Roof rack options

Looking for a rack that will mainly be used to carry a cargo box filled with snowboards, and occasionally bikes. I'm not overlanding, and at least at the moment don't have a RTT, so capacity isn't a big priority. I do also commute in the truck to the tune of about 15K highway miles per year, so noise and MPG are a consideration to some extent. In many ways the OEM rack seems to make the most sense, and I had a similar system on my Subaru Outback that did just fine for what I need. However, I've read complaints of leaking and poor fitment. Rhino rack looks good, and I really like that I can pop the bars off when not in use, but I'm also not stoked on drilling into the cab. The other 2 candidates are Prinsu and Frontrunner. Both overkill probably, but highly functional, and let's face it, I like the looks. Of those 2, despite what appearances indicate to me, from what I've read the Frontrunner is the quietest. They're also 10 minutes away from me. Am I correct in thinking that the Frontrunner is probably going to be the quietest, and most MPG friendly of the fixed/permanent options? Any thing else that I'm missing that makes more sense than any of these options?

 

i live in calabasas too, if you want to come check out my tacoma with a prinsu cab rack id be more than happy to let you look. i just installed it yesterday, so far i love it. however, i do hear wind noise, not a lot, but its there, at about 70mph. i don't have a light bar, and I'm also lacking the wind noise rubber gasket thingy which is on order now, since i think ill need it. took bout 4 hours to install taking my time and a run to a local hardware store when my 3/4' punch broke while trying to punch out holes in the rubber trim that goes into the rain gutters. came out clean.

 

I have the factory roof rack and it works well for simple things like you mentioned. It also fold back to avoid wind noise when not in use. But I found it not as good for carrying kayaks because the factory rack doesn't give enough clearance for the rounded hulls of a kayak and the kayak can rub against the roof .

 

I have Prinsu also and the weatherstripping makes a big difference in noise reduction

 

Can't speak about the Frontrunner, but the Prinsu did quiet WAY down when I added these in every slot of the crossbars I could (including the underside of the crossbars):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZVOZYC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Prinsu did tell me the front weather strip is also key to keeping things as quiet as possible. Also check the threads in the Prinsu vendor forums for threads that have more tips on quieting track if you go the Prinsu route...

In the end it will never be as quiet as not having a rack, but I really needed to be able to carry full length material on my truck and really wanted the 5 foot bed (and I don't have a trailer yet).

 

thanks for the tips on the weather strips fellas!

 

so when you say every slot, you mean EVERY slot - top, sides and bottoms? how much strip did you order to make that happen? thanks in advance

 

My Rocky Mountain Rack is supposed to show up tomorrow. Super stoked to get it on the rig.

https://www.rockymtnracks.com/shop/grandteton

 

A lot!!! I ordered 40 pieces I think. They are long enough so you can stuff every slot and a 1/2 (there are 6 on every crossbar!) so 2 pieces fill 3 slots. Of course the slots you use you probably won't want to plug.

It does add to the cost, but having minimal road noise was important to me. I was honestly a little concerned at first with the road noise but after adding these it quieted down to a level that was totally acceptable to me.

Also I have a wind deflector with a cut out and heretic light bar in that...dont know how much that played into it.

 

I realize this may not fit what you're looking for but just to throw it out there...

We have a standard Yakima rack on our cab. The bars clip to the door jam and you can attach just about any Yakima (or Thule) accessories to them.
(Thule also makes a similar set up.)

They make several styles of crossbars to choose from. We already had a set of round bars so buying new feet to move the rack from our Subaru to the truck was the cheapest rack option for us.
Just note that if you go with the standard round bars, you'll want a fairing (otherwise it's extremely loud) but if you go with the JetStream bars (like the one's shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pqhLFVaRh8) you shouldn't need one.

No it's not quite as hard core as the Prinsu or Frontrunner racks, but it's a little less expensive, doesn't require any drilling and it can be taken on and off (with relative ease) if you want.
It's a solid rack and does just about everything we need for carrying skis, bikes, kayaks etc.

Will run out and snap a quick picture in a few minutes.

 

many many thanks, i can't stand any noise, and to hear it was a compromise for the utility and looks.

 

thats isn't a bad option if you need just need a simple rack! Also i think any "leaking" issues with a cab mounted rack (assuming you have a gen 3 I guess as I don't know the other generations) is if your solution isn't drilling into the cab (I don't know why you would...there are 6 mounting points from the factory!)...that you use silicon when you screw the bolts into the 6 mounting points on the cab. With the Prinsu you are directed to put a Hershey's kiss sized blob in the hole before screwing in the bolt. I'm sure the same if you use the factory rack too...

 

Definitely an option, and thanks for the feedback. My concern is that the clips will really chew into the paint, and/or door seals. We drive from LA to Mammoth frequently, and more times than not that's in a 20 - 40 mph cross wind driving at 75 mph across the desert, so assuming those clips are the pressure points I'm worried what they'll do. Any issues there on your end?

 

Wow that is identical to the Prinsu Cabrac! But not surprising given that the Prinsu design is simple and uses readily available 80/20 stock. (and I have no idea who came up with the general design first...maybe it was these guys...)

 

I had some concerns about that as well, but read from some other folks on here that it hasn't been an issue. So far I haven't noticed any scuffing. The clips and feet are padded pretty good with a layer of rubber so there's no metal on metal. And it's on there solid, so it doesn't move or shift around at all. I did made sure the truck was clean and waxed before putting it on so that there'd at least be a bit of protection and I'll probably remove the rack at least once a year to clean underneath any contact points. Have had Yakima or Thule racks on every vehicle I've owned since I got my first car in '97 and have had zero issues with all of them.

Here's a few pics of our set up. (Right now it's just the bars, fairing and some canoe brackets (which work great for lumber as well BTW), but you can imagine how a ski box or bike racks might look up there.)

 

Again, thanks. Thinking about this more, and based on your feedback, I think this is probably the way to go. I will want to use it at least occasionally with a Yakima Frontloader bike rack, and I don't know how well, if at all it would mount to the large rectangular bars of he Frontrunner, Prinzu, etc.

 

Sure thing. Let me know if you have any other questions. We bought all of our stuff from REI during a sale so got everything for 20% off. Not sure how much of a hurry you're in but it might be worth looking around.

 

I had a Yakima loadwarrior on my last car. It was nice but loud and I couldn’t fit into some parking decks in the city.

I was going to opt for the prinsu, which looks great. But I installed the factory rack myself. I really like it. It’s not hardcore. But it looks clean and is practical.

I just used some caulk around the screws. I’ve had no leaking issues at all. And I’ve driven through intense rainstorms.

 

I bought and installed the OEM rack (~$300ish), mostly because I wasn't ready to drop $1200+ and all I needed was the crossbars to mount a storage box. It went through these last few CA rainstorms without a leak (I also ran it through the carwash when I first installed).

I can barely turn a wrench and this was an easy installation. I just made use of excessive silicone sealant around the brackets and bolts. And hell, we both live in SoCal. If it leaks a little, it won't have been massive and you can take it off and reseal it.



I think the real valid criticism is the low carrying capacity (I think it's around 130 lbs or so).

Don't let me talk you out of a nice Frontrunner or Rhino, though... It's just that there are so many Tacomas on the planet, if anything can possibly go wrong then it has gone wrong for someone and they've posted about it.

 

Yeah they are pretty close. I was debating between the RMR and the Prinsu and decided to go with the RMR due to the different side panels allowing better hand holds for when I need to throw gear up or take gear down. I'll throw some pics up this weekend when I do the install.