Roof rail system vs roof basket?

[Donovan1]

2016 T4R trail with the factory rails and cross bars. As we are aware, Toyota majorly failed at designing the roof rack for the 5th gen T4r... Useless.

My question now is this: I own a Yakima Skybox already that is impossible to stick on the roof of the T4r. Works OK on my FJ. Is it worth the cost to purchase another $400 worth of mounting stuff and crossbars just to stick it up there, or should I go with a basket that I can leave up there like the Rockymouts one or the Yakima basket or something else and mount the box to that when I have to use it? It looks like I can get a nice basket for around the same cost as the additional mounting stuff and rails. I guess the limitation would be the width. However, for me, I don't foresee mounting anything more than the box up there.

Thoughts and suggestions?

 

[mcarey86]

2016 T4R trail with the factory rails and cross bars. As we are aware, Toyota majorly failed at designing the roof rack for the 5th gen T4r... Useless.

Can you fill me in on what is so bad about the stock system? I'm unaware.

Why doesn't your yakima box fit on there? Plenty of users here have boxes on the factory system.

 

[Simpleman74]

my skybox16 works just fine on the factory rack

 

[AudiTech]

I had a Thule Alpine cargo box that worked perfect on my GTI but would not fit on the 4Runner. The bars as far forward as possible with the box monted as far forward as possible still wouldn't clear the shark fin or the rear hatch/spoiler if you tried to open it.

I agree, the factory roof rack setup is stupid.

 

[Donovan1]

Can you fill me in on what is so bad about the stock system? I'm unaware.

Why doesn't your yakima box fit on there? Plenty of users here have boxes on the factory system.

Can you fill me in on how the heck you got yours on there??
The stock trail roof rack and cross bars are really close to the roof. Like an inch and a half. The clamps for my skybox barely fit under the cross bars and there is no way to get them under without scratching the hell out of the roof. Also, that shark fin antenna is taller than the cross bars the the skybox hits the fin and will not sit down on the rear cross bar. The last problem is that since the cross bars are so far rearward, the rear spoiler hits the box, and this will be an issue even with the aftermarket mounts I believe. So there's the issue explained. I have s skybox 18.

 

[Donovan1]

I had a Thule Alpine cargo box that worked perfect on my GTI but would not fit on the 4Runner. The bars as far forward as possible with the box monted as far forward as possible still wouldn't clear the shark fin or the rear hatch/spoiler if you tried to open it.

I agree, the factory roof rack setup is stupid.

The thing works fine on my FJ which is arguably one of the worst roof racks in automotive history, and it was perfect on our Outback which also had an interesting setup but much more user friendly. I'm not quite sure what Toyota envisioned going up in the newer 4Runner roof rack?? Bikes only I guess?

 

[Jhalko]

Can you fill me in on how the heck you got yours on there??
The stock trail roof rack and cross bars are really close to the roof. Like an inch and a half. The clamps for my skybox barely fit under the cross bars and there is no way to get them under without scratching the hell out of the roof. Also, that shark fin antenna is taller than the cross bars the the skybox hits the fin and will not sit down on the rear cross bar. The last problem is that since the cross bars are so far rearward, the rear spoiler hits the box, and this will be an issue even with the aftermarket mounts I believe. So there's the issue explained. I have s skybox 18.

I used this as an excuse to get a full length roof rack, just saying...

All complaints are valid from my view.

 

[Dalko43]

2016 T4R trail with the factory rails and cross bars. As we are aware, Toyota majorly failed at designing the roof rack for the 5th gen T4r... Useless.

My question now is this: I own a Yakima Skybox already that is impossible to stick on the roof of the T4r. Works OK on my FJ. Is it worth the cost to purchase another $400 worth of mounting stuff and crossbars just to stick it up there, or should I go with a basket that I can leave up there like the Rockymouts one or the Yakima basket or something else and mount the box to that when I have to use it? It looks like I can get a nice basket for around the same cost as the additional mounting stuff and rails. I guess the limitation would be the width. However, for me, I don't foresee mounting anything more than the box up there.

Thoughts and suggestions?

Call me the resident skeptic, but I think the first question that needs to be asked and answered is what exactly you need to store up on your roof?

If it's just a hi-lift jack, a shovel and maybe a gallon or two of fuel, you might not even need a basket. People have found creative ways to mount limited amounts of gear to stock roof rails.

If it's a few light bags and packs, one of those enclosed roof luggage systems might make sense as well. They're fairly easy to remove too.

If you're talking about heavily loaded pelican boxes (or something similar), tools, ect. then a basket could make sense, though a full-on roof rack would probably make more sense since it will distribute the load a bit more evenly and sits lower, which should minimize drag and keep your center of gravity a bit lower relative to the basket.

 

[Donovan1]

Call me the resident skeptic, but I think the first question that needs to be asked and answered is what exactly you need to store up on your roof?

If it's just a hi-lift jack, a shovel and maybe a gallon or two of fuel, you might not even need a basket. People have found creative ways to mount limited amounts of gear to stock roof rails.

If it's a few light bags and packs, one of those enclosed roof luggage systems might make sense as well. They're fairly easy to remove too.

If you're talking about heavily loaded pelican boxes (or something similar), tools, ect. then a basket could make sense, though a full-on roof rack would probably make more sense since it will distribute the load a bit more evenly and sits lower, which should minimize drag and keep your center of gravity a bit lower relative to the basket.

Well.. We have a 1 1/2 Y/O daughter so every time we leave the house, we take enough gear to invade Europe. When we go camping, it's usually a big Pelican ice chest, an inflatable kayak, a giant tent, bags of food, and our own crap and other camping gear, plus with a child's seat we can only fold one side of the rear seat down.
I don't "NEED" a basket, but I do absolutely need some kind of external storage when we go on trips. The question is if it is worth the $400 cost to purchase landing pads and cross bars to go on the factory rails, or just get a basket that I could use for quick "toss on the roof" items and also hold the Yakima cargo box that I already own.

Additionally, if anybody has come up with a reasonably cost effective way of getting their Yakima/Thule cargo box to fit on a '13+ lemme know!

 

[Cymon]

I have the same needs it sounds as you, with a 4 year old, 16 month old and dog. I have a skybox 16 that I bought originally to work with our outback but ran into some similar issues (not wanting to scratch the roof and shark fin clearance). Yes it can work with the factory bars but I ended up doing the Thule Aeroblades. I'm very happy with them. You get a higher load rating then the factory bars and remove most of the factory issues. I wish I could have justified doing a full rack but couldn't yet (maybe when the kids get older and I can convince the wife to get a RTT). Here is a link to pics with my 53" Aeroblades and the skybox.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/members/cymon-albums-aeroblade+pics.html


I have never not had enough room with just the skybox and 4Runner. I'm currently on a 2 week over 2,500 mile trip visiting family. And we fit everything for my wife and I, the 2 kids, and dog (including her crate). I also pack like Clark W. Griswold!

Edit: Another thing to consider with adding the basket and then the skybox is how drastically it could reduce Gas mileage. I average about 1-2mpg less with the skybox (negligible loss with just the Aerobars). If you throw a skybox on top of a "roof basket" it could result in substantial loss of mpg. Plus the loss having a basket up there full time will likely create more loss then a full length rack with fairing like baja utility or Gobi stealth since most baskets are not that streamlined. I don't know if that matters or not to you but just my .02.

 

[Donovan1]

I have the same needs it sounds as you, with a 4 year old, 16 month old and dog. I have a skybox 16 that I bought originally to work with our outback but ran into some similar issues (not wanting to scratch the roof and shark fin clearance). Yes it can work with the factory bars but I ended up doing the Thule Aeroblades. I'm very happy with them. You get a higher load rating then the factory bars and remove most of the factory issues. I wish I could have justified doing a full rack but couldn't yet (maybe when the kids get older and I can convince the wife to get a RTT). Here is a link to pics with my 53" Aeroblades and the skybox.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/members/cymon-albums-aeroblade+pics.html


I have never not had enough room with just the skybox and 4Runner. I'm currently on a 2 week over 2,500 mile trip visiting family. And we fit everything for my wife and I, the 2 kids, and dog (including her crate). I also pack like Clark W. Griswold!

Edit: Another thing to consider with adding the basket and then the skybox is how drastically it could reduce Gas mileage. I average about 1-2mpg less with the skybox (negligible loss with just the Aerobars). If you throw a skybox on top of a "roof basket" it could result in substantial loss of mpg. Plus the loss having a basket up there full time will likely create more loss then a full length rack with fairing like baja utility or Gobi stealth since most baskets are not that streamlined. I don't know if that matters or not to you but just my .02.

I think I may go for the newer Thule AeroBlade Edge bars. They look prety factory but more useful. I could probably slap those up there and put the factory bars set in between them if I needed some kind of basket type setup.

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-rack/car-racks/thule-aeroblade-edge-7503-_-7503

 

[AudiTech]

I wanted to run the roof box I already for skis so we could take 4-5 adults plus gear up to the mountains without getting road grime all over the skis from being exposed. I ski a minimum of once a week all winter long. The aftermarket cross bars would have lifted the box high enough that it wouldn't clear the garage door opening.

 

[Jetboy]

Can you fill me in on what is so bad about the stock system? I'm unaware.

Why doesn't your yakima box fit on there? Plenty of users here have boxes on the factory system.

I can tell you a few things that stink about the OEM rails.

They are light duty. You can't put much weight on them.

They are only supported at the ends, so they sag with any weight in the middle. And the put all of the roof load on 4 locations. The older flat track versions could use multiple feet and spread the load much better.

They are a PITA to put new rack bars or accessories on. You can't just slip the t slot attachments into them like you can with other rack rails.

The OEM cross bars are too close to the roof. I normally use 2" heavy duty ratchet straps. Yeah, they're $20 each instead of 4 for $20, but they last forever and they're just built better all around. BUT... the hook ends won't fit under the cross bars. So you have to pull the strap out of the ratchet end then re-feed it through if you want to use a good quality tie down. Or you end up using the cheap 1" straps with a flat hook.

The OEM cross bars are also so close to the roof that my Yakima rocket box clamps that attach to the bars hit the roof. You can't space it anywhere that it doesn't rub the paint as soon as you put a little weight in it. So I had to cut patches of clear bra material and put them under the rub spots so I could use the rocket box.

Those are my issues with the OEM rack. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen, but it's not a very good rack. It's just like all the other cheap junk OEM racks the domestic brands have used forever. The older 4runners and Land Cruisers had a MUCH better rack rail system. I'm not sure why Toyota decided to downgrade the rack for the 5th gen.

I have a set of these rails on my sailboat that I installed to attach the trampolines. They are inexpensive, strong, and very handy for tie down strips. I've considered just using a very high strength epoxy to glue a pair to my roof just inside the OEM rails. It's called "L Track" and it has fittings for every type of attachment you can imagine.

 

[Qtip]

Well.. We have a 1 1/2 Y/O daughter so every time we leave the house, we take enough gear to invade Europe. When we go camping, it's usually a big Pelican ice chest, an inflatable kayak, a giant tent, bags of food, and our own crap and other camping gear, plus with a child's seat we can only fold one side of the rear seat down.
I don't "NEED" a basket, but I do absolutely need some kind of external storage when we go on trips. The question is if it is worth the $400 cost to purchase landing pads and cross bars to go on the factory rails, or just get a basket that I could use for quick "toss on the roof" items and also hold the Yakima cargo box that I already own.

Additionally, if anybody has come up with a reasonably cost effective way of getting their Yakima/Thule cargo box to fit on a '13+ lemme know!

Get a cargo carrier for your hitch. It is way easier to get stuff on and off plus the cost is much less. If you have a pelican your food will be fine for days on the hitch.

 

[Jetboy]

Additionally, if anybody has come up with a reasonably cost effective way of getting their Yakima/Thule cargo box to fit on a '13+ lemme know!

I have 2 boxes. One Yakima and one Thule. I hate them both. They're both floppy plastic pieces of shit. Some day when have free time I'll build a fiberglass one with a rigid structure that weighs less and doesn't bind every time you try to open it.

Rant over:

The Thule rack I have uses bolts and a plate on the underside - it fits around the bars without rubbing. But it's 15 years old, so I'm sure they're nothing like the new ones, and it takes a wrench (18v impact for me) to install and remove.

The Yakima has the quick clamps. Like you said - they scratch the paint. I bought a sheet of raw clear bra on ebay. It's cheap. Then I cut patches to cover the rub areas. It works. Not great, but it protects the paint very well.

I do not like hitch cargo carriers. I have one for a motorcycle and use it to transport my wife's 150cc scooter. I find the weight cantilevered off the back to cause strange driving dynamics. I don't like it. Especially on highway trips. I'd much rather tow a small trailer. A HF 4x4' mini trailer is around $175. I would take that over a hitch carrier.

 

["krax"]

What about installing Yakima tracks (https://www.yakima.com/42-tracks-w-plusnuts?_ga=1.228258845.1055800762.1467238147) in place of the factory rack and using their towers? You wouldn't gain a lot of height, but the bars won't sag.

 

[salong53]

You could mount about anything you want to this, including the cargo box you already have. Based on your needs, I'd either go this route or sell your roof box to offset the cost of a basket.

4runner Roof Rack:Â*5th Gen 4Runner Roof Rack

 

[curmudge1]

Baskets vs Factory rails - TE?

I recently read a post that said the older 5th gen TE racks were a little higher?
I presume the rails ride higher too?

Looking for a basket for my 2012 TE with factory rack & rails.

Use -- Boy scout trips, stashing sleeping bags/duffels, light stuff. Especially when we go to a camp where only one vehicle is allowed in to the campsite. Some very nice people with a pickup truck are moving away & leaving the troop, they'll be missed much more for who they are than the truck.

But, trying to fill the transport void with my 4Runner. No one I can think of has room to keep a trailer, thought of that.

TIA, for suggestions.

 

[ABC4R]

Scout leader here, so I know what you're talking about. I went with the Gobi and have no regrets. I didn't like how high the baskets sit on the crossbars, and the full size hauls a lot. A few weeks ago, we camped at Baiting Hollow (North Fork of LI) and the full size rack saved a parent from having to drive as I had a lot of gear on it for the trip out, and then threw most of the scout's gear on top of that for the trip to the site.

 

[jwkilgore]

If I were making the purchase now (instead of 4.5 years ago before I found this forum), I'd definitely get an aftermarket basket or utility rack instead of the OEM crossbars. My Sears-brand cargo box fits. It rests on but doesn't damage the shark fin, and the "spoiler" touches the back but the lift gate still opens. But other than that one box, I can't put anything else up there without purchasing more expensive mounting brackets.

A sit-on-top "basket" is a no-go for me because I park in a garage at work with low beams, plus the noise and wind resistance.

Take your $400 and apply it toward a real basket-rack or utility rack: Baja Rack: racks_list