Rago Fab Crossbars

Wasn't sure where to post this but wanted to get some thoughts/opinions on the existing crossbars on my 2022 TRD Off-Road Premium. Previous owner installed these but Rago has since discontinued. (anyone know why they discontinued?). My goal is to be able to have 2 mountain bike up top and some sort of storage container.

I am trying to do a mild set up right now because I want to do a few other mods before doing a full roof rack (thinking eventually Front Runner or Prinsu). My wife isn't 100% bought in on the overland camping just yet so trying to ease her into it. My family grew up camping in Wyoming and Colorado during the summer - hers grew up "hotel-ing" haha. You are welcome for all of the random information! Trying to set the scene

With that being said...my thought is to build a platform for a Luno air mattress inside then an awing outside to provide some shade/coverage (live in Oklahoma). I am having a hard time figuring out the best plan of attack for using the existing Rago crossbars and get the hardware needed to achieve this? I saw the aweing brackets from Rago which I will probably get but just trying to think through tie down rings, straps, bike rack, etc. Thought about doing the hitch bike rack, but still trying to figure out if I am doing a hitch spare carrier or not - i.e. Rig'd.

Sorry for the novel, just trying to get some community input.

 

I’m sorry I don’t have any input about your future setup, but I do have the same rack. Main reason was garage door clearance, and I use them to carry a roof top bag. I’d like to eventually find some j-hooks to attach for kayaks but I haven’t been looking very hard for ones that would fit.

Rago did a good job of including lots of bolt holes for optional attachments. I don’t know why they discontinued the product, but I’m pretty sure I got the very last set because it disappeared from their website right after I ordered them in November.

 

That helps! I do like the crossbars because like you our garage is tight. We basically rearranged the garage to fit the 4Runner when a storm rolls through (Oklahoma and hail), along with living in a 100 year old house, its a TIGHT fit!

To be honest all of the bolt holes/layout overwhelms me to an extent haha but thats because its a different setup compared to what my dad ran when I grew up.

 

I have these on my 17' and really like them. don't know why they discontinued them as well.

 

What are you using to mount things onto the crossbars? Trying to figure out how to fit my fingers under them. I have thought about removing them and going a different direction but they came on the 4R when we bought it.

 

If it’s a choice between a hitch spare tire carrier and bikes on the roof vs a hitch bike rack and putting the spare on the roof, I’d choose the latter. The bikes will get used a lot more than the spare.

Thumb’s up on the Luno mattress. My daughter had one and loved it. Just out of curiosity where do you put all your gear when you’re sleeping?

 

If I had it my way then I would go full bumper/armor with a tire carrier and extra hitch mount for the bike rack BUTTTT its my wife's daily so I am trying to keep it minimal with the mods until I get it.

I am still trying to figure that out - when we previously camped in my truck we had a truck bed tent and it was good for being off the ground. We had a "rain tent" so we put it under that, but I figured if we can deploy the awning we can keep the totes under the 4R and under the awning. We keep our valuables in the truck with us. We just don't have a use for a RTT. If anything we would go to a little tow behind camper or trailer behind.

 

I’m trying to work out this dilemma too. Our youngest is off to college this year and my wife wants to do a lot more camping. The RTT is out. I’m too old, my knees are too bad, and my wife won’t tolerate me relieving myself into a Gatorade bottle right beside her.

I wonder if we slept inside the car if we would get sick of being inside it all the time. Driving during the day and sleeping all night. And then there’s the matter of constantly transferring our gear in and out of the vehicle. But if we went that route we could get a basic pop-up tent to hold the gear. Sets up and takes down quick.

But my current plan is to go with something like an OzTent. Combine that with a double cot with a scissor base that just opens up with no assembly, and we’d be styling’. But going that route would require a full length roof rack. The OzTent is big and sets up fast, but the price one pays for big and fast is that the tent doesn’t break down very small.

Decisions.

 

Just loosen the two nuts on each end of the crossbar one or two turns and lift the crossbar straight up. The nuts don’t have to be removed.

The two bolts on each end are welded to a plate that slides inside of the roof rack track, and the cross bar ends have a u-shaped notch that slides over the bolts. The nuts just hold everything in place.

I still haven’t experimented with our J-hooks yet to see if they’ll mount. I will probably try it here soon though since we’ll want to take the kayaks to WV’s Greenbrier River in the fall.

 

Yeah it's tough. My wife's family didn't grow up camping but I did either in tent for mountain bike racing or in an RV (glamping) with my grandpa.

So she was a no go for sleeping in the ground and I'm not hiking my 6'2 230 lbs ass up in a RTT. I have been generating a leveling platform in a 3D program I use so that is going to be done by fall. For now that will work. Until we take our Great Dane. Then we are screwed haha

 

gazelle T3 or t4 is a good turbo tent. Will fit up on the roof bars

 

Great Dane, wife who won't sleep on the ground, husband who doesn't want to climb up to RTT = small camping trailer. Even with those nice bars, the stock rack has limits, and driving a top loaded 4Runner in windy conditions can be a chore. Bikes and kayaks can be pretty light, but the certainly catch a lot of wind.

 

Haha don't get me wrong I will sleep anywhere anytime if I am outdoors. I just don't see us spending the cash for a RTT and it actually serving our needs vs a trailer we can leave at camp and lock up and such.