Roof Rack Conundrum

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danrhiggins

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It's too late for you, but a really quick and easy on/off(if you don't have the factory roof rails) is the Yakima set up(available from just about anywhere, I found it at roverparts dot com). Literally under a minute to take the bars on or off, leaving the small Yakima mounts attached to the roof.
Obviously not as burly as some of the racks described above, but I really only needed to mount a roof box and/or some bicycle holders. There's a couple of pics of my setup in this forum.

+1 for the Yakima (if the weight limit is adequate). Though I went with the Yakima's this year as they now have a fit kit for the MY14. As AJ pointed out, it is very easy on/off. I have a lift anchored to the rafters in my garage. I attach the lift, loosen 4 wing nuts and lift it off. After I pull the car out I lower the lift to unload. Then I move my camping stuff onto the rack (Yakima basket) and winch it back up. I do the reverse when preparing for the next trip.
 

thorgal

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Finlay,
What was particularly unattractive or a tipping point , that you discarded URBAN OFFROAD roof rack ?

Noise could have been easily remedied with some cleverly designed cowl that sits lower then usual .I actually find this roof rack slightly compatible with a PROSPEED , as it is light enough to improve it and accessories it. Lack of useless upper rail appears to me very much .
Baja roof rack waits almost 100 LBS. alone and that is insane to me. If you compare it to a PROSPEED unit that waits barely 50 LBS, I feel that we in USA are left out with heavy , bulky outdated designs and no engineering progress.
I could work with URBAN off road platform, it looks like it has potential , but wanted to know , what caused you to sell it.
Thanks.
 

cmb6s

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I have the Front Runner Slimline II on my LR3 and can definitely say that it is a very nice, well made piece of equipment. There are many things I like about it, but you already hit on the main thing. I'm usually either working on my car, the house, or entertaining my two year old, so I don't have time to fabricate my own mounting brackets for stuff as well. I wanted an "all-in-one" sort of solution where the manufacturer could provide everything I needed. That being said, it does get pretty pricey if you start buying tons of Front Runner gear, but it's all great stuff and they have very good customer service to boot.

The only downside to the Front Runner rack is the wind noise. I've never had another rack, so I can't compare, but I remember thinking it was fairly noisy. Of course, I have a 42" lightbar mounted underneath it now which contributes greatly to the noise. To help out, I purchased a Thule wind deflector which actually does mount to the front of the rack and covers the lightbar (though it does not cover the front of the rack). This helps quite a bit on the highway. I think I could probably fabricate something of my own out of plexiglass and paint it black... but again, haven't had the time.

If you have any questions about the rack, I'd be happy to answer them. I looked at a bunch before I made my purchase and the only other one that almost got me to bite was the Baja rack. It's also a very nice rack.
 

jaguardoc504

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So I think I am going to lean towards the Baja Rack, but I have found 2 different units for the LR4
Does anyone know the difference?
http://www.bajarack.com/land-rover-4-standard
$890 + $120 shipping
and
http://www.bajarack.com/br-lr-lr3-1-0
$950 + $140 for shipping

From what I can tell they are identical racks.
but you can save $80... anyone else run into this?
Finlay do you have any comment on my above post.
I know you have the rack, but I am not sure which on you ordered.
I can save myself $80 (use for an accessory) and go with the other one, which by the way; you have to search Google for. It is not listed on their website.
 

jaguardoc504

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Went with the Baja Rack BR-LR-LR4-1-0 part number.
I spoke with John (great help) over there and there isn't any difference between the racks, and they are not sure why both parts exist in the system. except maybe that they LR4 rack should not fit the LR3 because of the brackets.
I also ordered the Scepter MWC holder, and the Ax/Shovel Mount.
I am leaving one side open for now. I haven't decided on a Awning, or mounting a "useless" Hi-Jack for the looks (cause we know they are not rated for our weight)

Overall I would say the price is very reasonable, considering all of the great quality reviews, and the factory offerings for add-on options.
 

Ryby

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Went with the Baja Rack BR-LR-LR4-1-0 part number.
I spoke with John (great help) over there and there isn't any difference between the racks, and they are not sure why both parts exist in the system. except maybe that they LR4 rack should not fit the LR3 because of the brackets.
I also ordered the Scepter MWC holder, and the Ax/Shovel Mount.
I am leaving one side open for now. I haven't decided on a Awning, or mounting a "useless" Hi-Jack for the looks (cause we know they are not rated for our weight)

Overall I would say the price is very reasonable, considering all of the great quality reviews, and the factory offerings for add-on options.

lol yeah i took my hi-jack down because of the rust. It started leaving a nasty orange trail down the side in only a few weeks. Worried it was gonna stain my vinyl wrap. I have my shovel held on with the hi-jack mount and just my ax alone on the other side. Considering an awning myself.
 

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