Roof Rack Poll

i'm one. that's why i bought a truck, so i don't need to put crap on top of it...

if i did, it would be on a cap..

but after looking at the pics, the thule looks so much better than the oem...

 

I was a little disappointed in the quality of some of the OEM roof rack materials, but it looks good once installed and feels pretty secure. I just like the OEM look over the aftermarket look, although Yakimas and Thules are removable, so that is a plus.

I'm not too worried about the OEM roof rack being able to carry my kayak, but I always run a strap over the kayak and through the doors, just so it's strapped to the whole vehicle and not just the rack. I'v heard horror stories about whole racks tearing loose with a kayak still attached.

 

just got a thule off ebay 2 days ago with a farring for 150 shipped.
i am stoked.

 

i love the yakima, works great, looks great, and quiet

 

I used my old Yakima wind faring on the OEM rack...

 

OEM...only cuz that's what came on truck. I like the stow-away feature of the bars. When driving around with them in the un-stowed position (and not using them), it was noisy. Other brands do have this ability, unless you simply remove.



Con of OEM:
Find a Thule or Yakima mount that works with your crossbars. I haven't looked, but you should investigate before committing.

Thule vs Yakima:
Both are awesome/similar. I like Yakima slightly better.

I'm looking into mounting Yakima rails on the truck bed sides and then a set of Yakima feet/crossbars so I can keep the bikes low and behind the cab.



Planning on using a roll up cover under the rack.



There are many many options out there. You just need to define your uses and then search out the rack that fits. GL

 

I have a thule mounted to my snugtop, but do want to put some racks on my cab. Thought that the OEM wasn't an option after the fact. Now that some say they have done it, I will look into that again.
Not sure if my truck will look crappy though with OEM on the cab and thules behind on the snugtop.

 

I voted OEM

 

Ever think about putting the roof rack across your bed? Like over a bed cover on top of the rails? Im thinking of doing this because putting bikes on top kills the gas milage, and I can still store gear under it in the bed. Just an idea. I guess it depends on what your using the rack for too

 

Ooops someone beat me to it... sorry

 

I have the Yakima rack on my camper top and absolutely love it...very good quality, easily adjustable, and is very easily removed. However, I think if I were going to put a rack on the cab I would go with the OEM unit. On other vehicles I have had Thule racks and they always left marks on the roof after extended usage...I would guess since the OEM rack mounts in the rain gutter that this isn't an issue.

 

I dig the Thule personally

 

I just installed the OEM rack today. I'm very pleased with the constuction of the rack. The material seems to be well made. The installation was pretty easy and a fun little project. I like how it came out and it seems like it will suit my needs perfectally.

 

I'm new here, and just got a Tacoma yesterday. Love it...been wanting one for a while. It's a 2010 Double Cab. I don't have a rack on it, but I want to go with the OEM. The plan is to buy it from ToyotaPartsPeople for $212 and install it myself...doesn't look that hard.

I read on here that some have installed Thule cross rails on OEM racks. I was concerned this might not work after looking at the OEM site since the OEM rack depicted in their "fit" section doesn't look like an OEM 2010 rack. That might just be my mistake, but I want to make sure before ordering/installing the OEM rack.

If anyone has Thule or Yakima cross rails on a late model double cab with an OEM rack can you tell me how you like it, and if you'd recommend it? If so, what kind of Thule/Yakima crossbars and anchors did you use?

BTW, intent is to get crossbars on to load a kayak on the top. I like the Thule/Yakima equipment for this, and that's why I want to use their hardware on top of the OEM rack.

 

Took this with my phone, sorry for the blur. Just read some of you were thinking about putting a rack over the bed and thought I'd show off my solution.

I bought an Undercover, basically for price and advertised strength. I am a land surveyor, so the bed is full of all my equipment, except my optical stuff which it a little to fragile and expensive, so I carry it behind the drivers seat.

The rack is a Yakima. I used the aftermarket, factory style tracks, actually Thule made these, they are the same as the Yaks, just a little cheaper.

$200 Thule TB60 Top Track Roof Mount Rack Mounting Track (60"es)

http://www.amazon.com/Thule-Track-Mount-Mounting-60-Inches/dp/B000CQ20AK
I had to cut 6 inches off to fit the cover.

The towers are Yakima Control Towers with Landing Pads (01). I have two Copperhead bike mounts and a Yakima Basket Case.

The whole setup is new, so aside from putting my road bike on to make sure everything fit right, I have not used it to carry a bike yet. I assume the gas mileage will be better this way than on top, plus the bike is lower than it would be on most cars so hitting the Tacoma Bell after the ride will be safer for my bike and truck.... I've seen too many bikes and cars destroyed from drive-thru's and garages.

The cool thing is that the struts on the cover are strong enough to hold the cover, rack and my road bike up... at least for now. Someday I may have to replace them with stronger lifts someday... hope not though.

the cargo rack has already proved to be extremely useful, especially since I have little room to spare in the bed... very glad I splurged there.

I will eventually put a OEM rack up top to carry lumber and my 8'+ creek boat... waiting for the wife to okay that one though. When I do that i'll probably fabricate a ladder type rack to temporarily attach to the bed rack when I need to pick up 4'x8' materials for various home projects i'm working/planning on.

Sorry for the long rambling post... just thought the info might be useful to some folks here a TW. I'll eventually post some better picks of the truck and it's various upgrades and mods.

 

Cool! A Geodetic surveyor! I've used the Trimbles and Ashtecs some time back.

 

ADVICE>>>> Would the OEM racks be secure enough to hold down a couple surfboards? I would hope so!! BTW... The photos are GREAT!!! Really helps selecting what ones I want... THANKS.

BH

 

I went with the Thule on my Leer 100xq. I have used both yakima and thule but have mostly thule parts/attachments. I think they are a little better quality. I have some snowboard racks that have been on the trucks and cars I have owned since 1990. The locks still work great and no signs of problems. The Thule kayak stackers I think are more functional and stronger, however are a bit wider. The look is great and fit is factory quality. I am a very satisfied long term Thule guy.

 

Installed OEM rack last night... Looks great and not as loud as my old Yacks!! Test comes today taking Surboard and MTB bike to fav surf spot... Trestles.

Best regards...