Which Roof Rack would you Buy?

[Loubaru]

I'm looking a racks right now for my 3rd gen too. The Baja and Gobi are both on my short list. Of the two you posted I would go with the Baja. I don't like the Gobi with the tire carrier. Takes up a lot of room and I can't imagine trying to put a spare tire up there, not to mention the change in your center of gravity.

I have owned two Baja racks and they are worth the money. They are very sturdy and do their job. I did have an issue the the powered coating on both, but they there both made pre 2010. Maybe they have addressed the paint issue. I will also say the welds in the Baja weren't the prettiest.

I personally I am leaning towards the Gobi Stealth. I like the profile of it and how it follows the roof line. I have looked at the in person and they seem very well made and sturdy. I also like the sunroof option. However the price tag is a little off putting.

As for the whole Gobi vs the "little guy" I think it is all BS. Gobi isn't exactly a big corporate entity. They are protecting their business and the patent they have filed with the US Government. Whitson Metalworks was an unfortunate event. They build nice racks, but ultimately it sounds like they violated us patent laws. I can't get mad at Gobi for another companies lack of research or business planning. Gobi is also a local Colorado business not yo far from me. I like that if I buy a Gobi I am supporting my local economy.

From what I understand their patent was using the factory mounting points, not exactly a novel idea. As someone that works for a very large company that is often on the "bad side" of these fights it is a unfortunate reality that money talks when filing suites like this - unless WMW has a large amount of funding to fight the suite they know they can hold him up in court until he runs out of money, doesn't matter who is on the correct side of the law. I'll admit that I only skimmed the filings so I'll get off my soapbox now .

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[mountain mike]

From what I understand their patent was using the factory mounting points, not exactly a novel idea. As someone that works for a very large company that is often on the "bad side" of these fights it is a unfortunate reality that money talks when filing suites like this - unless WMW has a large amount of funding to fight the suite they know they can hold him up in court until he runs out of money, doesn't matter who is on the correct side of the law. I'll admit that I only skimmed the filings so I'll get off my soapbox now .
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I've only read through a couple threads on the internet about it. From my understanding they have a patent for aftermarket vehicle specific roof racks. I honestly don't know much about the suit, but think it should be decided in court and not in threads as I have seen on other sites. People seem to be quick to jump to a conclusion based on what they read on the Internet. I think we have court procedures for a reason.

One thing I have noticed is ARB advertises their racks as a certain size and then sell vehicle mounting kits vs a vehicle specific rack. Something tells me they did their homework and researched their competitors and the patents they hold before bringing a product to market.

Now I'm off my soapbox :box:

 

[Cascadian_Matt]

Just to throw another idea into the mix...take a look at Rhino Rack. Their Pioneer racks are very similar style to the K9.

I had been debating which brand and style I wanted to go with and had the same ideas listed here. Decided to try something new I haven seen tried here or on T4R.com. Should have some images and a run down of the install after next weekend if it all goes according to plan.

 

[Elbee]

If you can go Whitson Metalwork, do it. Not sure what is up his company at the moment, but I've been impressed at the quality and customer service he has going on there.

 

[BJ'sFJ]

I'm running the BajaRack Utility Rack on my FJ Cruiser. I love being able to load and tie down lumber or other gear with no issues. It's very easy to attach accessories as well!
Their customer service is great and they were always helpful with any questions I've had. From what I've heard they have changed their powder coat vendor and corrected any issues that came up a couple of years ago.
I've seen some of the older racks vs. newer and the quality of the finish has improved. Will run their product on future projects down the road... No reason to change.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/137935-Blueberry-Gone-Wild-FJ-Build-(on-a-budget)