubbling underneath and then it just peeled off.

This is how it started with my rack. Bubbles first and than bye bye paint and hello rust

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[Big Husky]

Incase anyone was looking for cheap, local channel nuts. Lowe's has "Superstrut 3/8" straight strut nuts". They come with a spring, I cut those off. They're $4.08 for a 5 pack.
They're what I used to mount my traction boards. But I'm also still debating a roof top tent possibility.

I have the random rust issue others were mentioning as well. I don't like that.
But I do like that I can use their factory bolts to mount the side and rear lights as you see.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Superstrut-3-8-in-Straight-Strut-Nut/3284278

 

[Mikeb16]

Incase anyone was looking for cheap, local channel nuts. Lowe's has "Superstrut 3/8" straight strut nuts". They come with a spring, I cut those off. They're $4.08 for a 5 pack.
They're what I used to mount my traction boards. But I'm also still debating a roof top tent possibility.

I have the random rust issue others were mentioning as well. I don't like that.
But I do like that I can use their factory bolts to mount the side and rear lights as you see.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Superstrut-3-8-in-Straight-Strut-Nut/3284278

Might have to pick me up some of those! How did you mount the lights on the corner and run the wiring?

 

[Big Husky]

Might have to pick me up some of those! How did you mount the lights on the corner and run the wiring?

Thanks Mike.
Those are the Baja Design S2 Sports. All four are ran on the factory Rubi aux switch. I ran the wire through the hard top's window channel, then through the window hinge into plastic conduit. All four are connected via their quick detach mounts. Then you can see the light brackets are bolted on to Evo's bolt mounts. Luckily they're the same size! (small hands and tools are a must with making this all work)

Lights are from Poly Performance, with discount code: "mil-QG2YQ92Z6EWP" or "AMJEEP10"
https://www.polyperformance.com/bjd-s2-sport-pair-parent-item

I also have BD's a-pillar lights. I really like their product, because they come with extra connections/switches. But light covers are separate :/

 

[plex]

I am "happy" to report, after 1 year of ownership my roof rack is basically a crap full of rusts. Mind you my Jeep is kept in garage when not on the road, I tried to take care of it in the beginning whenever I saw rust spot, but there are too many of them popped up and peeled later. I don't know what they used for powder coating this thing, but even the Chinese crap on Amazon doesn't deteriorate like this rack.

I am about to ditch it form the Maximum-3 and Rhino rack for some real roof rack. Shame on EVO.

 

[Big Husky]

I am "happy" to report, after 1 year of ownership my roof rack is basically a crap full of rusts. Mind you my Jeep is kept in garage when not on the road, I tried to take care of it in the beginning whenever I saw rust spot, but there are too many of them popped up and peeled later. I don't know what they used for powder coating this thing, but even the Chinese crap on Amazon doesn't deteriorate like this rack.

I am about to ditch it form the Maximum-3 and Rhino rack for some real roof rack. Shame on EVO.

That's sad. And I understand. I had very minor spots of it.
Maximum-3 and Rhino rack is exactly what I wanted to do, I just didn't want to drill. Good luck!

 

[xEDGEx]

Ive been casually browsing around for roof racks to hold family camping gear and kept gravitating toward the Evo rack - glad I found this thread! The long term reviews have me second guessing this as an option. Thanks for the updates!

 

[CaptainJLU]

Ive been casually browsing around for roof racks to hold family camping gear and kept gravitating toward the Evo rack - glad I found this thread! The long term reviews have me second guessing this as an option. Thanks for the updates!

I can not recommend the EVO rack at all. If you take it off ASAP after your trip is done, fine go for it. But this product is just not at the point where it should be. I really wanted to like it and have fun with it along the journey but it just keeps being a pain in the a** and looks terrible after it starts loosing the paint.

definitely look somewhere else for a better solution.
I know its super tempting to not drill anything and have the option to "quickly" take of the rack, that is what got me to buy it. But hey... the EVO is not quickly installed and it is heavy, real heavy.

 

[xEDGEx]

I can not recommend the EVO rack at all. If you take it off ASAP after your trip is done, fine go for it. But this product is just not at the point where it should be. I really wanted to like it and have fun with it along the journey but it just keeps being a pain in the a** and looks terrible after it starts loosing the paint.

definitely look somewhere else for a better solution.
I know its super tempting to not drill anything and have the option to "quickly" take of the rack, that is what got me to buy it. But hey... the EVO is not quickly installed and it is heavy, real heavy.

Thanks for the feedback!! The weight and paint issues would be deal breakers for me.

The JCR short rack looks promising: https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/JLRK.html Seems to have a similar design, has similar weight/load rating (100lbs dynamic load), is aluminum (no rust!), costs less, and weighs 38lbs. I think it's a pretty new release and not much real world reviews from what I can find.

 

[CaptainJLU]

Thanks for the feedback!! The weight and paint issues would be deal breakers for me.

The JCR short rack looks promising: https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/JLRK.html Seems to have a similar design, has similar weight/load rating (100lbs dynamic load), is aluminum (no rust!), costs less, and weighs 38lbs. I think it's a pretty new release and not much real world reviews from what I can find.

that does look similar. what are you planing to carry with the rack? my guess is, you know how much the gutter can handle!? I found myself in the situation where I constantly try to not overload the rack because of the weight limitation.

my next one will be a rhino for sure. I don't care about the drilling, in the end its fiberglass and is super easy to fix when not needed anymore.

 

[xEDGEx]

that does look similar. what are you planing to carry with the rack? my guess is, you know how much the gutter can handle!? I found myself in the situation where I constantly try to not overload the rack because of the weight limitation.

my next one will be a rhino for sure. I don't care about the drilling, in the end its fiberglass and is super easy to fix when not needed anymore.

The weight management, like you mention, is definitely something I'm considering. I have no immediate plans for a RTT and would likely use it for misc family camping gear if the interior gets overloaded (we've got 2 car seats in play ). The main things that give me pause are if down the road the we get stand up paddle boards/surfboards/kayaks, or if I need to throw some plywood on top - so less weight issues and upward wind force on the gutters.

 

[plex]

I would not consider any EVO MFG exterior mod in the future, if you google "EVO MFG rust", you will see literally all of their products rust pretty bad, from JK to JL, from something small like a license plate bracket all the way to tire carrier, bumper, rack, every reviews mention it: looks good in the beginning, start rust as soon as you roll out garage.

I wonder what ponytail has to say, since he runs their products exclusively.

 

[Big Husky]

I would not consider any EVO MFG exterior mod in the future, if you google "EVO MFG rust", you will see literally all of their products rust pretty bad, from JK to JL, from something small like a license plate bracket all the way to tire carrier, bumper, rack, every reviews mention it: looks good in the beginning, start rust as soon as you roll out garage.

I wonder what ponytail has to say, since he runs their products exclusively.

Very upset by the minor, but in many places, rust I have from them on my rack. Not even from use/abuse . I bought it thinking in the beginning of 2019 "Oh great, a no-drill rack concept!" Now I should've either waited for a better gutter rack or just caved into a drill-through rack.

 

[Moses212]

I realize this thread is a little old, but I came across it looking for a rack, and it convinced me to go aluminum.
Was about to write this off, but EVO now has an aluminum version (link below), gonna browse thr forums some more now...


https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...lOL2Dsd87YkR_wWGca9Y4deokFMTb9CBoC8V4QAvD_BwE

 

[digitalhobbit]

I realize this thread is a little old, but I came across it looking for a rack, and it convinced me to go aluminum.
Was about to write this off, but EVO now has an aluminum version (link below), gonna browse thr forums some more now...


https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...lOL2Dsd87YkR_wWGca9Y4deokFMTb9CBoC8V4QAvD_BwE

I'm sure the aluminum version is better than the previous one, but $900 is a steep price for a gutter mounted rack. I would spend a couple hundred more and get something more robust, such as a Rhino Rack with Pioneer Platform. I've been very happy with that choice.

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