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Roof Rack
- Thread starter lc7404
- Start date
- Messages
- 10,447
- Location
- Scottsdale
I have a Gobi with the sunroof opening, but I also like the Defender half racks.
rascole
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,588
- Location
- Bellflower, CA
I have the Gobi full rack and I have a sun roof, I never stick my hands out the roof anyways when driving and I prefer the extra storage.
My Suggestion: H3 Gobi Stealth Rack with Sunroof Cut-Out
I would definitely go with the H3 Gobi Stealth Rack with Sunroof Cut-Out For those who have a sunroof on there H3, the sunroof cutout is a really nice feature. I keep mine on most of them time, but it is nice to be able to take it off, especially if you get mud in your sun roof and need to clean it out. This option gives you the best of both worlds: a full size rack which I think looks better than a half sized one, and the ability to enjoy your sunroof. The best thing about this rack is it is not only for putting a duffel bag and a basket ball on the roof, there so many other uses for it that make it more valuable to have than a cheap universal one. To be honest, I really don’t even load my rack up that often with stuff that I would take if I were going on a road trip, it actually is extremely useful in other ways:
The Good
Adding Accessories:
The gobi makes it really easy to mount accessories to it. It already comes with predrilled holes so you can mount lights in the front and rear. In addition, it has wires in it (front/back) so all you have to do is run you wires up the A-Pillar and connect it. No need to try and hide the wires behind the rack. The top of the rack is made from a steel mesh material, so it makes it to mount things there by putting a bolt through it and use washers on both sides to secure it. I took advantage of this setup by making my own custom rotopax (gas can) mount and putting it up there. I also put have a pelican case (Full of spare parts) up there that is bolted down the same way.
Getting Stuck:
Another great use of this rack is that it provides a great place for you to grab onto if you have rock sliders or nerf bars. If you are like me and like to go offroad alot, you are bound to get stuck somewhere. For me personally I send my truck through a lot of mud holes, and there I times where I can’t make it through. Now I am stuck in 3 feet of mud, and I don’t want to trek through the mud because I will drag it all back into my interior. So what I can do is open my door, step on my rocksliders, and grab hold of my gobi to work my way around the truck to get to dry land and assess the situation. There are often times when where I make my way to the back of the truck and use the ladder to stand on top of roof. From there I can stand on my hood and pull my winch rope out and throw it to a friend.
Working On Your H3:
While I am wrenching on my H3, a lot of times I have to remove a lot parts to get to what I need fix. Last week I took my carpet out so I basically had to take out everything of my interior. This includes my tube doors, weather mats, center console, numerous trim pieces, and my seats. All of this stuff takes up a lot of room in my shop and I really didn’t to put it on the floor because it is dirty and dusty. Instead I was able to load up my gobi roof rack with everything except the front seats.
Downsides:
Price
The biggest downside to this rack is its price. It is about $2000 if you get the ladder (which you will need for sure) and the sun roof cut out. It is a steep price for a lot of H3 guys that are just starting out. This is pretty obvious, but the rack dosen’t add any offroad capability, just utility. When starting you often should focus on things like better tires, shocks, lifting it, and this rack will surely eat up most of your budget for a good amount of time.
Putting It On/Taking It Off
The other small, but downside you have to consider is the installation of the roof rack and if you want to take it off to modify it. This isn’t really a problem for me because I have a forklift and lining it up onto the roof is pretty easy but I know not everyone has that. In the time I had mine I have already taken it off/on 3 times and I might be taking it off for the winter this year because my H3 is so tall now that it doesn’t fit inside my garage with it on. Definitely a smaller problem, but something to consider.
Conclusion:
This rack is on the pricey side, but gives way more utility than a cheaper one. If you can’t buy it now, I would save up for it, instead of buying a cheaper one (Go big or go home kind of thing).
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Panzer07
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,548
- Location
- Ontario, CA
I considered getting a gobi for a long time...but a few factors made me to go some other route to haul more stuff around, however one of the biggest factor on not purchasing a gobi rack was indeed price. I personally couldn't justify that much money for a rack that is rated for 300 lbs if i remember correctly, also not to mention that u have to keep in mind how much weight the h3 mounting rails can handle. Some people have allegedly have 500+ lbs up there well distributed, but again that much weight up there would be not convenient nor desired if u off road...plus loading scheiße up/down would also be a hassle. Because of this i decided that a trailer would be a more better option...I went with a M1102 I replaced the hmmwv tires for some h2 rims and some 37's tires...I could probably had gone something smaller or lighter but for what I need it is perfect. Oh and I only paid $1,200 for it...so it was a no brainer at least for me.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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cbetts
NERD!!!
- Messages
- 3,182
- Location
- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
4speedfunk
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,212
- Location
- Tardville
Opinions are like buttholes...everybody’s got one and they all stink. So here goes...
Get a bigger vehicle. The cons of a roof rack far outweigh the pros.
-Ugly
-Noisy
-Can’t fit in the garage
-Snag on tree limbs
-Make poor mileage even worse
-Make the COG top-heavy.
I could see it for a specific trip but, I would never want one installed 100% of the time when it gets used 1% of the time. Plus the H3’s gutters aren’t designed to handle any more than a couple lawn chairs or kayaks. It doesn’t matter how beefy a Gobi is...when the thing you’re bolting it to is plastic and tinfoil, (see Nugget’s roof).
FWIW...I run an aluminum Boulder Accessories roof rack (on my trailer).
Get a bigger vehicle. The cons of a roof rack far outweigh the pros.
-Ugly
-Noisy
-Can’t fit in the garage
-Snag on tree limbs
-Make poor mileage even worse
-Make the COG top-heavy.
I could see it for a specific trip but, I would never want one installed 100% of the time when it gets used 1% of the time. Plus the H3’s gutters aren’t designed to handle any more than a couple lawn chairs or kayaks. It doesn’t matter how beefy a Gobi is...when the thing you’re bolting it to is plastic and tinfoil, (see Nugget’s roof).
FWIW...I run an aluminum Boulder Accessories roof rack (on my trailer).
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Adding a few cons-
The flexing will eventually rip out the rivnuts on your roof tracks which is not a fun fix even if your a diy'er.
Wind deflector seal will eventually wear through your paint
Forget ever washing your roof
I sold mine a while back and was glad someone wanted it. If I had half a brain and not got caught up in the Gobi looks cool hype I would have just bought a .mil trailer to tow and had far more functionality, storage and load capability.
The flexing will eventually rip out the rivnuts on your roof tracks which is not a fun fix even if your a diy'er.
Wind deflector seal will eventually wear through your paint
Forget ever washing your roof
I sold mine a while back and was glad someone wanted it. If I had half a brain and not got caught up in the Gobi looks cool hype I would have just bought a .mil trailer to tow and had far more functionality, storage and load capability.
rascole
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,588
- Location
- Bellflower, CA
My rivnuts were stripped before I even installed te Gobi. Roof racks are 100% a tool of necessity, I do a lot of overlanding and a weeks worth of firewood and supplies necesitate a roof rack, no day trips in Death Valley. Buy whatever you can afford and suits your needs.
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06 H3
a.k.a. "The Jackal"
- Messages
- 9,352
- Location
- Meridian, ID
After wheeling and driving through the east coast I could see where people would feel that way. Roof racks, gas cans and firewood don’t seem necessary one bit. Out west we can go days without seeing a gas station, in the remote desert you can be days away from help and need to pack in and out everything you need.
I’ve done a trail (dusy ershim) that is remote enough to where we didn’t see a single soul for 2 days into a 5 day trip. Sat phones barely worked on a certain part of the trail (heavily wooded) when we tried to call for a steering box on a broken ZJ, gas cans were a must, the nearest gas station from the start was far enough away to where we started the trail almost 3/4 of a tank and the nearest gas station to the finish was even further. It was over 30 miles over crawling at a few mph.
It has changed my perspective that people in certain areas have different needs. I have often wondered why people do the things they do but now I can understand them...except for angry eyes. No matter where you are in the USA you don’t need angry eye headlights! Lol
I’ve done a trail (dusy ershim) that is remote enough to where we didn’t see a single soul for 2 days into a 5 day trip. Sat phones barely worked on a certain part of the trail (heavily wooded) when we tried to call for a steering box on a broken ZJ, gas cans were a must, the nearest gas station from the start was far enough away to where we started the trail almost 3/4 of a tank and the nearest gas station to the finish was even further. It was over 30 miles over crawling at a few mph.
It has changed my perspective that people in certain areas have different needs. I have often wondered why people do the things they do but now I can understand them...except for angry eyes. No matter where you are in the USA you don’t need angry eye headlights! Lol
Woodtick
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 801
- Location
- Ilanoid, UP MI
I may sell my rack,make me an offer. Oem and very light. You can pop it on and off with one person. Located in Chicago area.