Here's a review I wrote for BajaRack's FJ Cruiser Baja Rack... if anybody has any questions about the rack or wants any specific information, don't hesitate to post up or PM me!
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The market for FJ Cruiser racks is pretty well established with some popular and very sturdy options available to consumers. For $1K or more you can purchase a rack that will support about a billion pounds without so much as the slightest flex.
But the question is, why would you put a billion pounds on the roof? The fact is, most aftermarket racks are ludicrously overbuilt and designed to withstand loads that are comically unsafe for the roof of a truck. Generally these racks themselves weigh in the neighborhood of 200lbs and you have to ask yourself, how much of that $1,000 or $1,500 I paid for the rack is going toward unusable excess strength?
Enter BajaRack. Finally, a roof rack designed 'just right' for the roof of the FJ. At about $500 and only 40 pounds, it embarrasses the competition with its value and practicality. Consider that the Toyota factory rack is not very useful and $650....
Evaluation:
I used the BajaRack on a 40-day, 7,500+ mile expedition across Canada and down the Continental Divide with 1leglance of Disabled Explorers. The rack held my roof top tent (100+ lbs), 2 jerry cans, a larger water can, and tools (axe/shovel and HiLift jack). Here it is all loaded up:
The first order of business before leaving for the trip was to test the published 300lb weight capacity. Incidentally, I weigh exactly that much! So here it goes... drum roll, please!
Success! The rack supported it's maximum rated capacity just fine. In fact, with me in the tent each night the load on the rack was closer to 500lbs. Of course I don't recommend exceeding the manufacturer's recommended max weight, but it's worth mentioning.
The only abuse the rack was not up to was my standing in the center of the floor. My weight was enough to flex the floor into contact with the roof. I was able to stand near the edges without incident and that's good enough for me. But really, not being able to have a 300lb man stand at the least supported point of the rack is no loss to me.
Fit and finish on the rack is exceptional. The feet of the rack are adjustable to ensure easy installation. The wind deflector has upper and lower peices which effectively eliminate wind noise.
Image credit: mbisson
There's an interesting story about how I got my rack, too. Sergio, the owner of BajaRacks, generously sponsored Disabled Explorers a rack for my truck to be used on the Continental Divide Expedition. However, the date of the trip and the availability of the rack didn't look good. Knowing that we needed the rack quick to be able to do the trip, Sergio literally took the rack off his own truck and sent it to us!! Very impressive!
Available from BajaRacks are mounts for tools (axe/shovel), HiLift mounts, a spare tire caddy, and lighting options.
Image credit: bajarack.com
Pros:
- Costs LESS than the stock roof rack and less than half of most aftermarket racks
- Lightest rack on the market
- Will hold up to heavy use (roof top tents, etc)
- No noticeable wind noise
Cons:
- No roof top dance parties
The Verdict:
The question I had in my head when I heard about the BajaRack was, "what are you giving up for it to be so light and inexpesive compared to other racks?" The answer is nothing, really. This rack is awesome. For less money than the weird sort-of-useless U-shaped factory rack, you can have a full-size steel rack with a floor. It's a no-brainer!!
More information on BajaRack.com
:: Baja Rack ::
FJ BajaRack, M-Pac Storage,Lowrance GPS, High lift,Mombasa USA Roof top Tent, Industrial Forming roll top console, Fourteks Hi-Lift mount,Bushwackerpocket flares,ACD lp transponder with DF lever.
Linear Mode
