Finding the right roof rack was hard. Jeep Wranglers come ready to do almost everything except for install a roof top tent like the RoofNest I picked. I will walk you through my decision process.
The cheaper cage style racks
First I looked into the cheaper cage style racks. There are several out there. Most bolt onto the Jeep in the front and the bumper brackets. I found some downsides to most of these that turned me off of them.
- Not sufficient ratings for weight. The RoofNest I purchased weighs 145lbs and I want to easily put another 400 pounds of people in there so a 300lb rated roof rack would not be adequate.
- Many reports of cheaper metal that rusts. I live in Utah where we get snow and salt on the roads and needed something that would hold up to winter driving.
- Some require new bumpers or drilling.
Racks that clip on rain gutter of roof
I remain skeptical of of racks that rely on the rain gutter above the windows. I did find one company that I almost went with because their racks had additional supports to disperse weight across the roof. SMS Parts.
- Relies on gutter of roof. On a JK roof like mine the rian gutter is only over the 2 windows. This would have held my tent really far forward over hanging the windshield.
- Great weight rating. 850 lbs would have been great for a RoofTop tent.
- If you have a Jeep Wrangler JL they are one of the few companies that already make a rack for it.
GOBI Roof Rack
I finally decided to go with the more expensive Gobi cage style rack. It seemed like it met all of my requirements and was worth the extra money.
- 12-16 week lead time. This was my biggest issue. I couldn't wait so long I would miss the entire summer.
- Customer service. - I tried calling to see about rushing one but ould not get a hold of them. They did call back after I had already received my other rack.
- Great reviews for product quality.
- No drilling
After looking at all these racks I updated my requirements.
- Drilling – I still was looking for one that did not require drilling but was willing to drill the roof to get the right rack. If I found one that didn’t require drilling it would be easier to remove rack for top removal or to sell the vehicle.
- I decided if and when I sell the Jeep that I will sell it with the rack installed. There are enough buyers that also want racks I decided resale options of a drilled roof were not a deal breaker.
- Since I am renting out my Jeep I am not concerned with being able to remove the top. My RoofNest roof top tent also takes up almost my entire roof so I would basically still have a “roof” overhead with the top off.
- Minimum 600lbs weight rating
- High quality metal that would not rust
- Wanted to be able to add lights in future (Needed a crossbar in front of tent)
Front Runner Outfitters Slimline II - The Winner
I decided to go with the Front Runner Outfitters Slimline II and have been extrememly happy with the quality, customer service, look and function of this rack.
- Strongest rack I could fine
- All Front Runner Racks are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty
- The JK Extreme mounting system bolts to the roll bar with middle and rear brackets. This is an unobtrusive, high performance, nearly indestructible mounting solution.
- In stock - Arrived in 2 days in boxes I could transport
- Unbelievable amount of accessories to add to the rack down the line.