HiluxSurf SSR-G
Senior Member
are the panels on the sides of the rack functional or are those just decorative?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Prinsu / Sherpa roof racks
- Thread starter octanejunkie
- Start date
Endlessblockades
Senior Member
They are structural and mounts for crossbars. They support various brackets/mounts. You can also just order crossbars and feet but of course each bar would need feet. I've since added 4 'Smiley' brackets I'll use to secure a plywood platform with pronged T-nuts or something.
Sherpa Smiley
HiluxSurf SSR-G
Senior Member
Thank you. I thought all the cross bars were provided with feet and supported on the rails.
phattyduck
Elite Member
Only three crossbars are supported directly on the Sherpa rack. The front one uses rubber 'pressure' feet, the rear two bolt to the stock rack rail tracks.
-Charlie
tx_shooter
New member
I have ran both the Sherpa (was their previous company name at the time) and the Prinsu rack on my 3rd gen. Their statement about the not utilizing the track system is hilarious. The Prinsu rack uses all five bolt holes per side for mounting that the stock rack does. Contact point to contact point the Prinsu rack is 10 bolt mounts + 2 front pressure points vs the Sherpa being 4 contact mounts to the ~20 year old track system + 2 front pressure points.
My experience with Sherpa was bad - the product was lacking and their customer service was crap. Blame the user then come out with an "upgrade" that addresses what the customer called out as an issue. I bought and then trashed the Sherpa rack. I have been running and abusing a Prinsu rack without any issues for the last two years. Dollar for dollar it has been one of my best investments with my 4Runner.
For clarification - I usually drive around with nothing on the rack; but when loaded out I have a CVT Mt Shasta, Tred boards, and maybe a shovel. My wife did not feel stable/ safe in the RTT with the Sherpa rack. That statement from her convinced me I had to do something different.
If you go with the Sherpa hopefully you have a better experience but I would not put anything from Sherpa in or on my 4Runner again.
busmup808
New member
Can you show a picture of the 5 contact points you speak of. Thank u [emoji1686]
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octanejunkie
Elite Member
It's the 5 factory mounting points for the factory roof rack rails. Remove the track and there are 5 threaded inserts in the roof.
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Here's a link to the Prinsu page: Toyota 4Runner Prinsu Full Roof Rack | 1995.5-2002 - Prinsu Roof Racks
Probably is a bit stronger than the Sherpa rack, but really, at that point you're probably more running onto the strength limitations of the 4Runner roof itself, rather than the rack.
The Sherpa does mount to the metal rail that bolts to all 5 holes, the Prinsu removes that and bolts to the 5 holes. I'd imagine the roof would rip if you hooked a winch to the rack and dragged it off with either rack.
Probably is a bit stronger than the Sherpa rack, but really, at that point you're probably more running onto the strength limitations of the 4Runner roof itself, rather than the rack.
The Sherpa does mount to the metal rail that bolts to all 5 holes, the Prinsu removes that and bolts to the 5 holes. I'd imagine the roof would rip if you hooked a winch to the rack and dragged it off with either rack.
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busmup808
New member
Mahaloz and I saw it on their site after responding to you. The 5 points make a stronger contact to contact. Interesting, I might just modify the footprint of my rack.
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Endlessblockades
Senior Member
Pretty sure both racks are 'rated' at 600lbs static, so approximately you and 2 friends(!) in your RTT and 300lbs in motion while wheeling. If that's not enough, you may want to look into a bigger buggy.
I agree with you on that.
For those that are saying one is stronger than the other where it mounts to the vehicle, I fail to see the difference strength wise between mounting directly to the 5 holes for each factory track or mounting to the factory track that’s mounted to the 5 holes. I removed my factory tracks with no intention of putting them back on so I attempted to bend them by putting one end on the lip of a stair and standing and jumping on it. No problem with the factory track bending.
My impression as well. There's nothing at all wrong with the factory tracks - they're every bit as strong if being pulled upward (just 5 little bolts either way), and when pressing down they at least spread the force out over the whole length.
By far the weakest link in the whole factory roof rack setup are the plastic feet on the cross bars.
By far the weakest link in the whole factory roof rack setup are the plastic feet on the cross bars.
octanejunkie
Elite Member
I can see arguments in both directions, the biggest concern is the factory roof track creates a water seal that apparently several people have struggled recreating once removing the track and ending up with a leaking roof.
Keeping the roof rack intact keeps the seal in place assuming it hadn't been otherwise compromised. That's the main appeal of the Sherpa rack, to me. 4 bolts vs 5 seems potentially irrelevant. If the roof track is in question or has been removed before the Prinsu seems the obvious choice assuming it's sealed against leakage.
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On my last 4Runner I had to deal with a water leak from the roof track bolt holes. By all indications the roof track had never been removed. I removed both tracks and put a smear of silicone around each bolt hole and a dab in the bolt hole itself before reassembling. Didn't leak any after that and the silicone was enough to seal everything, but not prevent the track bolts from being able to be removed.
tx_shooter
New member
Never had an issue with leaks and like Bad Luck I put a dab of silicon around the bolts when installing.
The biggest difference between the mounting for the Prinsu and Sherpa is the weight distribution. The Prinsu mounts are molded and braced as part of the sides. The weight load is spread to all 10 (or 12 depending on view) mount points to the roof. The Sherpa uses two mounts and the two front pads to spread the same load.
If the 4Runner roofs are " so weak" would you rather spread the 600 lbs over 10 contact points or 4?
I did both - I went with 10.
Also the mounts to the Sherpa are bolted to the rack then to the rails. Bolts break and come lose so the rack can move around while on the roof. The Prinsu mounts are literally part of single piece sides. The bolt can break or come loose but it cannot move from the original location. The entire roof rack has to come loose and all 10 bolts have to break before the rack moves around on the roof of the 4Runner. The loose rack issue was one of my reasons for trashing my Sherpa rack.
The biggest difference between the mounting for the Prinsu and Sherpa is the weight distribution. The Prinsu mounts are molded and braced as part of the sides. The weight load is spread to all 10 (or 12 depending on view) mount points to the roof. The Sherpa uses two mounts and the two front pads to spread the same load.
If the 4Runner roofs are " so weak" would you rather spread the 600 lbs over 10 contact points or 4?
I did both - I went with 10.
Also the mounts to the Sherpa are bolted to the rack then to the rails. Bolts break and come lose so the rack can move around while on the roof. The Prinsu mounts are literally part of single piece sides. The bolt can break or come loose but it cannot move from the original location. The entire roof rack has to come loose and all 10 bolts have to break before the rack moves around on the roof of the 4Runner. The loose rack issue was one of my reasons for trashing my Sherpa rack.
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I thought Gobi had some rather vague patent involving racks that bolt directly onto a vehicle in the factory mounting points? Or something similar, which is why other racks have to use removable feet or risk getting a cease-and-desist letter from them.
And again, not to belabor the point, but it's 4 points of contact onto the fairly stout metal track Which is several feet long and curved to match the shape of the roof.
I'm not trying to say one is better than the other, just trying to say that one isn't worse than the other.
My Sherpa has been on a long while and I haven't had a single bolt come loose. And I wheel it pretty hard with stuff attached to it. Not a RTT, so nothing close to the 300 lb limit for either rack. Just camping chairs, gas gans, stuff like that.
And again, not to belabor the point, but it's 4 points of contact onto the fairly stout metal track Which is several feet long and curved to match the shape of the roof.
I'm not trying to say one is better than the other, just trying to say that one isn't worse than the other.
My Sherpa has been on a long while and I haven't had a single bolt come loose. And I wheel it pretty hard with stuff attached to it. Not a RTT, so nothing close to the 300 lb limit for either rack. Just camping chairs, gas gans, stuff like that.
