Sherpa Grand Teton roof rack owners

It does seem crazy to run a roof rack all year on a dd. I wish they could be removed and installed easier so I could run it only in the summer. There’s definitely appeal to going the removable Yakima or Thule route and I haven’t ruled out.

I like the idea of being able to do more with a permanent rack. My kids are getting old enough where they’re losing interest in camping. My wife and I will be starting to take more camping trips with the Softopper and leaving the travel trailer at home. Having the ability to mount an awning to the rack would be nice. Perhaps we’d eventually switch to a rtt.

 

Curious to see what the difference in mpg is ends up being.

 

You have the double cab so installing Rhino ditch tracks would be much more straight forward for you than it was for me. Ditch tracks are similar to cap mounted tracks but fit into the ditch channels on the cab roof and use fitted rectangular threaded blocks to mount anywhere along the length. They would allow for either bars for now or a stiffer platform later with either being removable if necessary without disturbing the roof once the tracks are installed. It would allow you to carry the canoe but still use the soft topper until you get an rtt and then allow you to carry that. It’s a similar install to the oem cab rack using the stock threaded holes plus additional rivnuts. Mine’s an ac so the install was not as simple but even so was totally worth the trouble and is hardly noticeable without a rack installed since it replaces the rubber ditch molding with a black anodized channel. Not for everyone but the bees knees for some.

 

I disagree for a couple of reasons.

1. "I don’t care what anyone else says, whether it’s your dd or off-road range and how much fuel you need to carry, it matters." On my truck this year, fuel mileage absolutely did not matter. My truck got driven to work on Friday's, driven to local trails, and trailered anywhere over an hour away. It drove a total of 2500 miles this year. Lets say I averaged 13mpg (which is around what I get on the street), at current gas prices in my area that's $673 this year to drive my Tacoma. If I had a roof rack that cost me 1mpg, that total cost would go up to $729. A whopping $56 on the year. Not to mention that at least half of that mileage was spent at low enough speeds for a roof rack to not cause any resistance. Plus, I used to have a Sherpa roof rack (and will have one again in the near future). When I had the rack, I did not have any drop in fuel mileage. What you are not realizing, is that the roof rack has a fairing to deflect wind, while your roof bars are just hanging up there to cause drag, with nothing to smoothly guide the air over the top.

2. Sound issues I never heard my Sherpa rack. Not even once. Admittedly I have 37" mud tires that rarely go over 20psi, so they are loud, my exhaust is loud, and my music is loud. But I still have never heard the roof rack. Even back when I was on all terrains. Again, this should be attributed to the fact that aerodynamics can be taken into account when designing a high quality roof rack, unlike a set of universal bars.

 

My stock cross bars make a bit of noise on the hwy and if they are frosted on a cold morning they are down right LOUD. Looking forward to a more aerodynamic rack.

 

Cost is primary to some, secondary to others, or not a factor at all to a lucky few but mileage = range and always matters. Accounting for it by carrying extra fuel demonstrates this.
You only drove 2500 miles and had $56 difference. The 15000-25000 miles of a daily driver changes that calculation somewhat.
Bars are fine for carrying a canoe, ladders, or a light load of lumber, obviously not the best for all needs or there wouldn’t be other options. Having a rack on year round for 8-10 summertime uses doesn’t seem optimal and makes cleaning a pain.

 

I get that if I drove 10x as much, I would have 10x the cost difference, but you said "whether it’s your dd or off-road" which I took as you stating that it doesn't matter if its your daily or not. Now, when I used to take my truck 100+ miles off road over a weekend, mileage mattered, and I carried fuel cans, but I was off road... I was going slow... aerodynamics had zero impact on my fuel mileage, as there is negligible drag at 0-15mph. Again, when you are going slow, this will not impact your mileage, range, horsepower, torque, traction, fluid levels, or anything else really. Now, if you are racing baja or flying down dirt roads and calling it "off road" for hours on end, a roof rack is could possibly make a difference on your mileage, and therefor range. On the road, if you're averaging 50mph and losing 1mpg then at 10mph you won't be losing anything. If you are worried about your range, carry extra fuel, but don't try to claim a roof rack of all things is what is causing you to need a jerry can after driving 200mi over the mountains at 10mph.

 

“Now, when I used to take my truck 100+ miles off road over a weekend, mileage mattered”
So you’re saying mileage does matter. That’s all I’m trying to get across. Trailering just admits its a gas hog or so undrivable on pavement that it’s preferable to get crap mileage towing it instead.
Mileage matters. You can compromise any way you want but that never changes.

 

The point I’m trying to make is that you said mileage matters 100% of the time for every truck and every person. Which is not true. I also stated that even back when I was driving 100+ miles off road, the ROOF RACK, which is the topic of this thread DID NOT IMPACT MY MILEAGE

 

With my 2.7l manual 4x4 access cab. I went from 21 to 19 after I added the cab and camper shell rack. 3/4 of my driving is 80mph on highways. The heavy 33” km3 tires and bumper took me down to 15. After changing gears from 4.10 to 4.56 I’m up to around 17. Still would do it again with no hesitation. I daily drive it and love the changes. I haul hardwood/sheet goods/lumber almost every week and the rack is perfect. I chose Sherpa over Prinsu for the extra width and ability to carry a full sheet of ply/drywall etc. Around town and on trails, I don’t notice any wind noise or mileage differences.

 

Nice option. I don’t think I have the stomach to drill holes in my roof though. Something like that should come OEM from the factory instead of the roof rack Toyota offers.

 

Good info, thanks. The wider Sherpa will be better for mounting two kayaks. My daily commute is on roads with 55 mph or less speed limits. I would be mounting only to the cab so I hopefully wouldn’t see more than a 2 mpg drop.

 

I’ve been interested in the Sherpa for a couple of months now.

I was gonna pull the trigger on the sale before Dec 1st but opted out for the time being.

Maybe next year after Thanksgiving I can make the purchase. We shall see.

The way it mounts to the roof and the fact I don’t have a sunroof makes this product very appealing to me.

Ed

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Its has the best features with out buying extras. Sherpa has built in handles and tie down points built into the already thicker side panels. Every other company makes after market tie downs and handles for more money. Also the lines of a Sherpa rack lines up better for the cab and my topper rack then others

 

Good to know!

I was already impressed with the design of the cross-bar's mounting peaks.

Ed

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Anyone know whether the Prinsu tie-down rings (basically an eye bolt) work the Sherpa? Ordered a Crow’s Nest and like the idea of the eyelet tie downs.

https://prinsu.com/product/tie-down-ring-hardware-kit-2/

 

Have you looked into the sherpa smileys? Very similar product

 

Bought some of those for the sides but was hoping to save something mid-bar too for when I carry two kayaks. I could strap them together, but it seems safer for them to each have their own straps and anchor points.

 

The smileys can be mounted to any point on the side of the bars as well as on the ends. You'd just need to t nuts and bolts for it.