Roof rack on a Gen III Montero

[adrenaline503]

I know Ive been all over the place with my posts, please bear with me. What are the options for roof racks for the Gen III? I would be mounting a RTT and awning. I understand the roof can hold 100kg, but the factory rails aren't up to snuff. Whats available in the US?

 

[off-roader]

I know Ive been all over the place with my posts, please bear with me. What are the options for roof racks for the Gen III? I would be mounting a RTT and awning. I understand the roof can hold 100kg, but the factory rails aren't up to snuff. Whats available in the US?

Sure they are. I don't believe they're much different in fundamental design than my gen I or gen II... You just need more mounting brackets on those rails to distribute the load better. FWIW, on my gen I, I carried a full rear end off the trail when it broke in half and had to be replaced on the trail...:Wow1::Wow1::Wow1:

 

[adrenaline503]

Sure they are. I don't believe they're much different in fundamental design than my gen I or gen II... You just need more mounting brackets on those rails to distribute the load better. FWIW, on my gen I, I carried a full rear end off the trail when it broke in half and had to be replaced on the trail...:Wow1::Wow1::Wow1:

Well, the Gen I and II allow the use of gutter mounts, which the Gen III doesnt. If the roof is rated to 100kg I would assume the rails are too. Too bad ARB doesnt offer a mounting kit for it.

 

[off-roader]

Well, the Gen I and II allow the use of gutter mounts, which the Gen III doesnt. If the roof is rated to 100kg I would assume the rails are too. Too bad ARB doesnt offer a mounting kit for it.

Sorry, didn't look at a gen III to check and simply assumed it had rain gutters.

The factory mount points may be re-enforced stronger than other parts of the roof though. What does it say in the Owners Manual?

 

[adrenaline503]

It says the roof is good for 100kg or 220lbs. But that doesnt mean the rack is a good mounting point.

 

[off-roader]

It says the roof is good for 100kg or 220lbs. But that doesnt mean the rack is a good mounting point.

Agreed. The rack itself may not be the best place to mount an accessory rack system, however the rack's mount points on the roof may be the best place for an aftermarket rack.

 

[adrenaline503]

Agreed. The rack itself may not be the best place to mount an accessory rack system, however the rack's mount points on the roof may be the best place for an aftermarket rack.

Yes, thats what I hoping someone might have some info about.

 

[Inyo_man]

I spent a great deal of time researching a rack for my Gen III.
I was not able to find any after-market support in the USA for a roof rack that bolts up to the factory mounts in the roof. There is support overseas, however the shipping is crazy, as expected.
I finally decided on a BajaRack. It mounts on Yakama cross bars, which mount to the factory rails. I've had the thing loaded with only two cross bars and it's held up! I've thought about fitting another cross bar, but haven't made the time. It rides a bit higher than I really wanted, but the cost of a custom fabricated rack that bolts up to the roof was out of my price range. If the future, I may fabricate brackets to attach the BajaRack directly to the factory roof mounts.
One thing for sure, the extra space is mandatory for expeditions with the whole family.

 

[obie]

Good day from South Africa,

I researched roof racks for my Gen3 SWB far and wide. I only wanted to mount a rack to carry bulky but lightweight stuff on top.

In South Africa there are a couple of places that will remove the standard rails and mount a system which is much stronger, but they do drill additional holes in the roof which also means that they have to remove and refit the roof lining on the inside.

I did not opt for this option as I wanted something that I could remove when I don't use it and this option is more for a permanent mount.

If you are interested contact me and I can pass on the details of some of the places, maybe they have instructions that they can pass on to somebody where you are that can do the job for you.

Regards
Obie

 

[4D55 Performance]

I looked into getting a roof rack setup on my Jetta a while back and I had the same issue. The factory load bars are for skis and snowboards. The recommended installing a Yakima track system that would evenly distribute the weight across the entire roof of the vehicle. The said they install these setup all the time on Subaru's and 4 runners and the system will easily support over 1000lbs. The other nice thing about the system is it's very low profile and it can be adjusted to accommodate your needs. To mount a RTT, you just need to mount load bars to the tracks, instead of the traditional roof rack which would save a lot of money. I think I was quoted about $500 to have the setup installed on my Jetta. Here is a link for Rack N Road's website. I am guessing the 54" would be best for a Gen III. You may also want to call them to make sure you getting the right setup for mounting a RTT. BTW I have a RTT on my Gen I Montero and I love it.

http://www.racknroad.com/category/roof-racks/index.html?search=yes&searchLoc=permanent-installation-rack-packs