Reviews for Rugged Ridge 11703.22 Sherpa Rack for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 Door
Looks good and strong to hold kayaks
Styling
I run this with a rugged ridge snorkel with the dust collector . Works great. Also works with the Xtreme terrain front side mount for a gas can on the drivers side.
I purchased this rack to haul my canoe while still having the soft top on. Overall, I am happy with the rack and would purchase it again. I've had different racks on my Jeeps over the years and this one has the same or less wind noise than the other racks. I did have to re-drill two holes in the rear tube because the holes did not line up enough to fit the bolts through. This rack works really well for my canoe and my old Yakima LowRider towers attach to it; however, I would get a sturdier rack if I were going to put a roof-top tent on my Jeep.
Four stars for functionality and ease of use.
One star for the significant wind noise from the front window cross bar. The noise is very much present above 35mph to the extent my wife and I must talk with elevated voices to be heard. Have to crank radio to 50% or higher most of the time and noise gets worse as speed increases. Don't under estimate the noise level. A flatter bar would prob help.
When I bought this rack, it was awesome. It carried the weight of a plastic 2 person kayak and paddleboard easily. Installation was a breeze. It looked awesome.
Now, 10 months later, I regret purchasing this rack. It won't hold its own weight without bending at the front joints where the top bars assemble. (In my opinion, this is a design flaw. What engineer put an assembly joint exactly where the weight is supported?)
The installation instructions say to seal the all uprights with silicon sealant. The passenger-side front upright joint rattles every time I hit a bump because the sealant is now 10 months old. It would appear the bolts holding the joint together are structurally insufficient. (That is, the silicone sealant isn't just sealing. It takes glue to keep it fully together.) I guess I need to tear down the rack and re-apply silicone sealant.
Made a lot of noise first off, it settled in ok but still get some squeaks. Front connection after long bars does not fit tight and still has a dip. Would not get again.