Garvin Trail Rack 2000?

[Yellow Cake Kid]

Hi,
I have been considering buying the Garvin Trail Rack 2000, and am about ready to place an order.

Garvin's website is similar to many 4WD vendors; they display pictures that are too small and the e-commerce template discourages good use of the internet to convey useful information.

There are similar products on the market at lower price but I am hoping that the Garvin offers good clean fabrication compared to the cheaper options.

I am wondering if anyone here has used a Garvin Trail Rack 2000 on their JLU, and if they can describe the stiffness of the structure. I am hoping to learn that there is no chance that it will flex into the rear windshield, and would like to know if there is any descernible flex when it is installed correctly and loaded within the advertised limits.

If you have any large photos detailing the attachment I would appreciate having a chance to view them.

Thank you.

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[EDH_JL]

I've considered it and posted about it before, but in the end it's a $500 hitch basket that will overload the tailgate's 80 lb total weight capacity. If you have a bumper mounted tire carrier that takes the tire weight off the tailgate this would probably be fine.

This is overloaded with just the full fuel cans and nothing in the rack. no tailgate reinforcement, no bumper mounted tire carrier. Probably fine for street use but I wouldn't trust it offroad:

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

I was estimating that the two 3 gallon fuel tanks shown weigh about 50 of the 75 pounds the rack is rated at.

This is our first camping season since we have purchased our JLU and we are struggling to pack the Jeep efficiently for desert camping.

We are not ready for a roof rack because we need to learn how much garage door clearance we will have left after installing a lift and larger tires this winter.

We ran through our water last weekend and when we finally drove to the big city, population 220+/-, we paid more for a gallon of water than for a gallon of gas. We had plenty of gas, but were thankful to be able to replensih the water.

At this point, carrying water and strapping sleeping bags and tarps to the rack could help with our storage needs, but I am concerned that these racks may be more for show than go.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

FWIW, I wrote too Garvin and asked for install instructions which they kindly sent in a quick reply.

Unfortunately, the instructions raised some questions that I have yet to answer.

- How likely is it that the mounting brackets will scratch the tailgate after being mounted?

- Are there any spacing materials buffering the contact between the mount and the painted tailgate?

 

[EDH_JL]

I was estimating that the two 3 gallon fuel tanks shown weigh about 50 of the 75 pounds the rack is rated at.

This is our first camping season since we have purchased our JLU and we are struggling to pack the Jeep efficiently for desert camping.

We are not ready for a roof rack because we need to learn how much garage door clearance we will have left after installing a lift and larger tires this winter.

We ran through our water last weekend and when we finally drove to the big city, population 220+/-, we paid more for a gallon of water than for a gallon of gas. We had plenty of gas, but were thankful to be able to replensih the water.

At this point, carrying water and strapping sleeping bags and tarps to the rack could help with our storage needs, but I am concerned that these racks may be more for show than go.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

a few lightweight items shouldn't be a problem, but loaded to it's "rating" it's like strapping an extra spare tire on the tailgate. I know I wouldn't be comfortable putting two tires on the stock tailgate.

I run a tailgate basket for our hunting trips when I need some extra room, but would love to get back that ground clearance I just haven't found a good solution besides spending thousands on a bumper/swingaway tire carrier/basket combo. Something simple like this and then a Garvin-style rack on the tailgate would be perfect but doesn't exist for the JL.

EDIT: I know Barricade makes a similar bumper for the JL, but it doesn't have a provision for the tow hitch and this manufacturer picture doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence:

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

Thanks for the suggestions.

We have OEM steel bumpers (we bought a modestly equipped Rubicon off the lot that already had them) so I am not anxious to buy a new bumper, but that may be the best option for now.

I don't want to use a traditional trailer hitch rack, because I need the good departure angle that the Jeep provides to get to where we go.

I am trying to avoid building a custom spare tire delete rack, but may end up going that route.

Thank you.

 

[daveprice7]

I'm right there with you. I've been searching for a year for non-roof-rack cargo space (because I have a 2dr soft top). It looks like the only options are hitch mounted baskets (they do make some with a riser for ATVs that can mostly retain your departure angle) or this Garvin trail rack plus some kind of spare tire relocate/delete or tailgate reinforcement, but it's unknown which of those are compatible with this rack.

The only surefire trail rack solution I've found so far is the LOD Destroyer bumper with spare relocate & trail rack add-on. That's a very expensive/heavy option if you only want a cargo basket (which is all I want, so, this is too jagged of a pill for me to swallow).

Some fringe options could be one of those spare tire "backpack" type cargo bags for your light-weight items to make room for heavier stuff in the actual cargo space. Some folks have used shock cord nets to hold soft cargo overhead between the roll bar and top.

If you have a hardtop, maybe a roof rack/crossbars that are easily removed when you get home from your trip would work? smsparts.com Exposed Racks seem to be an especially low profile option that you might be able to leave on, but I know every inch counts and you usually can't do anything about a garage door opening.

Good luck!

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

Yesterday, I pulled off the trail so another Jeep could pass by, and saw that it was equipped with a Garvin Trail rack.

The rack seemed solid, but it was the JK mount.

 

[BroncoHound]

FWIW, I ran a ~5500 mile on and off-road trek from Texas to Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, and back to Texas recently with a pair of 3gal Rotopax hanging off the spare tire (not apples to apples comparison but similar weight distribution to this rack). With the Rotopax full, i could tell the tailgate was sagging about 1/4" or so; it wasn't enough to keep it from latching or anything, but I could feel the slight sag when opening and closing the tailgate. While on the Magruder Corridor (the only place I might've gotten into a pinch for fuel), I emptied both Rotopax into the Jeep as quickly as I could to reduce the wear on the tailgate hinges.

I wasn't worried about the weight while they were on there, but did decide it was better to err on the side of caution and run them empty as much as possible. I'll continue to run this mount for the rare trips where I feel the need for the extra fuel, but as soon as I mount a roof rack on the Jeep, the fuel cans will be relocated. For the long term, I wouldn't want that additional weight hanging off the tailgate.

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

FWIW,
... With the Rotopax full, i could tell the tailgate was sagging about 1/4" or so; it wasn't enough to keep it from latching or anything, but I could feel the slight sag when opening and closing the tailgate...

Hi,
Thank you for sharing info about your observations and experiences.

 

[RGSeattle]

Hi,
I have been considering buying the Garvin Trail Rack 2000, and am about ready to place an order.

Garvin's website is similar to many 4WD vendors; they display pictures that are too small and the e-commerce template discourages good use of the internet to convey useful information.

There are similar products on the market at lower price but I am hoping that the Garvin offers good clean fabrication compared to the cheaper options.

I am wondering if anyone here has used a Garvin Trail Rack 2000 on their JLU, and if they can describe the stiffness of the structure. I am hoping to learn that there is no chance that it will flex into the rear windshield, and would like to know if there is any descernible flex when it is installed correctly and loaded within the advertised limits.

If you have any large photos detailing the attachment I would appreciate having a chance to view them.

Thank you.

I just added the Garvin Trail Rack to my JLU that has tailgate reinforcement from factory. This is a great rack! It is really well built and it serves so many purposes. In addition to carrying stuff and side Rotopax mounts... it’s a great place to hang the Front Runner Camp utensils kit and I also hung a shower caddy to hold spices, olive oil etc... this rack has made my Outback table on the tailgate into a full kitchen setup. Also perfect for holding our diesel heater at camp. We love it!

 

[KansasJL]

If your just mainly needing to carry extra water have you thought about something like this?

https://www.trailrax.com/products/pak-rax-jl-2018-current

Another option for you to consider is the the garvin rotopax for the inside. I use one of these for water and love it.

https://garvinracks.com/18-20-wrangler-jl/rotopax-can-mount-interior-roll-bar-mount-2-gallon-water

 

[huyfishin]

I just added the Garvin Trail Rack to my JLU that has tailgate reinforcement from factory. This is a great rack! It is really well built and it serves so many purposes. In addition to carrying stuff and side Rotopax mounts... it’s a great place to hang the Front Runner Camp utensils kit and I also hung a shower caddy to hold spices, olive oil etc... this rack has made my Outback table on the tailgate into a full kitchen setup. Also perfect for holding our diesel heater at camp. We love it!

Your jeep is so nice. I am trying to build mine similar to yours. I think the rear basket is perfect for wet fly fishing gear after my trips.

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