For 45 years, ARB 4×4 Accessories has innovated products for vehicle-based adventures over rough terrain. Now, for the first time in more than 26 years, ARB releases a new roof rack system.
ARB’s very first product was a roof rack. And while the new ARB BASE Rack is just another platform-style roof rack, it’s one that thoroughly impresses.
ARB says that BASE stands for “Build, Attach, Set, and Explore.” Sure, that isn’t a very exciting name, but it does make sense. Although Australian off-road companies aren’t known for their quality branding or marketing, they are luckily renowned for innovative and top-quality off-road products.
Just Another Roof Rack?
Why should you care about another platform roof rack hitting the market? It’s a valid question, as there are a ton of options out there. Some of the top players in this space are Front Runner, Rhino-Rack, K-9, Yakima, and, of course, ARB. But the all-new ARB BASE Rack stands out from the crowd in a few key ways.
First, its thin profile and completely flat top surface offer a new take. The beam structure of the BASE Rack allows it to be extremely low-profile, aerodynamic, and strong.
The aluminum beams run across the vehicle and are fully welded together. This ensures optimal strength and the lowest weight possible. No welds or hardware protrude from the top of the rack, which maximizes the usable load surface and ensures loaded gear isn’t damaged by the rack.
Each beam can hold about 50 pounds, but accessory mounts work to spread the load across multiple beams. As with most top-quality platform roof racks, the vehicle roof is likely to fail before the rack in most cases.
ARB will offer vehicle-specific mounts for the BASE Rack and is sure to have some universal fit-style mounts on offer soon. Vehicle-specific air dams for the BASE Rack ensure aerodynamic efficiency and low wind noise.
Another cool feature of the BASE Rack is the ability to internally route any cables. When mounting electrical accessories, like solar panels and lighting, all you need to do is remove one screw in the corner cap of the rack to access the interior of the beams. This provides the tidiest install possible.