Warrior platform Roof Rack installed -First review?

After much speculation and research(https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/heavy-duty-roof-rack.388561/), I took a chance with a new brand, "Warrior products"(I say new because there is not one other review online). I did my homework and called the company directly to get a feel. They are extremely helpful to say the least( no, I have no affiliation with them). After talking to them, here are few things to note:
a) They do not ship/sell to individuals directly. They only sell to wholesale retailers. This is a bummer but it works out even when it's all said and done.
b) The reason I called them is to find out if they "can" ship a raw (non powder-coated) rack for a cheaper price (I want to install off road lights and may end up welding a bit...)
c) Warrior was ready to work with me to directly ship a raw rack but the cost of shipping plus product was more than what I ended up spending for a fully done rack.
d) I bought my rack from Morris 4x4 in FL(online).
http://www.jeep4x4center.com/warrior-platform-roof-rack-war4860.html

The packaging is good but it was missing 3/8 Nyloc Nut(all 8). Luckily, I had some left over from my bike restoration project (I used locktite).
Some pictures:





No nut!!!


Remove the factory ditch molding:


Punch holes @ factory mount location. Factory mount are just covered with a layer of 3M tape. Just run your finger and cut it out.



Mount the load/mount brackets


Mount the rack:


Note: The fish tail factory antenna does not clear the rear channel in terms of height. However, it sits well below the load height. The rack can be adjusted front-n-back(I like to believe almost 5-6 inch to front or back). So, you can easily clear the antenna(only forward most setting will hit).

 

Looks good! Got any pics from the front once its all installed and mounted? I'm curious to see the front profile.

 

Not a good picture but here is what I have so far.

 

Thanks! How much room would you say is under the rack to the roof of the cab? Enough to install a single row LED bar? I'd like to see an ongoing review as you get some use out of it too. How it will do with weight, etc... Thanks for posting this. There are so many products out there and without real reviews, its hard to tell the good from the bad or cheaply made.

 

Nice looking rack!

 

ok, this rack is pretty solid(although I have only see one other brand in flesh). There is room for LED bar and I will be mounting a 42 LED bar soon. However, the mounts(X-Clamps-http://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Ridge-15210-01-Square-X-Clamp/dp/B00GRHSXBS) that I bought will not work with this rack...so I'm out $50 now.
I will keep this thread posted as I figure this out. Any ideas, please send it my way.

 

Thanks man. The idea i had was to weld on a couple tabs under the front of the rack and have the light bar mounted there (underneath) so if I ever load anything up that needed to extend past the front of the rack, it won't interfere or get damaged. Just a thought.

 

I know...I punched a hole already. I now need to put back the factory mold. I'm trying to figure out how to make it stick...perhaps 3M double side tape?

 

Thanks for the review. I have been wondering about the antenna clearance on this rack, so you get some points there! Have you noticed any impact on satellite reception with the uh unloaded rack? I've got the crappy factory rack and need to upgrade and have my eye on this one.

 

Too early to say anything. Give me one week and I will report back.

 

I was wondering about the antenna clearance so I'll be interested in your findings. I don't use satellite much, but nor do I want it damaged by the roof rack.

I've been debating between the warrior rack and the flat Baja rack as that one has a cutout for the antenna.

 

How's the wind noise?

 

Thank you very much for writing this review. We really appreciate the time you've taken to demonstrate the installation of our product and all the kind words. In addition, we cannot thank you enough for providing confirmation of the Platform Roof Rack's fitment with the OEM Sharkfin Antenna.

 

Ha, as with any other roof racks this heavy duty, you can hear it at 50 MPH plus with the window down. Perhaps, there is a wind deflector that you can buy separate but I opted out.

 

We do offer an Air Dam / Wind Deflector separately. A lot of consumers prefer to mount LED light bars under the rack, which also aids in reducing wind noise.

 

Thanks, I mounted the bar on top(only temporary and just as test to get the wiring going), I will post some pictures when I get home. The 42 inch light bar I bought with the stock mounts did not fit underneath. The LED bar clears the area pretty good (perfectly) but mounting bar is just too tall. Do you offer any mounts? I will post some pictures later this evening. I saw one mount online that goes into factory channel bolts but they are on a "get-rich-quick" scheme with a price tag of $165 a pair.

 

We have actually talked about developing LED light bar/cube mounts for the Platform Roof Rack and Bed Rack. I have re-submitted this request to our Engineering Department and will talk to a few of the guys about receiving an update. The only problem with designing a universal LED light mount is that, with so many LED lights available on the market, it is difficult to accommodate them all.

 

more pictures!

 

I understand that there are many LED bars out there. But there are some std sizes that you can accommodate. The largest one is 52 inch(which is too big for taco), the second one is 42, followed by 40 etc...perhaps, you can provide spacers to accommodate 42 and 40s?
Or you can also make the front section front plates a little smaller to accommodate other X-Clamps?

 

I will speak with the Engineering Department and compile some information on how the popular LED lights mount to mounting tabs/brackets. Since Warrior does not sell lights, this is a relatively new segment of the market for us. We have had multiple requests for this product now and realize that it is a popular alternative to an Air Dam. In addition, LED lights are massively popular in the off-road industry and we want to make sure that, if we do not build an LED light mount, we can at least recommend specific mounts that will work seamlessly with our racks.