Garvin Industries' Wilderness Accessories Roof Rack looks good and can back up those good looks with strength.

The SUV lies somewhere between these extremes. In fact, much of sport ute's popularity has arisen from their ability to haul a combination of passengers and, how shall we put it... junk? Unfortunately, once the back seat is full of people, most of these rigs (Suburbans excluded) don't offer much more room behind the seats than does an FJ40 or any of the other short wheelbase brethren. And with more people there is invariably more... junk.

Solutions

Roof storage has evolved rapidly in recent years (as with all things off-road) and now has 3 major subdivisions.

• Rudimentary, weak, and functionally challenged original equipment units.
• Versatile bar-based sport-oriented systems like Yakima and Thule.
• Beefy trail-dedicated units, often referred to as safari racks.

The Rack

Strong materials and gently radiused curves add to the unit's strength.

The attachment system locks the rack onto the structure of your vehicle.

This new mount is strong yet simple to use.

Fit and finish on the rack and its accessories is excellent. The rack and its accessories arrived in meticulously wrapped, coded, and double-boxed segments. The sharp-looking black powder coating was intact upon receipt, and has remained chip-free to date.

Assembly

The Wilderness Accessories Roof Rack comes in a staggering number of pieces, but with the excellent instructions included, assembly is a snap. Fully assembled, this rack is massive and offers no flex off the vehicle, so you know it will have none when attached to the vehicle.

When the 7' long rack for the Trooper II is fully assembled, with flooring, it weighs a hefty 100 pounds. This is no poseur unit, folks! Two of us lifted the rack onto Project WomBAT and within 20 minutes or so it was one with truck. Try and shake the rack and you rock the entire truck; the Wilderness Rack offers no flex.

Accessories

Light Brackets
After mounting, we bolted on a few of Garvin's accessories, starting with the light brackets. These are available in two flavors: standard brackets and universal brackets. The standard brackets bolt up to the fixed bracket mounts on the rack's front or rear sides. The universal brackets are designed to be mounted anywhere along the circumference of the rack's sides. Universal clamps attach around the side tubes using a rear plate. Both brackets are incredibly stout, constructed from 1/4" steel plate, and present excellent mounting points for a range of lights.

Pull Pal Mounting Bracket

Garvin Industries' Pull Pal bracket is the perfect way to store the tool - out of the way, but handy; and also outside where mud won't ruin the carpet.

How does it perform?

How does the rack perform on the trail? One of my initial concerns was whether it would be a hazard when working through overgrown trails and logging roads. I imagined branches and saplings lodging under the rack and ripping up the paint?. until I put it to the test, when I was surprised to find that rack actually protects the roof! The rack's rounded corners don't hang up on branches, and even large limbs pass easily over top, whether advancing or retreating. The use of brush cables helped this even further (see Part II).

The rack's time-tested shape proved itself over several thousand miles of highway driving as well. It did not whistle or rattle, even atop worn out shocks and washboard roads. The rack has negligible effects on perceived power. Fuel economy may have decreased although the rack alone was not the cause, because items were always attached to it.

Loading the rack is a breeze thanks to Garvin's rack flooring and Isuzu's sturdy spare tire mount. The spare doesn't flex even with a 200lb fella standing on it. Getting onto the rack from the ground is as simple as stepping bumper-to-spare-to-rack, but Garvin is also designing a ladder that hooks to the side of the roof rack and braces against the rear tire. Even when standing on top, the flooring feels solid and shows deflection only at the unsupported ends. For wildlife enthusiasts, like the Yellowstone bison photographer who inquired about the rack, this is an ideal platform for getting up and out of the way of your subjects.

The only caution to consider with installing the Wilderness Accessories Roof Rack is the same concern one has with all racks; is too much stuff up there a problem? The two primary concerns are that the added weight, if excessive (consult your vehicles' manufacturer recommendations), can damage mounting points, and can cause exaggerated body roll and thus an increased risk of roll over. This can be particularly true if you load heavy items up top and traverse steep cross slopes. Use caution in such cases, as always, and try to load most heavy items in your rig, stowing light but bulky items on the rack.

Conclusions

Wilderness Racks look like they are made for safaris because they are made to take the abuse a working rack endures. Other racks look like they are tough, too. Image control? Spin it how you like, but before you spend your money, decide what you want to trust your gear to: image or engineering.

Watch for the Wilderness Accessories Roof Rack, Part II Review in coming months, which will cover:

• Hi Lift holder
• Max Tool holder
• gas can holder
• spare tire holder
• Yakima bar & accessories mounts