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There are a few other Badass rack reviews here (one with full YouTube video), so I thought I'd add one more.
Manufacturer: Badass Tents
Size: 4-door full length
Color: black (including powder coated crossbar option)
Wind deflector: no
The TL;DR summary: if you want a really sturdy flat roof-rack, this is great. It can also be converted to a short back-only 2-rail rack. Lots of flexibility for attaching things.
Why I got it: I wanted the Ford rack to hold a big honkin' Yakima rocket box, but Ford said noooooooo, not on a Squatch Bronc. I figured by the time it was available as an accessory, we'd all be using jet packs instead. I also like the prospect of being able to lash other stuff on top (paddle boards, moose road-kill, etc.)
The unboxing: 75 lbs of grade-A American made powder coated metal. Even the aluminum cross bars are heavy enough to be used for home defense. Two of the back roof brackets had some small scratches on top, so I asked BA Tents about it and they offered to replace them. Ultimately the only folks that'll see the scratches are birds that poop on the top of the truck, so I opted to leave them as-is. The cross bars are 80/20 compatible (2 slots on top/bottom, 1 on front/back), so the world is my oyster for fastening accessories or mounts.
The installation: There are zero instructions, but BA has a great install video on their website. Removing the Bronco's front roof accessory point covers is super easy. I laid everything out in the general position on the roof, and then assembled in the order recommended in the video. I assembled everything loose to make sure it'd fit, then removed bolts one at a time and put on some red Loctite and snugged 'em in. Power tools will save you time here.
How it functions: This thing is rock solid. You can pull yourself up for loading without worry. Going through a carwash? Lol, no prob. It's made to support a RT Tent afterall. With 6 cross bars, the spacing works fine for a Yakima box, which has some fore/aft adjustment room. Since others have verified that you can remove front and center panels without removing the rack, I haven't bothered. If you only want two crossbars, this might be overkill. If you'll frequently have loads of adventure gear, you might want something with side rails. For me, this one is Goldilocks. The back brackets have padding to protect both the roof mounting slot and the top of the roof. BA includes a filler piece, in case I want to remove the front bars of the rack.
Wind noise: Yes. BA has a wind deflector accessory now that wasn't available when I bought the rack. I don't know how well it works, but I'm trying to decide if I want to display all the bugs I've hit on the highway. Without out the deflector, 40 mph sounds no different unless there's gusty crosswinds. At 65 mph, it sounds like 80 mph used to. Because the cross bars are rectangular with slots, they obviously will be louder than an aero wing-shaped crossbar.
The look: I like it. YMMV. Since I've got a carbonized gray Wildtrak, the blacked out rack sorta disappears. The bolts and screws are silver, which I like. The front mounting point looks a little unfinished, since the factory covers don't re-install on top and the silver nuts are visible. One could use the factory nuts, which are black.
The pics: I really wanted to give you some shots fording the Salmon River headwaters in front of the Sawtooth Range, but I'm kinda busy so instead you get grocery store and Home Depot parking lot. Sorry.
Manufacturer: Badass Tents
Size: 4-door full length
Color: black (including powder coated crossbar option)
Wind deflector: no
The TL;DR summary: if you want a really sturdy flat roof-rack, this is great. It can also be converted to a short back-only 2-rail rack. Lots of flexibility for attaching things.
Why I got it: I wanted the Ford rack to hold a big honkin' Yakima rocket box, but Ford said noooooooo, not on a Squatch Bronc. I figured by the time it was available as an accessory, we'd all be using jet packs instead. I also like the prospect of being able to lash other stuff on top (paddle boards, moose road-kill, etc.)
The unboxing: 75 lbs of grade-A American made powder coated metal. Even the aluminum cross bars are heavy enough to be used for home defense. Two of the back roof brackets had some small scratches on top, so I asked BA Tents about it and they offered to replace them. Ultimately the only folks that'll see the scratches are birds that poop on the top of the truck, so I opted to leave them as-is. The cross bars are 80/20 compatible (2 slots on top/bottom, 1 on front/back), so the world is my oyster for fastening accessories or mounts.
The installation: There are zero instructions, but BA has a great install video on their website. Removing the Bronco's front roof accessory point covers is super easy. I laid everything out in the general position on the roof, and then assembled in the order recommended in the video. I assembled everything loose to make sure it'd fit, then removed bolts one at a time and put on some red Loctite and snugged 'em in. Power tools will save you time here.
How it functions: This thing is rock solid. You can pull yourself up for loading without worry. Going through a carwash? Lol, no prob. It's made to support a RT Tent afterall. With 6 cross bars, the spacing works fine for a Yakima box, which has some fore/aft adjustment room. Since others have verified that you can remove front and center panels without removing the rack, I haven't bothered. If you only want two crossbars, this might be overkill. If you'll frequently have loads of adventure gear, you might want something with side rails. For me, this one is Goldilocks. The back brackets have padding to protect both the roof mounting slot and the top of the roof. BA includes a filler piece, in case I want to remove the front bars of the rack.
Wind noise: Yes. BA has a wind deflector accessory now that wasn't available when I bought the rack. I don't know how well it works, but I'm trying to decide if I want to display all the bugs I've hit on the highway. Without out the deflector, 40 mph sounds no different unless there's gusty crosswinds. At 65 mph, it sounds like 80 mph used to. Because the cross bars are rectangular with slots, they obviously will be louder than an aero wing-shaped crossbar.
The look: I like it. YMMV. Since I've got a carbonized gray Wildtrak, the blacked out rack sorta disappears. The bolts and screws are silver, which I like. The front mounting point looks a little unfinished, since the factory covers don't re-install on top and the silver nuts are visible. One could use the factory nuts, which are black.
The pics: I really wanted to give you some shots fording the Salmon River headwaters in front of the Sawtooth Range, but I'm kinda busy so instead you get grocery store and Home Depot parking lot. Sorry.
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