Roof rack options

[06 H3]

I am going for all versatility...I have said it a bunch of times but havent really done anything about it but this time I am serious and wanna make a decision with my roof rack. COG is a concern now that I am lifted. While I will hold onto the 2nd spare I wont always run it. With that said I am not sure what to do so what do you all think? I will always have a rack for going to the local mtns for some snowboarding or a longer trip.

Option1: Keep the current rack I have. For tough trails pull the spare off the roof and leave it home. Run the 2nd spare for easier/expedition type trails and cross country road trips.

Pros: Good to have 2 spares for road trips and trails where I will be away from help for more then a day at a tim and this rack was designed for it, If I dont sell it I have no wasted time or money swapping things out
Cons: Higher COG on tougher trails and if I pull off the spare aesthetically it will look weird. I do care about aesthetics a little bit.:emb:

Option 2: Sell the current gobi and buy a stealth, get a removable spare tire mount and when I dont run the 2nd spare it doesnt look naked.

Pros: doesnt look naked, lighter more low profile rack, lower COG, can house a 40in LED light bar better.
Cons: Expensive and more of a headache, when running the 2nd spare it doesnt look "at home"

Option 3:Sell the gobi and build a custom one or have someone build me a custom one.
Pros: I can have it built to exact specs and even with removable bars so the 2nd spare looks at home when on there and when I remove the bars, mount and tire it will look good either way. Can be made of aluminum to really lower the COG.
Cons: Extremely time consuming, most expensive seeing its the craziest ideas of the 3. Most down time too...

Feel free to throw out the opinions. I am really torn on this because idea 2 and 3 are good but the current rack was the first major mod I did and am partially bias towards it. It also is very distinct as I am 1 of 3 known on this forum that run this setup. Whats your opinion on how bare it looks without a spare? The main goal is versatility, from tough trails, to easy trails, to daily driving and road trips.

For super tough trails I may throw the spare off the back door into the 2nd row and the 2nd spare in the garage. I do believe weight in the rear and up top can really effect performance. That may look ridiculously bare though...

Posted up a poll too.

 

[06 H3]

I did leave it public for now...If you want privacy voting lmk and I can change it. :cheers:

 

[Portager]

What you didn't mention, which is significant data towards the CoG discussion is the weight of the alternatives. I believe the full size H3 rack is 88 lbs and the sun roof insert is 25. I guessing the spare tire with 35's is 85 lbs.

First, I'd ditch the second spare. How many times have you used it? Or even used the first spare? That is just too much weight too high up for me.

I'd do a modular bolt together aluminum rack with CNC machined plate fittings and square aluminum tubing. OMF performance would machine the fittings to your design and with a lot of careful design work you could get it down to about 25 lbs. Once you’re done with the new rack then sell the Gobi.

 

[alrock]

Would an aluminum rack safely hold a second spare w/o adding so much bracing that the weight savings would be significant? Why not just modify your current rack - cut out the spare tire holder, weld in new pieces and get it powdercoated? You can customize the current rack for less money.

 

[06 H3]

Thanks Mike. Do you have an estimate cost?

 

[Portager]

OK, just to get a ball park guestimate, I went to metals depot :link: and I assumed a 4'x8' rack.

I assumed 1"x3"x 1/8" wall rectangular aluminum tubing around the perimeter so I priced out three 8 foot lengths = $190.32
Then I assumed 3/4"x3/4"x 1/8" wall square tube going crosswise on 6" centers so 15 pieces 4' long = $156.60
Then I prices out 1/2 inch Diamond x .081 thick Aluminum Expanded Metal - Flattened 4'x8' to cover the deck = $118.40
Then shipping to my address is $199.94 (you might be able to eliminate shipping if you find a local supplier).
Total is $665.26

If you welded it all together and added miscellaneous materials ... you should be out the door under $1,000. If you make it out of 6XXX aluminum you wouldn't need to paint it which would save money, just sand power sander. If you want it black with red accents you'll probably need to powder coat it and add $$$.

 

[4speedfunk]

Best rack out there? ...No Rack!

Gut the back seats. It gives you gobs of cargo area, low COG, and costs nuthin. Way better looking than a roof-rack, and it doesn't cost gas milage; whistle at 70mph; or get snagged on tree limbs. If you need a roof rack...you got too much stuff!

 

[alrock]

I like the roof rack for camping; dislike it for wheeling. I understand it is a disadvantage in some situations. Since I do both camping and wheeling I had to go with a rack. If I could dedicate the truck to one purpose well, then I would purpose build it. But I do have rear passengers on occasion; I do wheel it over rocks and I do longer trips where the storage is necessary.

 

[4508js]

Just have Scarsman (Robert Knight) build you a rack, you can customize it however you want

 

[ReconH3]

Best rack out there? ...No Rack!

Gut the back seats. It gives you gobs of cargo area, low COG, and costs nuthin. Way better looking than a roof-rack, and it doesn't cost gas milage; whistle at 70mph; or get snagged on tree limbs. If you need a roof rack...you got too much stuff!

I'm with him. Only time I see a need for a roof rack is if you go camping with a full family and need extra room for all the gear. Spare on the rack is never a good idea. Two spares are unnecessary with the stronger Offroad tires.

 

[SolidusJ]

I'm with him. Only time I see a need for a roof rack is if you go camping with a full family and need extra room for all the gear. Spare on the rack is never a good idea. Two spares are unnecessary with the stronger Offroad tires.

I don't know, this isn't the best look sometimes.

 

[cgalpha08]

It sounds like your purposes you really dont need the second spare, and since COG is a concern for you more than others, i would personally ditch all racks, and just throw some OEM cross bars up there. Then buy a Rola or yakima rack if you need the extra cargo space.

I went with the GOBI with 2 spares because i like being prepared, plus i seem to get flat tires everytime i go out, so i want to make sure i can make it home, but again, COG is not really an issue for me.

 

[poncho1965]

Agree with 4speed, no rack! But if I had a need for one, I really like Mr. Knights custom job. It rocks :thumbs:

 

[06 H3]

Maybe I should drop the 2nd spare all together. I started off with the intentions of easier trails but with the way I wanna go I should lose weight. How strong is an aluminum rack? I wanna make my own but can't weld aluminum so mr knight may be better off building it. I need a rack. When I go camping or out on adventures or snowboarding we all hop into my rig. My friends aren't close to being prepared. A full size rack is needed when theres 5 of us. With the spare and rack and hi lift and awning I have close to 200lbs up top with an already lifted rig and I run off camber rock trails.

 

[Scarsman]

I'm in the boat of NEEDING a rack. I have four kids, my wife, and 110# Yellow Lab that will NOT be left behind. That leaves no room inside for anything at all.

Yes, a rack and gear does have an effect on COG, for sure. However, I have actually hit some pretty decent angles with a full load on mine and have been pretty impressed with what it can still do.

An aluminum rack would be the ultimate, for sure. And aluminum would be plenty strong. It does cost more than steel, but would weigh WAY less. And, of course, be WAY cool!

 

[06 H3]

Scarsman I will shoot you a PM tomorrow. Its almost midnight and Im tired...

I need a rack. Not necessarily for offroading but road trips and easier trails where I am carrying more people. I needed a full size rack to get to moab, yea I packed way too much ****! I think aluminum is the route to go. Lightweight which is good. I will ditch the 2nd spare...I will probably find a new mounting place for the hi lift. May ditch the awning too. While I havent rolled over or gotten too close yet and while it can probably take more angles then I imagine its good to lower the COG either way.

I wanna build it on my own but Scarsman makes badass stuff and I ran out of time since school started. Over summer I wanted to build a new rack, a winch bumper and do the spring over and unfortunately only had the time to do the spring over. I will let scarsman take care of this one. It wont be right away as I have some other expenses on the H3 first, like tires and some TLC parts but after that I can probably break almost even with selling this rack.

For tougher trails when its only 1-2 passengers I think I will design a box/cargo system behind the front seat to move everything from the trunk (fluids,spares,etc.) and put the spare in the cab too...now I am getting extreme about this low COG stuff lol.

Dont wanna jump too far ahead but after the tires, TLC parts and the new rack I really want a rollcage but thats a different story for a different day!

 

[theindian]

What about a combo of steel and aluminum. Rails aluminum, floor and mounts steel. Would save cost and weight!

 

[06 H3]

Mounts could be steel...they are less then 2lbs even as steel and bolt on. Not sure about the weld ability from steel on aluminum though...

 

[Hunner]

"only had time to do the spring over" is an understatement! lol

Weight has always been a concern of mine. I guess I'm a hoarder, I need my "stuff" even with compact tools and trying to include all the things to be self sufficient it's hard. If you travel with a group of others on hard trails where things are more likely to break, you at least have a ride out.
I see a change in your approach to some of this now.
I have always been for a light weight rack, but strong, removable by yourself so you only use it when needed. I like the look of a rack but made the decision to not run it all the time for several reasons, which have all been mentioned before.
My feelings on the second spare are that if you are 1500+ miles from home and need one, can you walk in any tire dealer and match what you are running without waiting a day or more? I agree less weight up high is important and the all these decisions should be based on your type of wheeling.
Years ago I did use my second spare I took on a rough trip and grinned all the way to the pavement.
I basically expect to have something fail being a pessimist because of past experience. Not having to worry about things that are easy to be prepared for makes
Hunner a happy camper.

 

[Portager]

Mounts could be steel...they are less then 2lbs even as steel and bolt on. Not sure about the weld ability from steel on aluminum though...

Forget welding steel and aluminum. Other than a complicated fusion technique it can't be done. You would need a bolted joint between the steel and aluminum and then you need to isolate the two dissimilar metals to prevent galvanic corrosion. You need small simple joints between the two metals.

 

[theindian]

O6, Portager I'm sure you have seen my rack and how is was made. my rails are bolted to the flooring section and to the mount with 5/8" stainless bolts. Not sure how one feels about the bolted idea, but i have aluminum rails and steel floor and mounts. It has worked out nicely. I dont carry a secound spare but i could if i needed to. My rack wieghs in at 68 Lbs not to bad. Just another idea and a way to reduce some weight.In my case ive looked at roof top tents and if i took the rails off and leave the flooring section it would be a great base for even load distribution mounting. Does give alittle flexiblity of uses. Anyway good luck with your project.

 

[stix]

Not sure where to post this, but has anyone bought a Stealth for H3 from GOBI recently that can post some pics? I have an order in with them, and they mentioned that they have a new design that looks more like the 4 runner model …the rear of the rack has been modified to remove the breaks in the top bar for the light notches and the side vertical supports are now solid weld tube instead of the flat stock with bolts….any help is appreciated!!!

Thanks!

 

[alrock]

This is an early 2012 H3 Stealth

 

[4speedfunk]

Try to find a used Boulder Accessories rack. They're aluminum, cheap, lightweight, strong, good-looking, and they come apart for shipping. They're pretty much everything a fella could want in a rack...except "AVAILABLE". Everybody that has one is keeping it (including me). Keep looking...I know there's one out there for sale somewhere.