If your truly going for that safari look, you've got to have a roof rack and an awning right?

In all seriousness, the roof on my 4runner is already not in great shape due to past owners putting things directly on it. Between that and my desire to carry a gas can I decided I was definitely going to need a roof rack.

Prinsu, LFD and the other custom options are amazing, but they are expensive and specific to the 4runner. Instead, I got a Rola Rack along with the low profile mounts from 4xInnovations. Total cost was 300$, and the rack will work on other vehicles. From a functionality and quality standpoint the Rola is pretty great, but the low profile brackets are a must. If your handy, you can probably make something similar to the 4xInnovations bracket, but I decided I wanted to do it once, do it right.


With the roof rack on, I figured out I could mount my hi-lift to the side using a few U-bolts. I put some clear tubing over the Ubolt to keep it from rubbing the powder coat off the Rola.


I also attached an awning. The awning I got is basically an ARB knockoff: 4x4/SUV Retractable Rollout Awning w/ Front Extension – OffroadingGear.com. I paid about 250 for the 6.5 x 8 ft one. Unlike the ARB awning, this one comes with stainless mounting hardware and an extension.

The instructions called for attaching the stainless L brackets to the cross rails. Instead, I got some U-Bolts and attached them to the side rails.



The awning works great for sun. For rain its a tad on the small side, though still functional. All the parts are pretty solid quality, especially for a "knockoff" of another famous brand.