Weekly Roundup: 8 Roof Rack Setups on 5th Gen 4Runners (Updated 2023)

8 Roof Rack Setups on 5th Gen 4Runner Builds That Will Inspire You – What’s the best roof rack for you?

Whether it be for cargo, a rooftop tent, auxiliary lighting, or pure aesthetics, a roof rack provides you with infinite options to better outfit your ultimate adventure vehicle.

Once you decide on a rack, you still have a huge undertaking in deciding which roof rack to get.

These days, there’s a huge variety of styles and manufacturers out there for you to choose from. As such, it can be difficult to differentiate one from another. Without seeing a rack firsthand, it’s difficult to drop a grand or more and hope for the best. Good thing you’ve got us and our first-hand experience with a bunch of different roof racks.

This week we’ve got a great group of rigs and setups that we want to share with you to help you make a decision.

Top Brands Featured

• Front Runner
• GOBI Racks
• Prinsu 4Runner Roof Racks

1. @Gun.Rnr – GOBI Racks Stealth Multi-light Set Up + Sunroof Option

• Rack Style: Basket Style Rack with Tubular Steel Frame/Rails and Expanded Steel Base
• Rack Length: Full
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill Design
• Weight: 70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 88” L x 45” W x 4.5” H (to the highest point)
• Lead Time: 12-16 Weeks (Per Gobi Website) Our rack showed up around week 20.
• Website: www.gobiracks.com
• Current Price: $1595.00 for Rack and Ladder $250.00 for Sunroof Insert

How do you use your rack?

We originally selected the Gobi rack for cargo. We chose the basket style over the other horizontal slat designs because we liked the idea of side rails both for keeping stuff in and for flexibility to attach tie-downs (doesn’t hurt that it gives us the OG Safari aesthetics). Nowadays it serves as a platform for our Roof Top Tent.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

We mounted a soft-top to the included crossbars (new aluminum tent on the way!). The install is challenging since the side rails give little room to work. The distance between the rails is tiny making it difficult to find enough room to work. We’ve found that installing the tent to the crossbars first and then installing the crossbars helps eliminate 90% of the difficulty.

Removing the tent is just as easy if you remove the bars with it. Pro Tip: the Gobi crossbars are secured with Nyloc nuts that are designed to help prevent the securing bolts from backing out. Nyloc nuts can wear after continued tightening and loosening so we recommend picking up a bunch of 14mm nuts to keep on hand.

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• We really like the welded steel tube design. Everything is solid and nothing on the basket itself is secured by bolts.
• The expanded steel basket base is also nice to have when loading various cargo since you don’t have to distribute your cargo across horizontal slats and risk something falling through space between.
• We also dig that the rack comes with a super sleek and solid ladder (most other racks do not include a ladder) and comes with pre-drilled holes for auxiliary lighting.
• There’s also a good variety of accessories and mounts made for the rack.

Cons

• The basket design requires your tent to be installed to crossbars mounted to the top rail of the rack. This lifts your tent a little higher than flat roof racks.
• In addition, the side rails of the basket design make working on things like tents a little difficult.
• The rack is priced higher than a lot of the competition (remember, you’re paying for a ladder) and production times prohibit those who are in immediate need of a rack.

Who would benefit from this model rack?

Anyone who likes the aesthetics of the basket/safari style. Anyone looking for a ladder and rack in the same package (Something to think about: a large majority of folks with other racks still end up with the Gobi ladder and still have to wait for Gobi Production Times). Anyone looking for solid steel tube construction that’s welded and has a basket style base.

Would you Recommend this rack?

Personally, I really like the design and style of the rack. It’s unique compared to many of the racks out there; most definitely the best for cargo since you have the added security of the expanded steel base and the side rails.

2. @Castlebravo_V2.0 – Front Runner Slimline II

• Rack Style: Tray Style Rack with T-Slot Horizontal Slats
• Rack Length: Full Rack
• Drill/No Drill: Drilling required for front mounts
• Weight: 80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 85.3”L x 49.5”W x 5”H
• Lead Time: In Stock Item
• Website: www.frontrunneroutfitters.com
• Current Price: $1,313.00

How do you use your rack?

We mainly use the rack to carry gear that doesn’t fit in the truck (3rd-row seats and 4 kiddos take up all the interior space). Occasionally we use it to haul lumber or other home improvement stuff. We’re currently Looking at bike mounting solutions as well. Currently, we have a small storage box permanently mounted for recovery gear and hand tools.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

No.

Pros and cons of your setup?

We recently switched from a Victory 4×4 full rack and while it was nice, we feel that the Front Runner Slimline II is definitely a more solid piece of kit.

Pros

• It seems we get better fuel mileage with this rack than the Victory 4×4.
• The modular design is more robust (larger channels for hold-down bolts).

Cons

• The full rack does require drilling into the roof. So if you are gun shy about punching holes in the roof, it’s probably not for you.
• Assembly is slightly more complex than the Victory 4×4 but we think its worth it for the strength this rack affords.

Who would benefit from this model rack?

Honestly, the benefits of this rack and its design would benefit anyone who seriously uses their rig. If all you need is a place to mount lights, there are more wallet-friendly racks out there. If you are looking for a workhorse rack with well thought out add-ons and the ability to carry another truck on top of your rig look no further.

3. @Pupperunner – Prinsu 5th Gen 4Runner Prinsu No-Drill Full Roof Rack

• Rack Style: Aluminum Side Rails with T Slot Horizontal Slats
• Rack Length: Full
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill
• Weight: 75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 92”L x 47”W x 2”H
• Lead Time: 1 Week
• Website: www.prinsu.com
• Current Price: $899.99

How do you use your rack?:

We mainly utilize the rack to mount our rooftop tent. We have also used it to mount other accessories (awning/ Maxxtrax). 

Do you have a rooftop tent?

Yes, we have an AreaBFE Aluminum Low Profile Tent that we picked up from Spirit of 1876.

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• The Prinsu design maintains a low profile even when combined with the tent combined. Having modularity is key for us.

Cons

• The horizontal slats sit lower than the tops of side rails.
• As such, we are not really able to get a fully flat platform for our tent since our tent is wider than the roof rack.

Who would benefit from this rack?

People who are concerned about fitting into the garage as well as people looking for modularity and adjustability.

Would you recommend this rack?

Yes.

Anything else we should know about your setup?

The rack is extremely lightweight. Prinsu also sells individual accessories to assist with mounting. Currently, we’re running a wind deflector with a light bar cut out that allows you to mount our 40” Baja Designs S8 and still keep the streamlined, low-profile look.

4. @Trail_or_Sail – LFD Off-Road Full Length Aluminum Roof Rack

• Rack Style: Aluminum Side Rails with Horizontal Slats
• Rack Length: Full Rack
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill
• Lead Time: Website says 3-4 weeks. I got mine faster than that
• Website: www.lfdoffroad.com
• Current Price: $1,089.99

How do you use your rack?

We have used this particular rack to carry our RTT (Roam Vagabond V2), Awning, Fuel, and Miscellaneous Camp Cargo. It has taken us to Moab, Colorado Rockies, and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

Yes – Roam Vagabond V2 (Regular Size)

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• LFD has the best customer service, the setup is extremely easy, there’s no drilling required, there’s lots of room under crossbars for wrenches and there’s no messing with tracks/T Slots (bolts go through crossbars).
• The rack is very modular and extremely sturdy.

Cons

• Maybe the height of it? It seems to be a small bit taller than other racks.

Who would benefit from this model rack?

Overlanders, Campers, Cross Country Adventurers, and anyone wanting an easy way to carry cargo or mount accessories on the roof of the 4Runner. 

Would you recommend this rack?

DEFINITELY – this is our 3rd Rack from LFD Off-Road. We moved up from their standard crossbars for the OEM Roof Rails, to a 7/8ths rack, up to the full-length Aluminum. This is the only model that does not use their standard crossbars – these are slightly wider. That wider platform allows for more capacity, and we have used every bit of it.

Anything else we should know about your set up?

We have a semi-permanent gearbox – our Roam 95L Rugged Case can be removed by unbolting the 4 mounting bolts from inside the case. This setup has allowed us to keep our smelly camp gear out of the 4Runner and sealed and safe from the elements and dusty or muddy trails. Being able to bolt straight through the crossbars is a huge advantage. We also utilize the LFD Off-Road Aluminum Accessory Mounts to hold FuelPax and/or Recovery Boards.

5. @EvergreenRnr – Victory4x4 Full-Length 4Runner No-Drill Roof Rack (No Light Bar Cutout)

• Rack Style: Laser Cut Aluminum Side Rails with Horizontal T Slot Slats
• Rack Length: Full Rack
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill
• Weight: 50 lbs
• Product Dimensions: Not available on the manufacturer’s website
• Lead Time: 2-3 Weeks
• Website: www.victory4x4.com
• Current Price: $999.00

How do you use your rack?

The primary purpose of my roof rack is to mount my RTT and awning. I also use the remaining space to mount items that take up too much space inside or that get frequently dirty or muddy (traction boards, shovel, ax, saw, etc). I have also found that the aluminum extrusion is a very handy place to mount brackets for antennas as well for my comms. Right now I use the front fairing without a light bar cutout since it is the most aerodynamic, but eventually, it will be swapped out for one with the light bar cutout when the time comes to add a roof-mounted light bar.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

Yes, my 56” 23Zero Walkabout RTT is mounted on the roof rack as far back as I can reasonably get it. The roof rack was purchased specifically because I knew I was getting an RTT when I bought my 4runner, so I needed a way to mount it. Victory4x4 makes a bunch of different accessories for their Roof Racks such as RTT and Awning mounting brackets. These brackets made for mounting my RTT and Awning very easy.

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• Very easy to assemble & install, form-fitting to the 4Runner as it follows the body extremely well.
• You can add standard T-Nuts in the channels where you need them. Victory4x4 has even gone so far to add machined openings on the end of the slats so you can drop T-nuts into the T Slot channel without having to take apart the rack, Reasonable price & lead time. The reason
• I didn’t go with someone else was that the price and the current lead time made it the best bang for my buck at the time.
• Great customer service. Any time I had a question or asked to upgrade to their newest design their customer service was always available and took care of me.

Cons

• Each crossbar has a somewhat limited amount of adjustability compared to other racks. This is not an issue 95% of the time as the adjustability and spacing are more than adequate for most things. I only ran into this issue when I was trying to get my RTT as far back on the rack as possible while maintaining a somewhat centered and evenly distributed location on the mounting points.
• Their accessories seem to be aimed at being as low profile as possible and only bring the components up to the top surface of the rack.
• On the surface this is great but when you are trying to secure your tent to one of the brackets it is kind of tough to get your hand between the tent and the rack. $1,000 for a roof rack seems silly given the design and use of aluminum extrusion.
• This isn’t only limited to Victory4x4 but all roof racks of this design. I think for the given market that the Victory4x4 is very competitively priced.

Who would benefit from this model rack?

Anyone who wants to make their rig look cool or who is looking for a very functional roof rack. Or both! The rack from Victory4x4 is a very versatile rack for anyone looking to store anything on top of their vehicle. I also chose to support Victroy4x4 since all of their parts are Made in the USA and their customer service is excellent.

Would you recommend this rack?

Absolutely without a doubt! The pros certainly outweigh all of the cons.

Anything else we should know about your set up?

I wanted to mention that originally when I received my Roof Rack it had the old design of their front feet which utilized 4 rubber pads that sit on top of the front of the roof (just behind the front windshield). A month or so later Victory4x4 had released an updated version of their front feet which sits in the rain channel to provide better lateral support for larger items like an RTT. The old design tended to move laterally under load if the rack wasn’t perfectly adjusted, especially in the rain as the roof got wet. As soon as I saw this update I gave Victory4x4 a call and they got me taken care of by adding a set of the new front feet to my open order (for armor and Molle panels) for no additional cost.

6. @Mag4r – Southern Style Off-Road 5th Gen 4Runner Roof Rack

• Rack Style: Side rails with horizontal slates
• Rack Length: Full Rack
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill
• Weight: 90 lbs
• Dimensions:
• Lead Time: 10-12 Weeks
• Website: www.southernstyleoffroad.com
• Current Price: $1,188.99 – $2,767.93

How do you use your rack?

I usually mount my rooftop tent and my awning on there when we go on trips, but for everyday use, I have a solar panel mounted on the rack which helps power the fridge

Do you have a rooftop tent?

I have a Smittybilt tent and it mounts up just fine!

Pros and cons of your setup?

The tack is aluminum and low profile and extremely high quality. It is universal when it comes to mounting things. My favorite part of the rack is the side lighting cut-outs. They can accommodate Baja Design Flush Mount S2’s, Element Flush Mount lights, and the Rigid Flush Mount lights. Definitely a few side lighting options.

Who would benefit from this rack?

Anyone looking for a low-profile rack and wants to mount anything and everything to their rack. I’ve seen people mount tents all the way to lumber from the hardware store. The rack can hold a lot of weight. Sturdy and universal

Would you recommend this rack?

Yes, I would!

7. @Yoda.Runner – Front Runner Outfitters Slimline II

• Rack Style: Tray Style Rack with T-Slot Horizontal Slats
• Rack Length: Full Rack
• Drill/No Drill: Drilling required for front mounts
• Weight: 80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 85.3”L x 49.5”W x 5”H
• Lead Time: In Stock Item
• Website: www.frontrunneroutfitters.com
• Current Price: $1,313.00

How do you use your rack?

I went back and forth between Frontrunner, Prinsu and a few other brands for months. The primary reason I ultimately decided on the Frontrunner was due to its modularity and fast accessory mounts that are available for it. It also helped that there was no lead time. I primarily use it to mount our RTT and for lighting.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

Yes, I run an iKamper Skycamp 2.0

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• Front Runner has the best selection of accessory mounts on the market. Install is easy and there is no lead time for it to be built.

Con

• Once you mount a rooftop tent to the rack, there is not a lot of real estates to mount anything else.

Who would benefit from this model rack?

I think people looking for a well-supported product. No ridiculous lead times and tons of accessories. Easy assembly and built to last.

Would you Recommend this rack? 100%

8. @_seek.adventure_ – Prinsu 5th Gen 4Runner No-Drill Full Roof Rack

• Rack Style: Aluminum Side Rails with T-Slot Horizontal Slats
• Rack Length: Full
• Drill/No Drill: No Drill
• Weight: 75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 92”L x 47”W x 2”H
• Lead Time for Production: 1 Week
• Website: www.prinsu.com
• Current Price: $899.99

How do you use your rack?

I use my rack mainly to hold my iKamper rooftop tent. I also run an Extreme LED light bar and ARB awning on the rack.

Do you have a rooftop tent?

Yes we camp in an iKamper Skycamp 2.0

Pros and cons of your setup?

Pros

• There is virtually no wait time.
• The rack is super lightweight and made of aluminum.
• I have experienced very minimal wind noise after switching to this rack.
• It’s extremely low profile.

Cons

• I would say the only disadvantage is that the rack is a non-basket design.

Who would benefit from this rack?

I highly recommend this rack for its sleek profile. The rack is constructed of aluminum and, aesthetically, it matches the factory 4Runner lines very well. It’s very well designed and the wind noise is very minimal compared to my previous Racks.

Anything else we should know about your set up?

I have previously run a Gobi rack and a k9 rack and I really like the low-profile of the Prinsu. The wind noise is very minimal compared to these previous racks.

Final Thoughts

As the overlanding community continues to grow, I’m sure there will be significant growth in roof rack options, which doesn’t make deciding any easier.

Hopefully, we were able to scratch the surface and help steer you in the right direction. There are many rack manufacturers out there with different designs. Ultimately it will be up to you, your wallet and your intended purpose to decide which rack is best for you.

Have a question? Get on Instagram and follow these inspiring builds. There is a wealth of information that these guys possess and I’m sure they would be happy to share.

Want to be featured? Follow and DM @Gun.Rnr on IG with your ideas and suggestions or shoot us an email at Gun.Rnrr@gmail.com and let us know. We want your setups!