JKU platform help

[resqd1]

Just picked up a JKU. Trying to wrap my head around a platform to hold an RTT and a 270 awning.

I assume the hard top needs some interaction with the roll bar or something to handle the weight of the platform RTT awning and humans sleeping etc.

Just looking for some education on mounting options and pros and cons. Etc.

it is a freedom top if that makes a difference

 

[jeepers29]

I would recommend either the Nebo rack by Teraflex or the Rhino rack system. We use the Nebo, but it is a smaller rack so no room for anything but the tent but also much cheaper.

 

[resqd1]

Copy. The weight rating on that is like 265. So how does that compute for the weight of the RTT and people etc?

 

[JDaPP]

That is probably the dynamic load, i.e. weight on the rack going down the road. Static weight i.e. not moving is usually 3 times that amount. So you are close to 800 lbs for that weight (~150 rtt + 650 for people, etc)

 

[Lt Dan]

I have the Rhino rack back bone system with the pioneer platform on my JKU and love it.
As JD stated above static load is 800lbs.

 

[Yarjammer]

Do you intend on enjoying one of the unique benefits of owning a JKU- going topless? If so, you'll want an exoskeleton style rack. If not, make sure you are comfortable drilling holes in your hard top for some of these platform racks.

 

[resqd1]

Do you intend on enjoying one of the unique benefits of owning a JKU- going topless? If so, you'll want an exoskeleton style rack. If not, make sure you are comfortable drilling holes in your hard top for some of these platform racks.

very good points. With the exo style ones what does it take to remove the hardtop? The whole skeleton have to be removed?

 

[Hourless Life]

On our JKUR we use the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform with the JK Backbone System. Something interesting to note, is that depending on your awning set up, you'll want to be very intentional about the placement of your roof rack. As someone mentioned above you'll need to drill into the hardtop if you go with a set up like ours. The important thing to remember depending on the type of RTT that you get, that the awning needs to be placed in a position so as not to interfere with the full deployment of the tent.

In our case we have an iKamper Skycamp which is a clamshell design hardtop RTT. When it opens up it clears the awning by about 1/4 of an inch. This means that when we installed the roof rack, the rack itself had to be a little off center to the passenger side and to the rear in order to make maximum use of the rack and awning.

I'd highly recommend reaching out to Lee Hoffman at Altitude Industries in Denver Colorado. He's installed a metric ton of these systems on every vehicle you can imagine. He's a super nice guy and not salesy at all. But if you have a question, I'm sure he'll guide you through it whether you buy something from him or not.

He's the one that did the install on our system and it is extremely dialed in.

~ E

 

[Yarjammer]

very good points. With the exo style ones what does it take to remove the hardtop? The whole skeleton have to be removed?

With my Gobi rack installed I used to remove my ladders, then lift the top up slightly and slide it straight out the back with the window up to clear the oversized spare.

 

[shoredreamer]

Speaking on the Rhino Rack Backbone for either the JKU or JLU and removal of the hard top, there is no extra parts to remove on the JKU specifically. On the JLU, there are 2 extra bolts going thru the roll bar at the second row door that need to be removed. So really not much extra work to pull the hard top.