Truck Rack

Two trucks and hundreds of hauls later, I continue to be satisfied with my Mirage rack system. Price/value exceeds the Yakima system we purchased for my wife's VW. Cinch the thumbscrews and tie your boats from at least three angles and it doesn't move. I'd buy another one.

The Mirage rack is generally as advertised. The ability to take it down and put it away in a convenient sized bag is nice, but the rack is definitely not designed for more substantial loads.
I have replaced it with the Thule Xsporter. The Thule is superior but does not come off the truck without at least a hex wrench.

Shoddy Construction, wave around in the wind, If you want it I can sell mine to you for $50 plus s&H, It requires I drill my truck for it, and the fitting for that is of the poorest quality!

I purchased this system under the JEMB brand in 1995, same manufacturer/dealer. You had better be sure this is the right system for you because the thing is LIGHT DUTY ONLY. I was told the unit should be able to handle a 300 lb. capacity. I bought it with the idea of being able to carry multiple boats (canoes & kayaks) to cut down on shuttles during boating club trips. I hated having to drill into the bed to secure the rails. Furthermore, my own fault, I did not use the system under load during the 30 day return period/trial. BETTER MAKE SURE YOU DO! This is an unweildy, flimsy piece of crap. I was mortified how even one canoe (16' royalex mohawk) moved the rack so much when under way. I had people tell me they were nervous to follow me due to the appearence that the rack & boat were going to collapse! I have never used the system w/multiple boats. Most of the time it sits in the basement gathering dust. My wife hates me for it.I wish I could meet some of you who like the system; I would sell it to you for $100.00 just to get some money back on this bad purchase. In fact, if you are still within your 30 day period, please contact me-I also have six pads I purchased as well. Like I said, it is only good for light loads.If you want a real rack, one that will really carry the load, try Trac Rac. I purchased this system one year ago, I haven't been disappointed. It's more expensive, but you don't drill holes in the bed (for the most part), customer service is excellent (the "other" company is NOT) and I've strapped four canoes to the thing and had a rock solid ride.

These racks are easy to install, lightweight, and easy use. But, yes they are flimsy. Using them with two kayaks while going 4x4 on sand has them shaking wildly--but so far no problems with breakage or other problems. Side winds or trucks on the interstate also cause wobble. I use the same fix as Dave--for peace of mind.

The good.... it's lightweight and removable. It takes just a few minutes to set the system up. The rack stows in a padded case, which you can store behind the seat.

The not so good.... when I first got my 60lb kayak up on this rack I was a bit surprised about how flimsy it is. The rack attaches to rails, which mount to your truck via six screws. The rack itself is made of high-strength aluminum tubing. Same type of aluminum tubing windsurfing booms are made of. Problem is, the tubing and the plastic feet are flexible. Hit a pot hole or catch a gust of wind and your boat will wobble a couple of inches from side to side. It's just enough to make one nervous.

I solved the wobble problem by using two pair of bow and stern lines to guy out cross bracing at the back and front of the rack. I'm glad I was able to come up with a fix or I would have been a very unhappy customer.