need roof rack advice
 

i'll apologize up front for yet another thread re roof racks- i read as much as i could on here, toyota 120 & expedition portal but still undecided which rack/model suits my needs best. ive narrowed down my choices to either the Baja Rack or WMW- from what i read they should be pretty close in price ($750-900)- i might catch a break w the WMW on shipping since they are in FL and im in NC (the website said as low as $85 for east coast shipping)...any advice of information would be very much appreciated since im new to all this

first off, im not an overland/expedition type- my 2003 SE (w moonroof) is used for DD and occasional camping and driving on beaches fishing/relaxing in the OBX therefore gas cans, high lifts, rtt's are not considerations...im heavily leaning towards a flat utility rack for a low profile design, wind noise/resistance and i read they have more practical design for hauling plywood/sheetrock etc...but then i second guess myself and like the idea of a small side rail too aid in tying things down and securing items..i would want a cutout for the moonroof too- no insert required

can anyone offer and advice/info/opinions on these 2 manufactures and pros/cons between flat/utility vs side rails?? wind noise is a concern hence my reason initially for a flat model w wind deflector...i know the WMW come bare metal w no deflector (i would bedliner it) but i read a lot of great stuff about the baja...and lastly- whether or not to get mesh flooring- the only time i could see that being handy would be loading firewood

i appreciate any insight to help me decide- this is a big purchase for me and i want to get it right the first time....thanks - chris

The great thing about WMW, would be he could fabricate to your liking. No back or front lip but maybe side rails or vice versa. It's a great product and personally I always love supporting small business. Other than that it really does come down to your wallet and preference. In regards to windnoise with the WMW, with a fairing everything is fine. Just something to keep in mind. Good luck and keep us updated

Even though I just ordered a Gobi rack, I think the Frontrunner racks are the best in terms of creating what you want whenever you want. The racks are flat but you can add side rails, front, rear etc... You can do whatever the hell you want for whatever task is at hand. Don't be fooled by the low price of WMW. He produces an amazing product but you also need to factor in the price of powder coating it, wind fairing, removable sun roof insert, shipping and crossbars. He recommends Yakima cross bars so they're not even WMW.

Here's my .02:


You don't need a rack. You're going to lose mileage, gain wind resistance, have a lighter wallet, etc. For hauling plywood and drywall etc, either put it inside or spent the $19.95 for the first hour and rent the Home Cheapo or Lowes pickup. If you did it 5 times a year (which you probably won't) it'll cost you a hundred bucks. You're not going to really throw 40-50lb. sheets of plywood on top of the truck anyway. Too risky to foobar the body and paint.

thanks for the responses- i appreciate your time to post

wadle5- i also like to support a small biz when i can- i read that his racks are top notch...i guess it always comes down to personal preference

range- good points to keep in mind...i also think the frontrunner is a great rack as well (free shipping too!)...seems any quality rack in the end and delivered is pushing 1k

chitown40- while i see your point that i wont be using it constantly and i could make due without, the truth is that i just want to have one when i do need it- i sleep in my vehicle when camping, so it would be nice to have a place to put my stuff other than the ground..

i look forward to hearing what others have to offer...i am leaning towards my initial idea of a full length flat rack setup

Then if it's Whitson vs. Baja I vote Whitson because it sits much lower to the roof. It was a toss up between Whitson and Gobi for me but what made me choose Gobi was the fact that all that shit I mentioned in my post above came with the Gobi. Both sit very close to the curvature of the roof line which I really liked. Gas mileage went out the window once I lifted, got bigger tires, put on a steel bumper. We have 3 cars (4Runner, BMW 550i and Honda Civic for my work since I drive it 20-25k miles a year) so I'm pretty much at the point where now I'm just laughing at how heavy can I make my truck.

@Xrider237 .... This is one WMW made for fedrlbiker. It was made a little larger than his normal, special request from him.

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[QUOTE=Range;1978778]Then if it's Whitson vs. Baja I vote Whitson because it sits much lower to the roof. Both sit very close to the curvature of the roof line which I really liked

^^^ i didnt know that the WMW sits that much lower than the Baja...to be honest, i havent even come across a 4th gen with a WMW flat rack- only one w sides on it like on their website...i guess i shouldnt discount the frontrunner either...at least just from a design pov i really like the whitson...im guessing the cost will be pretty close when all factors are considered

[QUOTE=having fun;1978786] @Xrider237 .... This is one WMW made for fedrlbiker. It was made a little larger than his normal, special request from him

^^ thats pretty sweet and pretty secure way of moving 4x8 sheets...at least a few of them...its really cool how you can have fabbed up special requests...i have a couple of ideas that i may request- thanks for posting pics- they are always fun to look at

[QUOTE=Xrider237;1978795] WMW racks have a slight curve to them to help with the conture of the roof.
If they where perfectly flat, it would almost touch in the center.

If I were in your situation (hauling the occasional load of plywood or camping gear), I'd save myself a big wad of cash and just get an extended Rola roof basket with theArmor Tech low profile mounts. It'll do pretty much anything that the high dollar racks can do at a fraction of the price, and looks pretty darn good to boot.

You think Rola has an 800 lb static load capacity. I don't.

As a guy that has had 2 BajaRacks (4Runner & LandRover) I would go with the WMW and spec it how ever you want it.

thnx ebg- that is my plan- gonna go w a basic full length flat rack...thinking to have them add some low key tie down points (eyelets?) around the perimeter

couple of questions- i plan to use a bedliner finish/rustoleum/'black trim' paint to finish -is there any particular brand or type that anyone would recommend?? i plan on having a mesh floor added- would the bedliner apply to that w/o any issues or would it be too thick? there is 10-12wk lead time to build the rack so i have pmenty of time to figure that out

also- what is the purpose of the 'cutout' or 'notch' i see on some of the racks in the rear center??

thanks again for all your comments

OP, I think we've been communicating via email, otherwise, someone else out there thinks just like you.

I like to think my racks occupy a unique spot in the market. They all come in bare steel giving you the option to go mild or wild on a coating. I do try to work with people to customize the racks to their liking, within reason. I won't do something that I wouldn't want on my truck or that wouldn't be a solid product. You can certainly build up an order that'll have you right at the cost of other brands once all is said and done, or you can keep it a little simpler and have the functionality of a full length rack and save some coin.

a spray on bed liner would work great on the rack, including the expanded metal flooring. Line-X is dang near bomb proof if you have a good shop in your area; should cost about what powder coating does.

As Range pointed out, I advise the use of a replacement bar for Yakima basket. It's available with non-marking hardware (which I can't find anywhere!) , and comes painted already, for the same price I was building bare metal bars for, so it's a no brainer. They just need to be trimmed down.

Im hoping lead times can be cut down as I'm soon to be moving to a shop with more space and teaming up with my brother!