Roof rack advice?

J

jhmoore

New member
New 2018 TRD ORP that came without the roof rack crossbars ($185).

Short-term (summer/fall), I'll want to carry kayaks and a standup paddleboard in town, and for a trip this fall I'll want some kind of rooftop box to carry stuff (e.g., Yakima, Thule).

Long-term, I'll likely want something substantial to carry a 6th wheel and extra gas.

So... buy the Toyota roof rack crossbars for the short term? Or some other option--either to make use of the existing setup or go all the way to replacing the full rooftop rack? (With what?)

Thanks!
 
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[MENTION=68953]jhmoore[/MENTION], don't waste your money on the stock cross bars. They are too low to be used with a Yakima Skybox and even if you were able to get a box on with them, they Flex way too much and you will destroy your roof.

If you plan on getting a full replacement roof rack in the long run but don't want to do it right away, get a universal solution like yakima or thule bars... you can sell these later to just about anyone or move it to a different vehicle. Check out Craigslist and eBay for lightly used options as well.
 
So several comments: take them with a grain of salt.

If you search online you can find a dealership that will sell you the OEM factory attachments at much better prices. I got cross bars, chrome tip, and rear interior cover like that. I think I paid like 100 or so for the bars.

How much weight are you talking about? I thought the factory bars were rated like maybe 90-100 lbs.

Some other manufacturers may make stronger racks but there will be a reasonable limit to the weight that could be put on top of the vehicle. I recall seeing a small SUV loading several hundred pounds of lumber at home depot. They didn't get it. The wood was pressing the cross bars into the roof of the vehicle.
 
Forgot to mention that I specified the yakima skybox because I had a 12 when I first got my 4runner. The stock crossbars would not accomidate it. Additionaly the 4Runner is not listed as compatible on the Yakima site. When I called Yakima about the fit, they said it was due to the factory crossbars being too flexible which I could definitely see. That's why I sold the factory crossbars and moved the Yakima round bar setup from my wife's Escape to the 4Runner.

I later moved the Yakima round bars back to our Escape once I got a Gobi rack. I ended up selling the Yakima 12 and moved up to a 21 as our family grew and even with the Yakima bars as far forward as possible, the rear spoiler would contact the roof box.

The gobi is overkill 99% of the time, but its handy when doing yard work and there are cheaper options available now. And even though getting the box on is a PITA with the standard Gobi stealth, the spoiler dies not contact the roof box.
 
Another vote for the "RagoRails" system. Much better than the OEM rails, enough to support most RTT at half the cost of the big racks and without the fuel penalty or lead time!

285153d1518376155-idiot-thread-rack-roof.jpg
 
What I did

Bought an extra set of factory rails and I run 4 of them for now. I bought 2 used sets, cost me 150 for 4 rails. Works for me for now. I would like to add a 5th one in the center, looking now for another set.
 

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Bodhi327 said:
I do like the Rago racks, probably be a future mod
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Rago makes solid products. The only issue with the rack system is that it uses the factory side rails. If you're using roof box like the Op mentioned, the rear spoiler might hit the Box. Also I'm not sure how it would attach. If he's not married to the Box idea and would use a roof bag instead, then that would be ideal.
 
...I 2nd the LFD Ruggedized Cross-Bars!

...These are probably stronger than the actual roof!..

...they should stand up to any option ya wanna put up on top of your roof!
 

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The Rago is good, but it's height above the roof makes it hard to access the underside.

I'm somewhat biased, but I think the LFD route is the best value. You can start with just two crossbars and have something stronger and a lot more functional than the factory bars for about the same price as factory bars. Then you'll have the ability to expand into a longer rack in the future.

Edited to add: The LFD complete 3/4 rack is slightly less than the Rago bars. No brainer.
 
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Here is my opinion based on experience.

1. Factory roof rails and crossbars, unless they came with the truck, don't bother, they're useless for the most part

2. You can go full Gobi or whatever other roof rack, but consider cost and actual applicability. will you use it for what it's intended? I had a Gobi on my TE back in 2010 and loved the way it looked, but it was more than what I needed. Like you, I'm transporting surf boards, SUPs and other lighter items.

3. My current solution on the new 4R... I bought the Rhino RLT Track system. This sits flush into the existing gutter and you can mount a bunch of different solutions quickly and best of all, you have a "roof rack delete look" with a quick 5 minute removal of parts.

Another note, if for some reason you decide later to get a full roof rack, no need to remove the track system, you can install with it in place...again, this allows you the option of removing the full rack and having the old option available.
 
CF_Machete said:
[MENTION=68953]jhmoore[/MENTION], don't waste your money on the stock cross bars. They are too low to be used with a Yakima Skybox and even if you were able to get a box on with them, they Flex way too much and you will destroy your roof.

If you plan on getting a full replacement roof rack in the long run but don't want to do it right away, get a universal solution like yakima or thule bars... you can sell these later to just about anyone or move it to a different vehicle. Check out Craigslist and eBay for lightly used options as well.
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I can attest to this. I have a Thule Motion XT and it rubbed my roof with the factory cross bars. I sorta went overboard and had a Gobi installed. I like how it looks and how it can carry virtually anything but you do hear it up there and you can feel it when driving.
 
Slubgub said:
Any wind noise with the LFD crossbars?
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pretty negligible, i only notice anything when i have stuff bolted to the top and even then it's never been loud enough that it has bothered me or been distracting

i did end up using some zip ties and cordage on the hi-lift to try to keep any moving part from being able to rattle
 
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