A honest to god question about roof racks.

[vdog2000002]

Agreed, and despite me knowing I would never fully utilize it, I still like the way they look. That said, I think I'm going to go with the LFD upgraded crossbars. Seems like the best bang for your buck in terms of functionality vs cost.

That is what I did. I have the stock roof rails and LFD crossbars. I use it to haul my kayak. It's a functional setup that looks OEM.

 

[Sully888]

I made my own for about $400. Took about a day or two (mostly it was waiting for parts and trying different things)

 

[shoong]

If you want to build upon your existing OEM roof rails you can add beefier crossbars. For a lot less money than a full rack.
Check out LFD:
LFD Off Road - Ruggedized Crossbar Bundle

Or from a forum member, the NiseRack system:
5th Gen Aluminum Roof Rack Using OEM Siderails: NiseRack

4Runner Roof Rack | NiseRack.com

doing god's work.

 

[cbaty08]

doing god's work.

Just be sure to be mindful of the weight those stock rails support.

I forget how much it is, I wish I could tell you, but it's a lot less than you would think.

I'm sure it's find for your duffle bags and whatnot, but just something to think of.

 

[AggieOE]

Lots of good info on this thread.

I used the OEM side rails to carry our RTT across the country. I mounted the support bars that come with it across the side rails like crossbars and it supported everything just fine. I wouldn't trust the stock crossbars though.

I was super close to going with LFDs cross rails as they keep the overall height down. Some of those full-length racks make home and parking garages impossible to enter.

 

[Rottwagon]

I made my own from 80/20 for about $300. It's not a full rack but very functional.

I have been eye 80/20 for months. Know that one day I will need their stuff. Just haven’t had the right idea yet. Please share pics!

 

[MAST4R]

I have a 100$ big light basket from Cabella's. I used it often on my OB due to lack of interior cargo room. It was very useful to place an inflatable boat there, for example. Normally, it held a couple of boxes, TRed 1100, kids' sleds, things like that. I really used it with the Outback.

So by default I mounted it on the 4R on big trips early on. It barely carried anything. I have not used it in 2 years. It drops the mpg by like 2, which impact the range, which matters in the SW (I don't carry extra fuel). Its best use on the 4R was as a roof skid plate in Montana, not kidding.

I find that nowadays I normally go at a good pace through the desert or when in low range, I am often off-camber or on narrow, awkward spots. In neither of those scenarios I care for anything on the roof.

Remote camping...is for younger folks LOL.

So unless you are camping remotely for more than a couple of nights, there is no point. And I would by no means sacrifice my pace in order to carry stuff. My weight is really concentrated in skids, sliders, and LTE tires. I am very light on top. But that's me. It is all personal preference.

 

[86 Runner]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet - I've been happy with my Rola roof rack:

Amazon.com: ROLA 59504 V-Tex Rooftop Cargo Basket: Automotive

I originally had it on the stock rails, but switched to the low profile mount.

I use it every time we go out camping and it is great for holding the camping chairs, firewood, gas for the motorcycles, etc.