GOBI rack
 

Hi there,

I recently was looking to get a roof rack for my 2012 CRD JKU. I only have a soft top so was looking for something that could pivot back, fold the roof down and then click back on. This quickly reduces your options to 2-3 roof racks.

I also had to take into consideration that I have an AEV rear bumper, as most roof racks for soft tops mount to the chassis or the rear bumper.

During the course of my research I looked at the following options:

Uneek 4x4 Jk Wrangler Roof Rack Unlimited
http://www.uneek4x4.com.au/jk-wrangl...ack-unlimited/
This was ruled out as it was incompatible with my AEV rear bumper

SharpWrax JKU Super Spoiler
http://sharpwrax.com.au/jku/jku-super-spoiler.html
This was ruled out as my preference was for the roof rack itself to be a grill or similar, so cargo could be strapped down nice and tight.

GOBI Stealth
https://www.gobiracks.com/product/je...lth-reg-setup/
This ticked all the boxes and so was selected.

I got Bill from DBO in Melbourne to supply and install the rack - did a fantastic job. I got a ladder, body shield protector, quick release kit and the sunroof insert grill as well.

I just thought I would share some of my observations since putting the rack on...

Noise
As expected the roof rack creates some noise, but I would not regard it as a a major drawback. However, fitting the sunroof insert grill creates a whistling noise similar to a giant kettle, so you would only put this on when required.


Fuel Economy
It is early days, as I have only had the rack for 1 month. Previously, my 2012 CRD running 35" tires, and 4.88 gear ratio would get approx. 670 km's per tank (highway driving). After fitting the roof rack, I got approx. 620 km's (highway driving). I am yet to fit the wind deflector to see what impact this has on fuel economy.

Accessories
This is where the rack has come a little unstuck. I wanted to attach an awning - specifically the Darche Eclipse 2x2.5m awning. Whilst Darche provide a mount for their awning, my preference would be to go with the GOBI awning mount, as the roof rack has a very specific setup. Unfortunately these are made to order by GOBI. I attempted to order from GOBI, and they asked me to purchase from DBO. When I pointed out that the part was not in stock and made to order, they never replied. I have repeatedly attempted to contact GOBI via email and phone and have received nothing in response. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the GOBI roof rack - the limited availability of accessories and poor post sales service/support.

I have managed to find these mounts from Fourtreks:
http://www.fourtreks.com/modular_awning_mounts.html
and am looking to see whether this will suit.

Other than the awning mount, the GOBI stealth rack is solid and aesthetically pleasing.

Keen to hear any other peoples experience with this rack and whether they have sorted out an awning for it.

I got my Gobi rack used a couple of years ago and I love it! It looks great, sturdy, allows me to still take out my freedom panels without hassle, and gives lots of carrying options (camping gear, timber, whatever). Yeah, it’s a bit heavy, especially with the front panel in, but I didn’t buy a Wrangler for fuel mileage. :p

I’ve got the air deflector, sunroof insert, quick release, rear ladder and axe/shovel mounts as part of the deal, so pretty much all kitted out. I did have a fair bit of noise from the air deflector that bothered me when I had the freedom panels out. I ended up buying some cheap rubber door trim from eBay and glued it to the lower lip of the deflector and pushed it right back against the body above the windshield. That reduced the noise by about 75% and I can drive on the motorway at 110kph with the panels out and still have a conversation with my passenger. Happy. :cool:

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c821b0930f.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c822df2f3c.jpg

As for an awning, I have an Adventure Kings 2.5x2.5m mounted on the passenger side. The back two brackets are just the standard L type fastened through the mesh of the rear panel. Because I wanted to easily remove the sunroof insert and freedom panels I went for a simple solution for the front mount... heavy duty zip ties!!! I’ve had this on there for about 1.5 years now and it’s as solid as the day I put them on. I’ll probably replace them soon as they are most likely getting a bit weaker due to sun exposure. Should take all of 3 minutes. :D

I had to angle the awning a bit so that it’s closer to the body at the front than the back to clear the rear upright, but it’s not really noticeable until you look closely.

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c83d512855.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c83e88e94a.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c83fae8d83.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c841471a8d.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c842323565.jpg

Other than that I’ve got some low profile lights mounted on the rear which really help when hooking up the snatch strap to my buddies’ Hilux and BT50’s while night wheeling. ;) Wiring is all routed through the bars with a quick disconnect to allow ease of flipping the rack back when I want to.

Overall, I’m really impressed with my Gobi! :D

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c863e51bdc.jpg

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...c866a8c3fd.jpg

I have a Gobi Stealth and it's seen it's far share of the country.

I run both hard and soft tops on mine but as mine's a MY14 I can't just open the front section of the soft top I have to fold the entire roof down. That only becomes a problem when I have my drawers in the rear of the JKUR.

As for the awning, get the standard awning brackets and modify them to suit the Darche awning, it's not a difficult job.

I tried contacting Gobi for some parts and got exactly the same response, useless really.

I ended up getting the GOBI Awning mounts from DBO - not on the website but Bill stocks them.

I also attached the wind deflector and have observed that the noise around the sunroof insert is significantly reduced/eliminated.

The rack is solid - looks great!


Next I am considering lights - am thinking of fitting 4 x Hella FF75 - for the old school look


http://www.myhellalights.com/index.p...5-series/ff75/