OEM Roof Rack - Capabilities? Failure stories?

Before i start, I like to think i've read nearly every thread on this topic but if i'm missing something, please feel free to point me in the right direction and save the energy.

So i have Thule rack from an old Cherokee with the gutter foot packs. I just got my Tacoma in August and as the weather gets warmer here in RI, i'm going to need some way to transport my kayak and potentially an extra kayak for the girlfriend. I priced out new Thule towers since i have the bars and fairing and it's about 275 bucks which just seems crazy when you can get a new, OEM rack for about 250. I know the Thule has great reviews and a higher load rating but due to price and looks, i'm leaning towards the OEM. However, with a weight rating of 100lbs, i really don't want to take the cheaper route and end up costing more in the long run (rack collapses, damages the truck, kayaks fly down the road, etc, etc.). My kayak is a chunky plastic, nearly 60lbs, so doubling that i am a bit worried.

So my point. I know everyone has their own opinion as far as looks go. As far as functionality, i like how the OEM bolts on, and the fact that the bars retract when not in use. I know it carries a 16 foot canoe, basket with tires+fuel, and bunch of other stories. Has anyone had any instances of this rack collapsing or not meeting the standards of what it was intended to do?

On a side note, all i think about when considering the OEM is my family's 97 Taurus wagon and how me and my buddies loaded it with 3 full size kayaks then one of my buddies sat in it on top of the roof and had 0 problems. I don't know if it was a fluke but are these racks underrated by general standards? One thread said something about the load weight being decreased due to the fact that it made the vehicle top heavy, not the fact that it couldn't hold the weight. Just wondring it maybe this applies across the board?

 

I have the factory rack and I haul 2 kayaks in the bed of my truck, because I don't trust it. When I camp I bring 1 yak and it is fine on the roof, however I strap it down in the front, back, and sides and if you did this with 2 on top they wouldn't go anywhere even if the rack did break, it is not heavy duty though.

 

thanks for the input. not really looking forward to having to tie down the front and back. i wish there was another option that you could bolt into the roof. i've seen a few threads but the ones that worked seemed like they were hacked together.

 

Check this out...

http://www.yakima.com/shop/baseracks

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/206575-interesting-roof-rack-idea.html

 

I seriously think after doing some research that if you bought the yakima bases which are to be bolted to the roof you could trim the rubber strips in the manner shown on my post linked http://www.whispbar.ca/instructions/fittingkits/K544.pdf and you could use the existing holes in the roof that the oem rack uses. You would just have to get appropriate bolts. The result would be a very strong and usable yakima rack system that could be removed easily when not in use and be adaptable to all of the yakima stuff. Is there anyone who wants to give this a try???

 

I guess it depends on if the holes for the oem rack and the holes on the yakima bases are the same distance apart - and are they at the right place on the roof meaning will the rack be in the same plane. I found some instructions for installing the oem rack.

 

I think you should and do a write up...

 

Dude the OEM rack is actually not bad - cheap, easy install, looks a bit more natural on the truck, and has no problem hauling around my 12' canoe

 

I am thinking about OEM for a 14' conoe, I currently haul the canoe on OEM racks on an 06 4Runner so I think I should be fine on my 2012 Taco with OEM as well. Question, I am thinking I will be strapping down as you have done in the pic, do you notice any flexing problems on the cab since the bed will flex differently than the cab, ie adding stress to the roof, dents, etc...?

Thanks

 

How sturdy is the OEM? The one on my wife's Sedona, even if below the limit, flexes enough for my el cheapo bike attachment to smack the roof with a bolt when driving.

The other thing I've always wondered is if the rating is for the whole rack, or just per bar? So I can put max 100lbs on the roof, or 100lb of pressure on the bar (which I'm sure would mean that with the weight distributed evenly would allow for a total weight of about 150 or so)

 

the way I read the manual is it is 75lbs total, ie 37.5 lbs per bar basically, seems rather light to me really, but my 06 4runner has held way more than that, this is what has me nervous, that and the flexing between the cab and bed.

Think about it this way, I think a gallon of milk is about 10lbs, so are they really saying I can only put 3+ gallons of milk on each bar!?

 

the way I read the manual is it is 75lbs total, ie 37.5 lbs per bar basically, seems rather light to me really, but my 06 4runner has held way more than that, this is what has me nervous, that and the flexing between the cab and bed.

Think about it this way, I think a gallon of milk is about 10lbs, so are they really saying I can only put 3+ gallons of milk on each bar!?

 

Its not much of a difference but the instructions that came with my roof rack say 100lbs.
I read somewhere that the 75lb limit was a misprint

 

I have hauled a 18 foot aluminum Grumman canoe for 1000 miles with no problems. Worked great.

 

The OEM Rack says 100lbs on the stow-able rails.

 

100lbs per rail? that would make sense imo

200lbs is kind of the norm for aftermarket racks...im assuming 100lbs per rail which put Toyotas right on par.

i doubt they would bother with anything less than average for the market.

I LOVE the Toyota system. i dont know of any system that you can put away so easily to avoid the annoying wind noise.

 

so for those that tie down their canoe in the front and in the bed, do you see any issues with flexing on the cab/roof rack since the bed moves at a different rate than the cab, ie dents, roof flexing, etc.... or do you just tie down loosely in the bed to give some 'wiggle room'?

 

I used ratchet straps across canoe on each rail and then rope on each end. The straps on each rail were tight and the end ropes were just snug. I never had any dents using the rack, although the roof is pretty flimsy and one time I put my canoe on top with just the foam blocks you can buy to carry canoes and I dented the roof.