August 15, 2023

Gobi roof racks for a Gen 5 4runner

I want to be able to sleep on top of my 4runner when the weather is agreeable. I would also like to use a roof rack as a photography platform. Most racks (other than the Gobi) give you a bunch of rails that go left to right and no "platform" to speak of.
Gobi offers me what I want -- a big flat sheet of perforated metal.

I could buy some other rack and then try to engineer a platform myself, but why do that? Apart from the extra work and cost, I would have to do the job right or it would rattle and yield wind noise. With the Gobi I get what I want the day it arrives.

My rack

I placed the order 8/28/2023 and it was sitting in my yard 10/26/2023. So pretty much 8 weeks. My only surprise was an extra $245 charge to get the stealth rack with the "no-rise" option. This does seem like gouging given that is a common option and involves no extra material. It actually should go the other way around (they should charge less for the no rise option). This bumps the price to $2145.

They say it weighs 70 pounds. It feels like more, and I see people saying 88 pounds. Remember it is rated for 800 pounds static load, evenly distributed. They say 300 pounds safe driving load.

The rack has a very slight curve to conform to the top of the vehicle (I guess). I find this an odd choice -- it seems to me they could take this up in the supports and make the rack entirely flat (which would be simpler to fabricate). I measure exactly a 1/2 inch deflection at the center of a 7 foot span. I wish they didn't do this. The curve should not be enough to make it uncomfortable to sleep on, especially with the 5 inch thick pad I intend to use, but we will see.

It came with two removable cross bars (which I removed). My Exped "Mega-mat" fits perfectly front to back and with reasonable margin on the sides.

The install

Gobi does not recommend using silicone (RTV) when you install the rack. There is lots of discussion about this online, but it seems to be a matter of taste. I am not going to use any, figuring Gobi knows what they are talking about.

There are many install videos and forum posts. Gobi provides good instructions. The main thing is to get some help to lift the 88 pound rack up onto the vehicle without damaging the paint or injuring yourself. I plan to use an old sleeping bad that unzips flat (just like a movers blanket) to protect the vehicle.

Options

Ask for removable cross bars and no riser (the riser would be on the front and for mounting a light bar). You order over the phone, and I should emphasize that I want to be able to sleep on it with no bars or bumps.

Gobi racks

Their Stealth rack costs $1900. That includes shipping and a ladder. Compare this to the Prinsu. The basic rack costs $1080, which includes shipping. Their ladder is $475, so the total package is $1555. So with the Gobi, you are paying an additional $345 to get the flat platform that I want which seems entirely reasonable.

The Gobi racks mount with no drilling. They are rated for 300 pounds "driving load" and 800 pounds "static load" -- so the should be more than adequate for sleeping.

Sometimes they have long lead times. They make the racks to order and keep no inventory. When I called in mid-August of 2023 I was told that the wait would be 6 weeks maximum.

Scroll down in the usage thread (below) and there are a bunch of photos by J-BlickPhoto showing all kinds of things going on on top of his 4runner.

Stealth or Ranger

"If you get the Ranger, you better plan on never taking that vehicle in any kind of garage ever again, especially if you lift it." There you have it in a nutshell. People also talk about the "no rise" option, especially if you don't plan to mount lights on the rack (which I don't). If you care about "look" and are after a overlander safari look, the Ranger may be for you.

Tips/issues on the install