Roof Basket / Rack Systems

[martyg]

Greetings -

New to the board. Live in Durango and have a 2000 SR5. I was considering purchasing a new 2019 TRD, but CO's registration / renewal fees on new vehicles is a non-starter for me.

My 2000 is still going strong after 250,000 miles, so she's getting a few upgrades on suspension to make the ride on rough roads / jeep trails more tolerable.

Looking at roof basket systems.... I've seen a few photos where members seem to have Thule / Yakima systems that are mounted directly to the factory channels. Do we know if they are fabricating mounting hardware, or if it is an aftermarket items?

Thanks in advance.

 

[GhostRing]

Your typical Yak/Thule kit will start with a landing pad/fitkit utilizing square plates that will slide into the OEM track. Then the appropriate tower/crossbar combo will attach to that. A roof basket will usually clamp around those bars. This will all count towards the 165lb. recommended weight capacity.

It is a pretty decent system that doesn't require welding or drilling, but there are certainly lower-profile set ups out there. It will ultimately depend on what your needs are.

 

[rickmum]

Your typical Yak/Thule kit will start with a landing pad/fitkit utilizing square plates that will slide into the OEM track. Then the appropriate tower/crossbar combo will attach to that. A roof basket will usually clamp around those bars. This will all count towards the 165lb. recommended weight capacity.

Are you saying the factory rails are rated for 165 lbs? If so that may be erroneous.. the factory bars are wimpy and rated at 165lbs but not the rails/roof itself.

 

[GhostRing]

Are you saying the factory rails are rated for 165 lbs? If so that may be erroneous.. the factory bars are wimpy and rated at 165lbs but not the rails/roof itself.

You are correct, the OEM bars are rated at 100lbs. evenly distributed.
Yakima/Thule/Rhino Rack will up the rating to 165lbs.