I have purchased two of…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 1/25/2021
I have purchased two of these. The first stayed on my old truck when I sold it. I still have my second one and it still works just fine after 16 years. I have had two 17-foot Wenonas on it from Phoenix to Moab, no problem at 75mph. Single canoe is a non-issue. Mine does squeak if load is not tight enough, but NEVER has been noisy. I also use it to haul construction materials (10 foot - 2x4, 2x6, 2x12s and 10.5 foot chain link fence posts - 16 of them). Only thing I changed about it was rubber coating the horizontal rails where the load rides. Keeps from scuffing the canoe gunwales.
Have had the rail N rack for…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 2/20/2006
Have had the rail N rack for 2 years, and carry 3 yaks on it with no problems. I must have an up dated version, because i have never had any rattling troubles. Some of the tie down straps do "sing" at higway speeds if you forget to put a twist in them(that happens with any strap that's "in the wind". The powder coat is just now starting to flake off where other stuff in the back of the truck rubbed against it. I give it a 9 because the latches are very hard to open to put the bars in the up position and lube/graphite didn't help. I would buy this rack again because: the ease of use, the low bed rail profile when folded down, dosen't take up any room in the bed, and very sturdy.
Owned a JEMB (Mirage) rack…
Owned a JEMB (Mirage) rack from '94-97 and due to it's poor engineering and performance was leary of purchasing another truck rack. I was swayed by the reviews given by customers with this rack and by the review in "Outside" magazine. I also wanted something stronger than a "Home-made" rack. The good points are that the rack easily goes into place and folds back together after use. It was not difficult to install, but required drilling holes in each side of truck bed. It is built with tie-downs front, back, and center, so plenty of tie-down options. I really don't worry about the rack bending or coming loose as I did with the JEMB. That said, it DOES rattle and shimmy a bit with boats on top, especially when one is my Mad River Revelation (77 lbs). It is rated to 500lbs, but I would NEVER feel comfortable with such a load on this rack. One of the "Faq's" on the Rail-N-Rack websites states that the rack "Does not rattle." That's horsepuckey! I get looks, due to the incessant rattling, when I pull into the parking lot at work, driving down our gravel road, etc, and this is with the rack folded down and not in use! Maybe if you live and drive all the time on nice, smooth pavement it wouldn't rattle; but who always drives on nice, smooth pavement? I will rate it a "5" as it DOES haul my canoes and kayaks (have had as much as one canoe and one kayak, and three kayaks at one time), albeit; with a protesting, continuous rattle. I WOULD NOT trust the 500 lb rating! I also would NOT purchase this rack again. It makes me wonder if there is ANY truck rack out there that lives up to it's billing! WW
