Gobi vs. Bajarack

[McFly2003]

ok, so I am sure this has probably been discussed before, but a search did not yield the results I was looking for.

Before I begin, the rig in question is a 3rd gen 4runner

With the summer travel season rapidly approaching, I am potentially in the market for a roof rack system that can withstand whatever I need to throw at it. My desire for a full length rack with a high weight capacity has narrowed it down to two finalists (unless someone has any other contestants that I haven't thought of): the gobi system and the bajarack system. Now, I know that the price difference is quite significant in this debate, but for the sake of this thread, I would like to try and put price tag aside.

Until recently, I was pretty set on the bajarack as I knew for sure that I did not require any drilling to my roof and I was under the impression that the gobi did. This evening, after doing some research, it is now looking like the gobi does not require drilling either. Can anyone out there confirm or deny this?

Next is space. While they are both full length, all of the Gobi's I have seen have the huge cut out for the sunroof and are split up into sections. My desire for one large, open area has again led me to the baja system. does anyone know if the layout of the gobi is customizable?

Finally, and this is where I tend to lean in the other direction. My desire for a low profile system has me looking at the Gobi Stealth. I am not a huge fan of the bajarack's curved profile and how the height of the rails is not uniform along the entire rack. Petty, I know, but why not want to get something that you think looks good. Does anyone know if bajarack does custom work and/or maybe does a low profile system?

While I know I can just research all of my above inquiries with the two manufacturers, I thought I would post here and see if those of you out there who have experience with either of these two systems in the real world can share there thoughts with me on performance, quality, ease of installation, storage space and access, customer service etc. etc. Thanks a ton in advance and happy exploring!! :smiley_drive:

 

[1911]

All I can tell you is that the Gobi Ranger I put on my FJC is extremely well-made and sturdy; functional too. One of the better pieces of equipment I have ever bought, and their customer service was top-notch also (bought it direct from Gobi, and they bent over backwards to expedite shipping, and gave me a free ladder and Hi-lift mounts). I would say the Gobi is one of those things where you get what you pay for.

 

[joneseyyy]

I would call up Bajarack, they were able to take care of me when I had a custom request.

 

[McFly2003]

1911, did you have to drill and bolt with the gobi? the one's that I have seen on other 3rd gens have the front supports bolted to the roof.

joneseyy, I had thought of that and it is definitely on my list of things to do. I would already have a bajarack if the top rail running down the side were the same height all the way back

 

[Youngunner]

I'm running a Bajarack FJ cruiser RTT rack on my Tacoma. I oringinally had to order some of the load bar mounts and Bajarack sent me six of them for free. Great customer service. Now the rack is bolted directly to the camper shell and required some cutting and welding.

There is a rack available that is nothing but the flat surface with a small wind deflector on the front. There is a member on ExPo with an FJ cruiser that had that one made to suit his purpose (Corey i think). Bajarack seems very interested in customer ideas and needs.

The curved sides should not be an issue as their shovel/high lift mounts, etc, are designed to fit that.

I have no experience with the Gobi racks, but my experience with Bajarack is very positive.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Consider the weight of each unit, I recall the Gobis to be on the heavy side.

Also take a look at Front Runner to see what they may offer. http://www.frontrunneroutfitters.co...A&cyr=6**4RUNNER**2&cml=2006&m=search_results
Regards,
Brian

 

[1911]

1911, did you have to drill and bolt with the gobi? the one's that I have seen on other 3rd gens have the front supports bolted to the roof.

Absolutely not, it was strictly a bolt-on affair - but note that I said mine is on an FJ Cruiser, not a 4Runner of any generation.

 

[McFly2003]

I too have heard nothing but good things about bajaracks willingness to listen and customize. I plan to shoot them an email or call about the chances of getting a lower profile full length rack built are. I have also heard about the weight of the gobi's being up there. What affect my fuel efficiency more, weight or aerodynamics?

Thanks for the tip on those frontline products! While there racks aren't quite what i'm looking for, they have plenty of other products that spark my interest.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Garage Guy]

Might look at Diamondrax http://www.diamondrax.com/. Old-school, straightahead Con-ferr style. Which IMO is better looking than Gobi or Bajarack.

 

[Corey]

BajaRack indeed listens to the customer.
Over at fjcruiserforums.com we had a thread up asking for a custom rack for the FJ that would hold the AutoHome Maggiolina style of tent like I use.

They designed one that sits much lower than the factory rack (ran my tent that way for two years, IMO it sits up to high that way) for the FJ.
It will work with other tents too, but the model is called MG for Maggiolina.
http://www.bajarack.com/fj-series
They also have one called the Utility rack on the URL above that is similar, but the wind guard is mounted below.
Mine mounts above giving the tent some protection.
Tents mount right to the rack with no extra bars needed.

They stand behind their products too, and the quality of my rack and ladder are top notch.

 

[Boggie]

Rrt

YoungGunner
Interested in hearing more about your Baja Rack modifications to make it suitable for the fiberglass cap, I am having similar conundrum.
Did you reinforce the interior of the cap at all? Did you use Yakima or Thule rack to attach? Anything would help, thanks.
Bill