I want a roof rack so bad, but I have no idea where to begin. How easy are they to install and remove? How do you clean underneath them?
When you are shopping for a rack, first consider what you will be using it for. All of racks have different purposes and have different styles.
For example, on my Rav4, I have a Yakima Loadwarrior. It is a great rack and with its high sides, I am able to throw my loose cargo (duffle bags, fishing poles, etc.) into it and simply cover it with a net.
On my 4Runner, I have a Whitson Metalworks (no longer in business but similar to Gobi). It is large and it is heavy but is full length. The bottom has a steel mesh with much smaller holes that allows me to easily throw smaller stuff up there. With 21 square feet of space, I can throw all kinds of stuff up there and easily strap it down.
Now if I wanted to mount an ARB tent on top, I would have to make modifications to both racks because neither have horizontal crossbars. There are new styles of racks that are now completely flat and have a different purpose than "basket" racks. Rhino Rack (
Pioneer Platforms | Rhino-Rack) is a popular option that is flat. Why is this advantageous? It's much easier to mount a rooftop tent and your load distribution is better balanced throughout the span of the rack instead of simply relying on horizontal cross members. These styles of racks still allow you to strap stuff down but you must be extra cautious because your stuff can easily slide off having 3 degrees of freedom that must be fixed.
When you are shopping for a rack, first define your budget because racks range from $200-$2000. Then decide what you'll be using it for. Is it simply to mount Rotopax, spare tire, Maxtraxx, shovel, rooftop tent, awning, hi-lift jacks, etc. that will stay up all the time? Or will it be empty most of the time and just used for your extra cargo when needed? That will help you decide whether you want something that will permanently hold stuff like recovery gear or if it will be used regularly to put stuff up and down. Baskets are simply easier for loose cargo and flat racks have lots of expensive adapters for extra toys. See
https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/roof-racks/slimline-ii-roof-rack-kits.html for examples.
Other factors to consider:
1) You will lose gas mileage. Aerodynamic racks help. Fairings help.
2) Extra weight sucks. How much weight do you want to be hauling around everywhere you go?
3) You'll be top heavy. It is never recommended to house spare tires and liquids on the roof because those items greatly shift your center of mass and you don't want to tip, obviously.
4) Will you still fit in your garage? If applicable.
5) Is it easy to remove and can you do it alone?
I can remove my Yakima rack alone which is great for washing and waxing. There is no way I could remove the full length Whitson rack alone. Make sure you keep all lightbars and electronics on weatherproof quick disconnects!!! Every few months, you may want to remove the rack so you can get a thorough wash and a coat of wax under there because the roof will take a beating in hot sun and dust when you cant wash it regularly. Try a pressure washer.
Good luck, shop around, and look at pictures of others.
-Michael
