Rhino-Rack BackBone and Pioneer Platforms for Jeep Wrangler JK
If you are looking to mount a rooftop tent to your Jeep Wrangler JK, Rhino-Rack has your back. Their custom BackBone mounting system is now available in North America and it has been a hit with our customers who need a heavy duty platform to hold their gear.
Prior to the Rhino-Rack BackBone being released in North America, we tended towards the Thule 300 Gutter Foot as a good removable option on the drip rails above the door and the Yakima HardTop Kit as the preferred drilled option on the fiberglass rear roof. See our Jeep Wrangler roof racks blog post for photos of these fits. The issue with these styles of racks has always been the weight limit. It is important that your load stays under 165 lbs when use on bar racks like Thule 300 or Yakima Control Tower.
Not so with the Rhino-Rack BackBone. The BackBone consists of a discrete internal steel frame with cast aluminum point mount pads on the exterior of the removable roof. The internal steel frame lays on top of the fiberglass rail of the canopy and gets bolted straight to the Jeep's chassis. The aluminum point mounts bolt to the internal frame through holes drilled in the fiberglass hard top. This method of using the Jeep hard top's existing strength and building off of it maximizes your carrying capacity and blends into the Jeep's looks compared to external tubular frame racks like the Gobi or Kargo Master. The BackBone raises the dynamic (driving) load rating of the Jeep's roof to 220 lbs on the Jeep Wrangler 2 door and 264 lbs on the Jeep Wrangler 4 door. Static (parked) load ratings go as high as 800 lbs with several fits, which is ideal for roof top tents.
Interior view of Rhino-Rack BackBone installed on Jeep WranglerThe BackBone comes with 4 aluminum exterior mount pads when used on the 2 door Jeep Wrangler (RJKB2), and 6 pads when used on the 4 door (RJKB1). The pads are made of cast aluminum and formed specifically to the curvature of the Jeep roof. The finish on the pads is a matte powdercoat gray/black to match the stock Jeep roof.
Once you have a Rhino-Rack BackBone installed on your Jeep, there are many different options available for whatever you need to carry. The ideal thing for tents and off-roading is the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform. Pioneer Platforms are made from extruded aluminum planks with nylon finishing hardware for corners. They are sold sized to specific vehicles, such as the 42108B for the 4 door Wrangler and the 42111B for the 2 door Wrangler.
The extruded aluminum planks on the Pioneer Platform have T-tracks with top side access points that allow you to flush-mount many different accessories. Unlike competing roof top platforms and baskets, the Pioneer system is flat to allow you to easily slide gear on and off. Optional siderails are available if you prefer. Accessories like eyebolts, spare wheel holders, and jerry can brackets are available as well.
Pioneer Platforms can be installed on to locking RLT600 Quick Mount legs or basic bolted RLCP30 Legs depending on your needs.
If you don't need a full platform system, you can also use the BackBone for 2 or 3 crossbars. Fits are available for both the Rhino-Rack Vortex bar and the Rhino-Rack Heavy Duty bar. If you have accessories like kayak racks or boxes that need to mount around crossbars but you also want a Pioneer Platform, C-channel accessory crossbars bars are available in platform-specific sizes to sit on top of the platform.
A Rhino-Rack BackBone installation is definitely a two man job because it requires removal of the canopy. We offer rack installation services at either of our Edmonton retail store locations. If you have questions about the Rhino-Rack BackBone system including inquiries about timing of special orders, please contact us.
