What is your favorite roof rack

[RussJeep1]

Ok.

Sometimes on the forum we can discuss a point, and approach it from 5 different angles, and bring it up again in the month, and I'm probably no less guilty of this.

But I haven't seen--granted on cursory search--a thread that discusses what people's favorite roof racks are and why. Those more in the know here, please chime in.

As any new Wrangler owner will quickly find out, your money went to its capabilities, not its spaciousness for cargo.

Now before anyone comes to the rig's defense, (which I love and own too) I'm not saying you can't store your fair share of gear in its interior, especially with some/all of the rear seats down. I'm not saying the thing can't tow enormous amounts of gear for its size.

But many of us find out in short order than whether it's the off road adventure, the family road trip, or (as in my case) the "daddy, I need to take all of this to college," task, we need to take our belongings to "the big guy upstairs," referring tongue in cheek here to a roof rack, over a deity (and let me assure you that I can call upon the latter no less energetically when provided a 15 minute window to dump and load a vehicle to/from a dorm room!)

So I wonder, what's your favorite roof rack? It need not be one out for the JL yet? What would you want to see in your ideal roof rack?

Here's the forum's well compiled list, which granted does also discuss people's opinions.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/the-roof-rack-list-jl-jlu-wrangler.2665/

My biases: I don't suffer from conformational bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias#Confirmation_bias because I made my rack, nor am I seeking attention--although if you want to make a similar one I'm glad to tell you what I know. I don't work for a profit from any roof rack vendor in any vehicle marketing space.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/diy-no-hole-roof-rails.10580/#post-301033

Save your applauds (not that I deserve any.) For me necessity was the mother of invention. The one rack out there when I needed one several months ago was the Gobi, and even if I could swing it financially, the wait at the time for one was too long for my time frame. (Disclaimer: I think the Gobi is a fantastic rack. I don't wish to imply otherwise.) I didn't think MOPARs rain gutter solution, albeit available at JL launch, was either large or industrial enough for my needs.

Before I turn it over to you, I'll give you my 2 cents.

Far and away, the winner of this contest for me is the LOD Offroad designs. This is the JK version.

Sure it's pricey. (The JL version is reported to be able to slide to either side when made available for sale.) But to have enough confidence in your design to stick 2 kids on the rack fully cantilevered--that's impressive. I am trying to do a poor man's replication of this (without stepping on patents) JK version on my JL using garage door track on my rig's top, and a metal grid with garage door rollers that slides into that track. You bet I won't be cantilevering like that (without supports.)

To me, everyone else, including Gobi, (who comes in 2nd in my mind) is just "playin' for seconds."

All the Gobi does in the way of allowing access to the rig's hard or soft top is allow you to angle it back. Don't try that with even securely attached gear. Even if you're strong enough, I'm not sure Gobi would bless that. (Disclaimer: I think the Gobi rack lifted its Jeep in promos. No way am I implying the thing anything but a monster in strength with beautiful lines.)

And I feel the way I do because the best racks don't get in the way, especially when not loaded with gear, of doing what we love best: opening the soft top or taking out the Freedom Panels, and IMHO, don't leave holes.

Along these lines I'd love to give an honorable mention to the Smittybuilt and others like it.

It's simple, less pricey, doesn't require you to drill into the (hard) top, and/or allows you to run with a soft top. You can adjust remove cross members you don't need (I believe) to give you access to the top.

Now--if you have the power top, little of this applies. I'd get one but my neighbors would miss the biannual cursing-fest of me moving the hard top.

What say you?

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[lodoffroad]

I guess it's time for us to step up or step out, you just wait and see!

 

[RussJeep1]

I guess it's time for us to step up or step out, you just wait and see!

If a picture could be worth a thousand words guys, with an engineering acumen, I sit it awe of your JK design that not only could be cantilevered to the extent your rack does, but with weight on it....

on not only with weight on it...but with weight at the very edge of the cantilever, and substantial weight at that.

If I tried designing something in metal like that it would bend like hot caramel.

Well done LOD Off road, well done!

The JL's bidirectional cantilever, at least to the extent that it extends over the sides, should be a cake walk given the JK's implementation is far more cantilevered.

...and let me tell you, pulling up to the dorms right up to the vehicle in front of you, and with a vehicle right behind you, on one way city streets that could find you on the left or right side parking, the bi-directional JL cantilever is a quite "the bomb."

I look forward to your JL design's poetry in motion.

 

[American Adventurist]

Rhino Rack. JL Backbone System with newly redesigned Pioneer platform.

That’s what I’m buying as soon as it’s available.

 

[American Jeeper]

The MAXIMUS-3 solution has my vote, and it holds 100 pounds more of static weight than the full Rhino (Rhino is reporting 800 vs M-3 900 lbs). I haven’t seen the comparison measurements, but the MAXIMUS-3 may also be slightly lower profile just eyeballing based on what the backbone looked like on the JK. The engineering and quality of MAXIMUS-3 is top notch.

 

[RussJeep1]

@American Adventurist @American Jeeper : thanks for shedding light on the idea that for some, putting holes through, or linking your need for a rack with your need to run a hard top is not only fine by you, but is worth not merely the cost savings of other and hole-less racks, but the additional weight loads you can run with these items, when you transfer load to points directly below the racks via their proprietary below the top hardware.

I guess my mindset of wherever you drill a hole is not only a potential for a leak but a disenfranchised second owner of your rig is overrated. A properly sealed hole and a used hole-less hard top are always respective options to each so-called downside here.

I mean if you can't carry the gear you want/need for weight reasons (not that the Gobi/LOD aren't (expensive) tanks themselves) popping the soft top at overland destinations beyond your reach then only become a pipe dream anyway.

 

[American Jeeper]

@American Adventurist @American Jeeper : thanks for shedding light on the idea that for some, putting holes through, or linking your need for a rack with your need to run a hard top is not only fine by you, but is worth not merely the cost savings of other and hole-less racks, but the additional weight loads you can run with these items, when you transfer load to points directly below the racks via their proprietary below the top hardware.

I guess my mindset of wherever you drill a hole is not only a potential for a leak but a disenfranchised second owner of your rig is overrated. A properly sealed hole and a used hole-less hard top are always respective options to each so-called downside here.

I mean if you can't carry the gear you want/need for weight reasons (not that the Gobi/LOD aren't (expensive) tanks themselves) popping the soft top at overland destinations beyond your reach then only become a pipe dream anyway.

As I sit and type this I am in the back of my Jeep, where I slept last night before my day of wheeling today. Some of gear is on the rack above me, and at some point soon a tent will be on the rack. That 100 pound could make a difference. Even a weekend trip offers a lot of use for the rack.

Gobi’s are cool but way more noise (what I have heard) and no windshield down (or off) is a drawback too. Anything with that much of an exterior profile will be noisy and create more drag.

I have a black hard top and if I ever want sell or trade the Jeep and don’t get the value because of the top, I could sell it outright or transfer the to what would likely be my next JL

As far as drilling holes and leaking, it’s a non-issue due to solid design. The rubber washers, the location of the mounts at the raised areas of the top, and the tightened down brackets give it no chance. I power wash mud off my rig in the regular, and my top leaks, but that was a factory option and not an aftermarket one.

That all said, kudos to you for working on building something own your own. I love that and respect the DIY for sure!

 

[RussJeep1]

@American Jeeper : thank you for your insights and field expertise. The noise aspect you highlight deserves no less consideration than the, it seems, hyped concerns I have over leakage or resale value. Your rack, given its design with hardware directly below that transfers weight from the rack and its contents, not to the hard top, but the body, and in turn to the chassis really makes it "part of the rig."

As stated, popping the soft top your choices opt you out of is no great shakes if your rack limits you from carrying the gear you need, to the destination you'd pop that soft top at in the first place.

Again thanks for your insight and perspective.

 

[American Jeeper]

@American Jeeper : thank you for your insights and field expertise. The noise aspect you highlight deserves no less consideration than the, it seems, hyped concerns I have over leakage or resale value. Your rack, given its design with hardware directly below that transfers weight from the rack and its contents, not to the hard top, but the body, and in turn to the chassis really makes it "part of the rig."

As stated, popping the soft top your choices opt you out of is no great shakes if your rack limits you from carrying the gear you need, to the destination you'd pop that soft top at in the first place.

Again thanks for your insight and perspective.

Absolutely-enjoying the conversation! Now off to the trails

 

[TIDALWAVE]

Rhino Back Bone System vs Hot Head Headliners?
I have the full set of HH headliners, which include the liners that fit on the rear side windows. Will the Back Bone side panels fit against the headliners? The headliners are not very thick.

 

[RussJeep1]

#1

I wonder (I don't know--maybe you do) if either the Gobi or LOD Offroad racks can accommodate a soft top in 1st (i.e. Sunrider) position--in other words if their is enough height in either rack to be able to close while the top is folded, or if the racks can be configured to provide empty space at the area where the soft top accumulates fabric and height in its first open position.

Same question goes from the power top: which I'm willing to guess has a significantly lower height in its folds when in open position.

#2

I wonder if the JL Gobi rack works as it does here for the JK. I suspect so.



I wonder if, using (more likely two) winches, if the Gobi rack can be tilted back and then lowered in a controlled fashion, with heavy gear securely on it, to open a soft top to 1st or maybe only fully open position, and then lower the Gobi rack back I place.

Maybe this feature is overrated. If you're rack is chock full of gear, opening the soft top may provide you wind and cooling, but not sun.

Thoughts?

 

[RussJeep1]

Rhino Back Bone System vs Hot Head Headliners?
I have the full set of HH headliners, which include the liners that fit on the rear side windows. Will the Back Bone side panels fit against the headliners? The headliners are not very thick.

Excellent point Chuck.

I wonder if designers of such "transfer of the weight of the rack through the hard top and down to the tub liner" racks feature adjustability in how close to the inside of the hard top their hardware be, and provide longer bolts to make their way through to top of the hardtop, and past the headliners you describe, down to that weight supporting hardware.

..not that drilling through a headliner is ideal, if not also, done correctly, perhaps perfectly fine.

 

[Baddod]

Does the Rhino Rack allow your freedom panels to remove? I really like that rack the best but also wanted to get the best top Sunrider. That looks like a no-go though.

 

[RussJeep1]

@Baddod you may be the least lacking here in the knowledge that you've asked two separate questions, neither of which, sadly, do I have the knowledge to answer but would also like to know.

To quote the "wheels on the bus song," the Freedom panels, like the kids, go "up and down," while the Sunrider top, like the bus' wipers and doors, moves on a pivot point.

(I do not mean to conflate the Sunrider top from Bestop, a product, with Sunrider position, a.k.a. 1st position of the OEM soft top.)

 

[AK0311]

#1

I wonder (I don't know--maybe you do) if either the Gobi or LOD Offroad racks can accommodate a soft top in 1st (i.e. Sunrider) position--in other words if their is enough height in either rack to be able to close while the top is folded, or if the racks can be configured to provide empty space at the area where the soft top accumulates fabric and height in its first open position.

Same question goes from the power top: which I'm willing to guess has a significantly lower height in its folds when in open position.

#2

I wonder if the JL Gobi rack works as it does here for the JK. I suspect so.



I wonder if, using (more likely two) winches, if the Gobi rack can be tilted back and then lowered in a controlled fashion, with heavy gear securely on it, to open a soft top to 1st or maybe only fully open position, and then lower the Gobi rack back I place.

Maybe this feature is overrated. If you're rack is chock full of gear, opening the soft top may provide you wind and cooling, but not sun.

Thoughts?

I would not try tilting the Gobi rack with anything on it. The design is for the four attachment points to carry or hold whatever load is on it. By tilting it with the load, as soon as the front moves, the weight on the rear two connection points/hinges doubles. Say you have 800 pounds of gear up top. That’s 200 pounds on each of the four attachment points. As soon as it starts tilting, the rear two are now at 400 pounds each. As the tilting angle increases, the weight on each point becomes more due to the angles and physics. I’m no math major, but I would guess this weight would exceed the design specs and cause part failures.

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