Let's talk roof racks.

aermotor said:
When I was originally looking, there was little useful info about roof racks out there as far as a simple setup goes. I found out that the Garvin roof racks come in all sorts of universal sizes (but they don't 'officially' list them as fitting a Jeep) and after some research and measuring I found something that was good and workable.

I got their 4x5 Off Road Series Track Rack. Simply mount the two tracks/rails to your hardtop, assemble the basket and throw it on there. It's got a great, durable finish and holds a crap load of weight. Garvin also has a ton of accessories for their racks as well which is nice.

I got mine from 4WD, except I found a cheaper place online and made them price match it. I think I got it for $627 delivered to my door.

Garvin Industries - 61330

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Interested in how the tracks mount to the hard top and also the height of the rack from the hard top to the top of the rack. If you're able to provide that info I sure would appreciate it!
 
Those with the Gobi Stealth Rack, how does it mount? It looks like it mounts to the factory holes in the "A" pillar but how does it mount in the rear? Thanks!
 
sjd78 said:
Those with the Gobi Stealth Rack, how does it mount? It looks like it mounts to the factory holes in the "A" pillar but how does it mount in the rear? Thanks!
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It bolts to the sides of the frame and has a bracket the pinches up against the pinch seam. There is no drilling.
 
sjd78 said:
Interested in how the tracks mount to the hard top and also the height of the rack from the hard top to the top of the rack. If you're able to provide that info I sure would appreciate it!
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They mount to the hardtop via roughly 6 bolts per track. You drill and silicone them in. My friend and I have the same setup and never a leak in 6 years. Not sure on the height but will report back. It's probably 8 inches or so.
 
I'm having a hard time finding a good pic of my rack.

FrontRunner JKU rack.

Cons
expensive
need to drill through the top
looks (subjective)

Pros
low profile = relatively less wind noise at higher speeds (relative being the key word)
no bumper compatibility issues
lots of rack accessories available
Looks (subjective) It's actually grown on me.

Verdict = eh...

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I love the Maximus 3 rack, most of which is made by Rhino. For shirts and grins, I included a pic of the rack covered in mud.... just in case you wanted to know what that looks like....

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"Shirts" and grins? Autocorrect doesn't like my potty mouth? Fuck you Autocorrect.

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Ordered the Rhino rack backbone with the Pioneer platform. I wanted a rack that I could winch off with hardtop attached. Pretty low profile depending on which leg style you choose. Rates 800# I believe. Plenty enough for the Tepui.


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sjd78 said:
Does it mount to the hard top the same as the Rhino Rack?
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The "Maximus 3" roof rack is actually a Rhino pioneer platform with Maximus 3 mounting brackets. All of the weight is transmitted down to the roll bars, none of the weight is supported by the hard top. There are roll bar brackets inside which sit flush with the hard top from the inside and sort of make a hard top sandwich. I've shown the top view and inside view of the passenger rear bracket below. There are also brackets like that under the sound bar, but I can't show them without pulling the sound bar off. The static load limit is 700 pounds I think, but I may be remembering that wrong. I like this rack because it's low profile and I can still park in the garage. No road noise. It's easy enough to remove if you want to remove the hard top, just 4 bolts at each bracket location. You would pull the rack off first, then pull the top off, and leave the inner brackets in place on the roll bars.

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jeepsickness said:
The "Maximus 3" roof rack is actually a Rhino pioneer platform with Maximus 3 mounting brackets. All of the weight is transmitted down to the roll bars, none of the weight is supported by the hard top. There are roll bar brackets inside which sit flush with the hard top from the inside and sort of make a hard top sandwich. I've shown the top view and inside view of the passenger rear bracket below. There are also brackets like that under the sound bar, but I can't show them without pulling the sound bar off. The static load limit is 700 pounds I think, but I may be remembering that wrong. I like this rack because it's low profile and I can still park in the garage. No road noise. It's easy enough to remove if you want to remove the hard top, just 4 bolts at each bracket location. You would pull the rack off first, then pull the top off, and leave the inner brackets in place on the roll bars.

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View attachment 249841

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Correction. To remove the rack, you remove two bolts at each bracket (not four like I said above), then pull off the rack, then pull off the top. Leave the inside brackets installed.

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jeepsickness said:
The "Maximus 3" roof rack is actually a Rhino pioneer platform with Maximus 3 mounting brackets. All of the weight is transmitted down to the roll bars, none of the weight is supported by the hard top. There are roll bar brackets inside which sit flush with the hard top from the inside and sort of make a hard top sandwich. I've shown the top view and inside view of the passenger rear bracket below. There are also brackets like that under the sound bar, but I can't show them without pulling the sound bar off. The static load limit is 700 pounds I think, but I may be remembering that wrong. I like this rack because it's low profile and I can still park in the garage. No road noise. It's easy enough to remove if you want to remove the hard top, just 4 bolts at each bracket location. You would pull the rack off first, then pull the top off, and leave the inner brackets in place on the roll bars.

View attachment 249840
View attachment 249841

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Awesome! Thank you for all the info and the photos. One last question though. Is there rubber or a gasket that seals the brackets from leaking when the jeep gets wet?
 
I picked up the Barricade crawler rack or whatever they call it from Extreme Terrain. Initially I had an issue with bent parts and poor fit, which Extreme Terrain took care of no problem once they saw some photos. I've had it installed for almost a year and I really haven't had many issues with it. Last summer I ran it with a CVT roof top tent and awning. I believe its an 800 pound static rating, not sure on moving. Rattles like a mother on rough roads which doesn't bother me too much.

BUT I have 3 main gripes with the rack:
1. The cross bars are just barely too big in diameter to accept Yakima round bar clips for accessories such as my bike and ski racks.

2. Although I haven't tried to remove the hardtop yet I see it being a PITA. I have a Harken Hoist which appears to be useless with this rack other than getting the top out of the way while its off.

3. Its just plain bulky looking.

All things to consider.
 
sjd78 said:
Awesome! Thank you for all the info and the photos. One last question though. Is there rubber or a gasket that seals the brackets from leaking when the jeep gets wet?
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Yes, there are rubber fittings that seal against water. I know they work, too, because it was a son of a bitch to wash off the mud shown in one of the pictures. I had the water flowing over the roof constantly for over an hour. The door seals leaked like crazy and made a real mess inside, but the roof rack mounts were water-tight.

Good luck with whatever you choose!
 
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