Long Term Review: 4Runner BajaRack

It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years since I first installed the BajaRack on my 4Runner.  At that time back in 2011, I was super-early in modifying the truck, and the only mods preceding the rack were a set of Goodyear Duratrac all-terrains (factory size) and a set of Shrockworks sliders.

So why did I decide to get a rack in the first place?  Believe it or not it was not just to “look the part”!  I quickly found when camping that storing a canvas tent, chairs, camp tables, and other bulky-but-not-terribly-heavy items in the truck quickly took up a whole bunch of space.

Back in the day, there were far fewer roof rack options for the 4Runner then there are today.  Gobi was still developing their 5th gen 4Runner rack (which is very nice, but more $$$) and BajaRack was JUST coming out with the full-length rack.  I called BajaRack directly and got one of the very first iterations off of the production line (after a several-week delay).

The Rack and where to find it.

The BajaRack full-length rack itself measures 91” long, 46” wide, and has 5” tall sides. Bolted to the truck,  the rack adds about 6” in total height to the truck with the legs.  Construction is welded steel and it comes standard with a black powder coat and evenly-spaced tube flooring. I went for an optional mesh flooring that is easier to stand on (more on that later…).  Current pricing put the rack is about ~$950 from TRDparts4u.

Installation.

Install was a breeze and I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the rack 2-3 more times over the past 4 years for maintenance.  The rack connects to the truck by re-using the 4 factory roof rack mounting points, and the front-most roof rack supports rest on the truck’s roof with no bolted attachment (never has caused an issue).  You’ll want at least 2 tall friends to help you maneuver the ~70lb rack onto your roof without scratching up your paint!  Sorry for lack of install pics, this install happened well before DRT was ever dreamed up!

Long Term Review.

The rack has been a great piece of equipment and addition to the truck. Here’s some of the most pertinent feedback for those of you that might be in the market:

• Storage/Capacity:  Yes it holds a lot of stuff (that’s what it is designed for).  The rack has faithfully carried big loads of camping gear back and forth across the country.  We have also found that the rack can support 4+ grown-ass men standing on it at the Daytona 500 (rack is stated capacity is 720lbs, but the Toyota roof is only rated for 300, so try at your own risk…).
• Durability: I give the Bajarack average marks for durability.  I certainly haven’t babied the rack, and over time the powder coat got dinged, deteriorated, and I had to deal with rust.  Over 4 years I’ve removed, sanded down, and repainted the rack twice to bring it back up to snuff.  Not a huge deal at all, but something to expect if you live in a climate with winter weather and actually put stuff on the rack.
• Daily Livability: With the added utility and cool-guy factor comes some trade-offs.  The rack is the aerodynamic equivalent of a brick and will add wind noise.  I estimate that I lost ~1mpg on the highway with it installed, and adding more cargo onto it worsens the condition. There is also the obvious stability dynamic of slightly raising the center of gravity (again worsened by putting stuff on the rack).  Adjust the aggressiveness of your driving accordingly.

Overall, I’ve been happy with the rack, would buy another if I was starting the build over, and think BajaRack makes a great option at the sub-$1K price point.