Best Roof Rack for a FG SHELL - Prinsu vs Uptop Overland vs Frontrunner vs Victory 4x4

Something I haven't seen discussed enough on TW is what roof racks are best for standard fiberglass shells.

FG shells aren't as sturdy as a cab for load bearing. Driving around with 150+ pounds on a FG shell puts it at risk, and heavy-duty racks are also the heaviest, so maybe some of the TW favorites are overkill on a shell? Also, noise isn't really an issue for shell racks.

For what it's worth, I scanned a half dozen threads and here's my sense of TW's favorite roof racks below, including cab racks and shell racks.
1. Prinsu (TW's top pick)
2. UpTOP Overland (a close second)
3. Frontrunner
4. Victory 4x4

Honorable Mentions: Baja Rack, Sherpa Equipment, Martin Offroad, K9, Hooke Road, Warrior Products, Element, OEM, Rhino Rack, Yakima, Thule.

Again - this top 4 are for Tacoma roof racks in general. Any thoughts on the best racks for a FG shell? Would love to hear any perspectives!

Pics below of the top 4's shell rack offerings.

Picture 1: Prinsu Tacoma Top Rack


Picture 2: UpTOP Overland Bravo eX Tacoma Cap Rack


Picture 3:
Front Runner Slimline II Cap Rack


Picture 4: Victory 4x4 Tacoma Topper Roof Rack

 

Sherpa is top #1

 

why?

 

tacomavanlife, Thanks for starting this thread. Very informative.
I'm looking for a rack that will work well (on truck roof) in front of Leer 122 or 180. And another rack on the shell to attach solar panels.

 

I have Prinsu racks on both my cab and shell.

I really like the attachment method on the shell, where it doesn't matter how far apart your tracks are, you are still able to mount the rack and center it over the shell. For folks like me who had to install their own tracks, this means that the rack will be in the correct location even if your install job on the tracks isn't perfect.

 

are these strong enough for a extension ladder??