Gobi vs. Bajarack

[McFly2003]

ok, so I am sure this has probably been discussed before, but a search did not yield the results I was looking for.

Before I begin, the rig in question is a 3rd gen 4runner

With the summer travel season rapidly approaching, I am potentially in the market for a roof rack system that can withstand whatever I need to throw at it. My desire for a full length rack with a high weight capacity has narrowed it down to two finalists (unless someone has any other contestants that I haven't thought of): the gobi system and the bajarack system. Now, I know that the price difference is quite significant in this debate, but for the sake of this thread, I would like to try and put price tag aside.

Until recently, I was pretty set on the bajarack as I knew for sure that I did not require any drilling to my roof and I was under the impression that the gobi did. This evening, after doing some research, it is now looking like the gobi does not require drilling either. Can anyone out there confirm or deny this?

Next is space. While they are both full length, all of the Gobi's I have seen have the huge cut out for the sunroof and are split up into sections. My desire for one large, open area has again led me to the baja system. does anyone know if the layout of the gobi is customizable?

Finally, and this is where I tend to lean in the other direction. My desire for a low profile system has me looking at the Gobi Stealth. I am not a huge fan of the bajarack's curved profile and how the height of the rails is not uniform along the entire rack. Petty, I know, but why not want to get something that you think looks good. Does anyone know if bajarack does custom work and/or maybe does a low profile system?

While I know I can just research all of my above inquiries with the two manufacturers, I thought I would post here and see if those of you out there who have experience with either of these two systems in the real world can share there thoughts with me on performance, quality, ease of installation, storage space and access, customer service etc. etc. Thanks a ton in advance and happy exploring!!

 

[BrianSD_42]

suggest you post prices and pics or links to each of the two racks.

 

[Volley]

I don't know about the 3rd Gen version but I had the Bajarack on my FJ and was quite pleased with it. While they are still considerably cheaper than the Gobis I actually got mine directly from Sergio a few years back when it was even cheaper. I ran it for 2 years on my FJ and you are right, the profile is much higher than the Gobi. My FJ had a much more curved roof than the 4R so it made the high profile even more noticeable IMO. The guys in my group with the Gobi love and swear by them and I must admit they look sweet with the lower profile. I just couldn't justify the additional costs with that alone. The thing I didn't like about the Baja which the Gobi has is the mesh floor (this is easily solved with some kennel flooring and 30 minutes). My FJ didn't have a sunroof, but with the 4R without the "cutout" in the Gobi I would think that it would be too low to use the tilt function of the sunroof. Both racks are huge and provide a lot of storage. Baja very easy to install (did it by myself on a lifted FJ), the Gobi I helped with was a little more difficult due to the low profile and getting your hands in there. Both are great quality and you can't go wrong. Customer service with Baja was great too, can't attest to Gobi. I will say that my gas mileage dropped with the Baja (maybe 2MPG or so).

Hopefully someone with a 4R chimes in but my knowledge/experience with both racks are very positive. GL!

 

[McFly2003]

Volley, thanks a ton. I have heard great things about the ease of installation on the baja. when you helped with the gobi, did you guys have to drill/bolt the front legs down? I have seen people do that but am thinking maybe they were just doing it for added strength. The price is a factor me also, I am just trying focus more on features than price tag. If i choose the gobi, i can just save up. I also know that in a lot of cases you get what you pay for, but its not like I am planning on traveling around the world with this thing, just weekend camping trips and family trips to the beach. MPG's was another concern as the supercharger is going on this week and with the cost of premium gas where it is, I would like to keep that expense as minimal as possible.
thanks again for your feedback!

 

[reklov]

There is a gobi group buy going on till the 31st in case you decide gobi