I have the opportunity to buy a Karmaster Congo roof rack. Do you guys like them or not? I don't see to many Jeeps with them. i know it's a matter of opinion and utility, but i was just seeking your opinion.

Roof Rack = Even more wind resistance on an already NON aerodynamic vehicle
Roof Rack = Even higher center of gravity on an already top-heavy vehicle

My vote is no! :)

Let us know what you decide, and if it's yes, post pictures! :wave:

I run a yakima load warrior rack and have a tire up there works great for me. I dont really feel all this higher COG everyone talks about and aerodynamic shmerodynamic, we all dont drive jeeps for their fuel efficency and arodynamic characteristics. Its a Jeep.

Allen is right... if Chuck can put all this weight up high and keep his Jeep correctly oriented (rubber side down), you should be ok!

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/great88jeep/Twisted%20Trail%20II%201-19-08/100_4364.jpg

Roy, what kinds of trails do you want to run? There are some places like Moab where any amount of tippy-ness can mean a deadly fall off a cliff.

no way would I want more weight on top of my jeep. And just the other day I had to stop on the trail and fold down my top, windshield and take the doors off to get past an obstacle so a roof rack would be a little much. just my .02

Roy, what kinds of trails do you want to run? There are some places like Moab where any amount of tippy-ness can mean a deadly fall off a cliff.
LOL thatd be the first death id heard of because of a roof rack causing a flop over a cliff :P

Thanks Matt.:rolleyes:
Their Congo cage is on my wish list. Out of all the racks out there I think it’s one of the best. Holds more weight then the others and is easy to disconnect for top removal. If I could run with out a rack I would. I hate having that stuff hanging off the back. I have two kids so I need the space (maybe I need an XJ now). I have a Confer rack that I’m going to adapt to the Congo cage. I’m only getting it for camping trips. When I’m out locally for the day it will come off. I’m also making a storage box for the inside that is on a quick disconnect system so I can put the seats back when the kids are not with me.
If you need the space I say go for it.

http://www.kargomaster.com/files/031102_B7.jpg (http://www.kargomaster.com/files/031102_B71.jpg)

I had a Wilderness rack on for years. Needed it when I took my 2 kids with me camping/wheeling. It's a great plus for any space concerns. I recently sold it when I bought a truck to tow the Jeep. But when we went on the Rubicon this year, I had to fab up some extra space for the 3 day trip. So, I missed it for that. It did add 6" to height so I couldn't go through the arches at Calico.
As for freeway driving, you knew it was up there when loaded down.

LOL thatd be the first death id heard of because of a roof rack causing a flop over a cliff :P
That's cuz the extreme wheelers don't use roof racks :D hehe

LOL thatd be the first death id heard of because of a roof rack causing a flop over a cliff :PYou laugh but the tougher the trail, the more having a low-COG (center of gravity) is important.

Whether he or you do difficult enough trails where a low COG is important is unknown. But personally, if I had a loaded roof rack on my TJ for most of the desert trails I would enjoy, my TJ would be flopped on its side on a regular basis. I even went from a 5.5" to 4.5" suspension lift to lower my COG as much as possible.

Laughing at a responsible poster's COG concern is hardly a good way of responding to that concern.

Thanks Matt.:rolleyes:

It was meant as a good thing... You don't wheel "extreme" (potentially falling off cliffs) but you definitely do wheel the tough trails, and you're some of the proof that a cooler up high isn't going to make your jeep into a flopomobile.

It was meant as a good thing... You don't wheel "extreme" (potentially falling off cliffs) but you definitely do wheel the tough trails, and you're some of the proof that a cooler up high isn't going to make your jeep into a flopomobile.

I know. It's all good.

For the OP, It’s all about common sense. If you’re going to wheel on the hammers I wouldn’t run a loaded down roof rack. If you’re going on a nice family camping trip up in Big Bear use a rack for their comfort. Unless the kids don’t mind holding the cooler. JK. I say get the rack go explore and have some fun.:thumbs_up

Be careful not to put too much weight up there. I used to run a roof rack on my xj. It held my spare tire and my highlift jack. Although it looked awesome and kept stuff out of the way, It can be summed up in one word, "SCARY"!!!

You laugh but the tougher the trail, the more having a low-COG (center of gravity) is important.

Whether he or you do difficult enough trails where a low COG is important is unknown. But personally, if I had a loaded roof rack on my TJ for most of the desert trails I would enjoy, my TJ would be flopped on its side on a regular basis. I even went from a 5.5" to 4.5" suspension lift to lower my COG as much as possible.

Laughing at a responsible poster's COG concern is hardly a good way of responding to that concern.
Calm down dont get your panties in a bunch... I wasent laughing at the concern, i was laughing cause i didnt think a roof rack would cause someone to flop over a cliff and die, if that were to happen i would think that the person was doing something else to cause the flop in the first place.

That's cuz the extreme wheelers don't use roof racks :D hehe
Nope... APPARENTLY they dont...

https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA1LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA5LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA4LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/Booty/booty_ua_lg.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/dsc01851.jpg

Yeah I'm pretty sure Poison Spider is extreme enough... :)

Ohhhhh Burn




http://www.the-word-is-not-enough.com/blog/rob/images/_images_StewieGriffin2.jpg

hahahah lololol ^^^^

Nope... APPARENTLY they dont...

Yeah I'm pretty sure Poison Spider is extreme enough... :)
Nice investigative reporting, Captain Obvious.

well, all in all a rack is something that is up to the OP. I was just showing that if rigs that wheel like that can run them, obviously they dont effect the COG to the point that a rack is something that would cause a flop and shouldnt be run.

Thanks everyone for the opinions. I think you guys said it best...when it comes to light camping, i'll put it on; but when it comes to hitting some nice trails, off it goes. I couldn't pass the deal. i bought the entire cage with the cross bars for $50 off my buddy. I'll post pictures soon.

Thanks for your replies

Thanks everyone for the opinions. I think you guys said it best...when it comes to light camping, i'll put it on; but when it comes to hitting some nice trails, off it goes. I couldn't pass the deal. i bought the entire cage with the cross bars for $50 off my buddy. I'll post pictures soon.

Thanks for your replies
:omg: $50 for a Cango cage and cross bars? Nice score. :thumbs_up

Wow, did they finish with Desert Jewels Jeep already? :D
Check out the front blinkers.


https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA5LG.jpg

Nope... APPARENTLY they dont...

https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA1LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA5LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/booty_UA4LG.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/Booty/booty_ua_lg.jpg
https://www.spydercustoms.com/buggies/dsc01851.jpg

Yeah I'm pretty sure Poison Spider is extreme enough... :)

nice racks :D

notice how stuffed with junk they are.
you wouldn't expect the poison spyder jeeps to use their products for advertisement purposes, would you?

OP, good luck with your new roof rack. my suggestion to you is to use it only for the lighter camping junk like bulky sleeping bags, and things like that.

yup, AJ Slay has some nice racks :8

haha we werent talking about roof racks full of stuff and wheeling, we were talking about roof racks period.

yup, AJ Slay has some nice racks :8

haha we werent talking about roof racks full of stuff and wheeling, we were talking about roof racks period.
what is the point of an empty roof rack??? :dunno:

what is the point of an empty roof rack??? :dunno:Heh, you noticed. I doubt anyone here, except perhaps one, would try to say anyone was talking about empty roof racks.

I'ts very simple when you wheel you dont put crap in there...
when your on the way to your camp site, you put crap up there...

and NO ONE stated a roof rack full of a bunch of heavy and tall stuff was what we were discussing here...

and NO ONE stated a roof rack full of a bunch of heavy and tall stuff was what we were discussing here...

you couldnt possibly be that stupid, could you?

I'ts all good when you are returning to camp, but if you are doing a progressive trail where you camp at a different spot every night, your going to have to wheel with that bugger loaded... but WTH, that's what it's for! I think that PS rack on the pink jeep is sweet, and I dig those lights on that sucker! I sure would like to see it on Odessa...

I'ts very simple when you wheel you dont put crap in there...
when your on the way to your camp site, you put crap up there...

and NO ONE stated a roof rack full of a bunch of heavy and tall stuff was what we were discussing here...
How many of those rigs in the links were driven to the trail do you think?!?!? I say put the heavy shit in the tow rig and leave it there. :) :yay:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/miguelitojeep97/moab007.jpg
this thing is pretty cool (for girls). I got to check it out in person when I went to Colorado this past summer. (note: they took off the rack)
I made my mom drive us about 1 1/2 hours away to check out the shop, after going to the original shop they told me they had moved. Another half hour drive. Found it! with all the jeeps out in front. Too bad they were "still under construction" and wouldn't give me the time of day. Wouldn't even let me buy a T-shirt or anything. what nice people huh? and I think it was the chick (Cliftons wife/GF) that I talked to.


(OFF TOPIC I KNOW)
back to the debate

Anybody watch
Ultimate adventure 06 or was it 07 Pink jeep did like 1000 miles round trip with loaded roof rack...Along with a few other Rigs.. yes a loaded rack is bad juju in most cases. But it can be done..Hmmm Camel trophy Land Rovers....Lots of racks there...

you couldnt possibly be that stupid, could you?

The discussion was on running a ROOF RACK not on running loaded racks. obviously loaded racks would pose a higher COG on any rig. But as i showed there are hard core rigs that both run a roof rack, and otheres that run tires up there.

and Brian, reguardless of whether it was driven to the trail (which in no doubt it probably could have been) it is still running the rack on some pretty gnarly looking trails.

and do me a favor Erik, try not to get into the name calling. I dont really appreciate that. This is a discussion not a 3rd grade name calling contest... Thanks.

hahaha P.S. I like the avatar. funny that when you guys get all butt hurt you go to pull stupid stuff like that.

The discussion was on running a ROOF RACK not on running loaded racks. obviously loaded racks would pose a higher COG on any rig. But as i showed there are hard core rigs that both run a roof rack, and otheres that run tires up there.

and Brian, reguardless of whether it was driven to the trail (which in no doubt it probably could have been) it is still running the rack on some pretty gnarly looking trails.

and do me a favor Erik, try not to get into the name calling. I dont really appreciate that. This is a discussion not a 3rd grade name calling contest... Thanks.

hahaha P.S. I like the avatar. funny that when you guys get all butt hurt you go to pull stupid stuff like that.

i wasnt calling you names..
you implied that installing a rack doesn't mean using it for its intended purpose. who in their right mind would put a rack on their rig with no intention of putting junk in it.

i implied that you thinking this way is stupid if you indeed were saying that it was to be a show piece, and would not have things loaded onto it.

kind of like having a tire carrier bumper and not having a tire on it... or some KC lights that aren't wired up to use, or 37" tires on a dana 35.

some stuff makes no sense, and this is one of those things.
if one is going to mount a rack onto their rig, they will likely put junk into it. this is not a good idea for rigs wheeling in off camber situations, as it outs weight too high.

this point has been said a number of times, and you seem not to take it in as you visualize this rack being empty. change that vision to a rack with stuff on it. :wave:

haha OK, changed.