GOBI Racks is coming for the Bronco

[ColoradoDad]

I don't think he's picking a fight. That's a legitimate concern that I have no problem discussing. I believe manufacturers have an obligation to discuss things like this - especially when they're engaging on forums in an official capacity. I'm not here just to sell our racks, I want to be a resource for the community. The only way to do that properly, in my opinion, is to communicate and make sure you can address even the not so fun stuff. Doing that publicly gives the rest of the readers valuable information so they can be confident about their purchasing decisions.



Obviously can't give anything exact, but I would think it will be in the neighborhood of the JL Wrangler racks - picture below. Those measurements are from the gutter, but from the top of the vehicle it's approximately 5". I plan on providing insights as we develop, so as soon as we are able to establish those specs I'll be sharing them.

I appreciate your candor with this particular install/review.

Does GOBI have a Bronco that they are using for the R&D of the rack? Or are you guys still waiting on a volunteer?

Sponsored

 

[annieVonBebop]

Really appreciate your transparency and communication in this thread so far, @GOBI Racks, makes me excited to support a CO company when these are available! For soft tops, are there any plans to design these such that you can still partially pop the roof open? Seems like this has the potential to solve the weight capacity issue of the factory hard top + roof rack & needing to shell out for a sunrider top if so!

 

[Hemisfear]

Who did the install wasn't pertinent to our investigation, I spoke to Casey and tried understanding the problem and looking at causes. Doesn't matter if it was him or a shop, it was why it happened in the first place.

So a customer and a respected shop do an install of your product and the end result is damage and who and how is not pertinent?
I see why Casey gave no mention of your support, you can clearly see in the video that the installation was not as easy as one would expect for the cost!
cheers

 

[GOBI Racks]

So a customer and a respected shop do an install of your product and the end result is damage and who and how is not pertinent?
I see why Casey gave no mention of your support, you can clearly see in the video that the installation was not as easy as one would expect for the cost!
cheers

Casey, nor his shop, ever reached out to myself or anyone at the company regarding this issue. The first time I heard of this is when someone shared the video with me, at which point myself and the product developer immediately reached out to investigate.

I'm not sure what your goal is here, but I should remind you in thousands of racks sold in the years we've been supporting the Wrangler community, this remains the first and only case we have seen. Regarding the installation, our install manual is on our website for anyone to see, and one of the consistent accolades we get from customers is the ease and clarity of those instructions despite the number of steps. I am a primary point of contact here for install and tech for both customers and distributors, and the inquiries we get compared to the number we sell is extremely low. You can't please everyone!

If you or anyone else has further questions about this issue, feel free to message me and we can continue the discussion. Moving forward let's try to keep it on topic regarding the upcoming Bronco release where I'll be sharing all of our design philosophies, strengths, and any potential drawbacks for certain applications if they arise.

 

[GOBI Racks]

I appreciate your candor with this particular install/review.

Does GOBI have a Bronco that they are using for the R&D of the rack? Or are you guys still waiting on a volunteer?

We've had offers from out of state but a more local option is preferred. The variables that come with an entirely new platform make it hard to pin down an exact time frame for development, so I feel it's easier for both parties if they're in closer proximity to our shop.

Really appreciate your transparency and communication in this thread so far, @GOBI Racks, makes me excited to support a CO company when these are available! For soft tops, are there any plans to design these such that you can still partially pop the roof open? Seems like this has the potential to solve the weight capacity issue of the factory hard top + roof rack & needing to shell out for a sunrider top if so!

I can't say definitively but yes that is absolutely the goal. We've recently started developing an option we currently refer to as Panoramic. Typically, the floor of our racks are made of expanded metal welded to the base and crossbars. They come in two variants, with sunroof and no sunroof. The no sunroof option has the expanded metal welded the entire length of the rack. The with-sunroof option has the welded floor end before the sunroof, with the option to drop in a sunroof insert, which is a self-contained floor that inserts into the front section.

The Panoramic option replaces the welded floor with sunroof inserts, giving you the ability to remove the entire floor and just keep the outside perimeter. We'll definitely have a panoramic version and that will be at least one option that allows that initial articulation of the soft top opening. Once we begin development I'll be sharing updates as we progress through design.

I've attached 2 photos of our Jeep Renegade rack for reference. The top is the Panoramic, the bottom is our standard. Let me know if that wasn't clear I know it's a lot.

 

[hellahella]

We've had offers from out of state but a more local option is preferred. The variables that come with an entirely new platform make it hard to pin down an exact time frame for development, so I feel it's easier for both parties if they're in closer proximity to our shop.



I can't say definitively but yes that is absolutely the goal. We've recently started developing an option we currently refer to as Panoramic. Typically, the floor of our racks are made of expanded metal welded to the base and crossbars. They come in two variants, with sunroof and no sunroof. The no sunroof option has the expanded metal welded the entire length of the rack. The with-sunroof option has the welded floor end before the sunroof, with the option to drop in a sunroof insert, which is a self-contained floor that inserts into the front section.

The Panoramic option replaces the welded floor with sunroof inserts, giving you the ability to remove the entire floor and just keep the outside perimeter. We'll definitely have a panoramic version and that will be at least one option that allows that initial articulation of the soft top opening. Once we begin development I'll be sharing updates as we progress through design.

I've attached 2 photos of our Jeep Renegade rack for reference. The top is the Panoramic, the bottom is our standard. Let me know if that wasn't clear I know it's a lot.

Would i need the oem rack for this to work? Also, i think it would be really cool if the panoramic allows the front panels to be taken off, or a Sunrider to flip open through.

 

[GOBI Racks]

Would i need the oem rack for this to work? Also, i think it would be really cool if the panoramic allows the front panels to be taken off, or a Sunrider to flip open through.

Nope, our racks completely replace the factory rack system and is a standalone system. My bet is both the standard and panoramic versions of the Bronco rack will be able to remove the front panels, just like all of our JK/JL Wrangler racks have the ability to remove the freedom panels (front panels).

 

[broncomorrow]

Nope, our racks completely replace the factory rack system and is a standalone system. My bet is both the standard and panoramic versions of the Bronco rack will be able to remove the front panels, just like all of our JK/JL Wrangler racks have the ability to remove the freedom panels (front panels).

Would be really nice if this could be designed to also accommodate removal of the middle panel easily without having to tilt the entire rack back.

 

[hellahella]

Nope, our racks completely replace the factory rack system and is a standalone system. My bet is both the standard and panoramic versions of the Bronco rack will be able to remove the front panels, just like all of our JK/JL Wrangler racks have the ability to remove the freedom panels (front panels).

Great, looking forward to it!

 

[wanna1]

Do you also install your racks? If you do, what is the amount of time you would need? I plan to be in CO next summer (if I have my Bronco by then).

 

[GOBI Racks]

Do you also install your racks? If you do, what is the amount of time you would need? I plan to be in CO next summer (if I have my Bronco by then).

We do! The prices on our racks include tax and either freight or a free install at our headquarters in Denver! We have lots of customers who come from out of state and use the install as an excuse for a good road trip

 

[wanna1]

We do! The prices on our racks include tax and either freight or a free install at our headquarters in Denver! We have lots of customers who come from out of state and use the install as an excuse for a good road trip

That sounds like what I should plan. I'll anxiously await news of my Bronco which my dealer (I know) says will be here next year.

 

[pakrat]

Are the factory mounting points above the windshield going to be utilized or something different at the base of the A pillar like the Jeep?

 

[GOBI Racks]

Are the factory mounting points above the windshield going to be utilized or something different at the base of the A pillar like the Jeep?

I can't offer more than speculation right now until we begin development. We had a couple hours to play around with a demo about 2 months ago and it seemed like the windshield mounting points may be sufficient without having to extend the structure down the A pillar, but again can't confirm just yet.

 

[redone17]

Great info. Keeping my eyes peeled as this seems to be the direction I will be going. Keep us informed. Wish I was in Denver.

Sponsored