ARB Base Rack roof rack system

Interesting. I wonder if they’ll come out with a different version for the 2nd gen. The only possible difference I can see is the height of the rack platform.

 

Got my base rack in! The version I got was the 49”x51”. The rack is beefy and I’m happy with the quality so far. I will be installing it little by little during the week.

 

I've been waiting for an unbiased review of this thing for ages now. Keep us posted!

 

Almost done installing it. I was excited to see how it looks so I went out of order from the instructions. I have to take the rack off the truck and finish cutting the roof trim. I want it to be as neat as possible which is why I didn’t do it first. I need to find my dremel and order some thicker double sided tape. The tape provided is just normal 3m gray double sided mounting tape and I want the tape to match as close to the factory tape.


I only drove to work so far but wind noise is minimal at least with an empty rack. It’s about as noisy as the Thule aero bars on my 2007 Honda Civic. I was reading complaints online about a whistling noise but I believe that was due to the rack being used without a deflector. I think the racks kits come standard with a deflector now.

I’ll update as I use it more and take some pictures of the clever differences between the Base rack and competitors. My early impressions are positive.

 

I’m planning to pair the rack with the ARB slim lightbar in the future. Maybe in a couple months since my wallet needs to recover from the flurry of recent mods.

 

Did these only just start shipping? Has anyone else reviewed them?

 

Good stuff @PCHWoods, thanks! I wonder how the narrower 49" x 45" rack looks compared to your wider 51" version. I assume that the narrower size ends right at the mounting "blades," but that's just a guess based on your pictures.

 

@PCHWoods, any updates or additional pictures from your install?

 

Sorry I have been busy with work and home stuff. I will have time next weekend to take pictures of everything. I still need to trim the weather stripping and reattach them so it will be a perfect time to snap pics and measure it. I wish I knew more about the rack earlier because I think you can fit a longer rack to take advantage of the entire cab length. The 49” length of the rack stops just short of the shark fin and if my rough eye measurements are correct, you can go up a size to the
61 IN (L) X 51 IN (W) Base Rack.

 

I'm definitely interested in hearing your take on the finished product. Also curious about whether a larger size can be whacked on, but I imagine that depends on how the mounting system interfaces with the rack itself.

 

Yep, would love some feedback as well, I’m seriously considering one of these due to the “basket” capability. I’ve read they are noisy, wondering if anyone can confirm/deny?

 

The rail attachments are what sold me on Base Rack. I’m on the fence about which one to get. I anticipate carrying some lumber in the future for my woodworking hobby so the trade rails are what I’m leaning towards. The rack is versatile and I’m slowing discovering the mounting possibilities. The only downside is that it gets very expensive when you account for all the specialized attachment accessories.

 

I like the flexibility, meaning I can just remove the side rails if I need to haul lumber. Main use case for me would be loading camping gear. What’s weird is that I called them and they said they don’t have an option to mount them to toppers (with thule tracks). But I see multiple pics on their site with exactly this. The guy on the phone made it sound like they would
have to be custom mounting feet, which really surprises me.

 

Just found this video, which shows 2 different toppers in all the footage. Starting to think both the ARB tech and dealer I was talking to are confused…

https://youtu.be/Y3VttZt6k7w

 

Just called them again - they “think” it’s just not available in the US

also just found out Equipt K9 rack only has rails to go around the back half on the larger versions. Anyone know of a similar platform roof rack with side rail options for a topper??

 

When I emailed ARB asking about the sizes available for the Tacoma, their representative said they don’t have a Base Rack compatible with the Toyota Tacoma. Clearly, there is and they don’t know what they are talking about.

 

It's advertised on their site as available for Tacoma cabs, there is zero information about putting it on a topper, which really boggles my mind.

 

@PCHWoods, did you ever get a chance to measure how much longer the rack could (theoretically) be? I agree, it looks like a 61" long version might fit on the cab without hanging over the edge.

It might interfere with the shark fin though, depending on its height and crossbeam spacing. If the stock shark fin antenna is too tall, TRP Offroad makes replacement antenna covers.
https://totallyradproducts.com/collections/all

 

Is there any metal on paint at the mounting points? That would be a huge deal breaker for me (and I imagine many others).