The K9 Roof Rack System from Eezi-Awn is a revolutionary advancement in expedition-style racks; it is thinner, lighter, stronger, quieter, more functional, more aerodynamic, more durable, and more aesthetically complimentary to your vehicle than the competition.
Sizes
The K9 systems for the 5th Gen 4Runner come in 1250mm (49") width, and 5 different lengths. Far and away the most popular model is the 2.2M (87") long rack that starts a few inches behind the windshield and finishes an inch in front of the rear hatch. This rack maximizes your roof top capacity. This is the rack favored by our friends at Expedition Overland. They have taken these racks, and all the gear they can fit on them, all over the Americas without so much as a squeak. The 1.6M (62") version is a great choice if you want to maintain the use of your sunroof. It starts just behind the sunroof and finishes an inch in front of the rear hatch.
Heights
The 5th Gen 4Runner is unique in how relatively flat the roof line is. This allows us to offer the rack in 2 different heights. Our standard height rack measures 5" high, from above the second row doors, measured at the pinch weld trim. It uses 65mm tall feet, and allows enough room for options on the bottom of the platform. The low version of the rack measures 4" high at the same point, and uses 40mm feet. This sits much closer to the roof line, but can impede the use of some side mounted accessories.
Capacity
Capacity of the K9 roof rack system is broken into two measurements, static weight and dynamic weight. Static is when the vehicle is stationary. Dynamic is when the vehicle is in motion. We have not tested the K9 racks on vehicles to the point of roof failure. We can tell you what we have tested ourselves effectively. A dynamic capacity in the range of 500 pounds is possible. That load included a RTT, awning, dual fuel can holder, aluminum storage case with recovery gear, shovel, axe, under mount table, light bar, etc on a 2.2M long rack. A static capacity of 1000 pounds is possible. An example of static load increase would be adding people in the tent on the roof. Please understand these capacities are on vehicles that have modified suspensions designed to manage this amount of weight. They are not a warrantied or guaranteed capacity. Your load capacity will vary.
No Drilling
The K9 Roof Rack System for the 5th Gen 4Runner requires no drilling at all for any size rack. Our proprietary mounting rail mounts right over the roof pinch weld trim and utilizes the OEM roof rack mounting points.
Installation
Installation of this rack system can be done by one person in approximately 1-1/2 hours. Help lifting the platform on the roof would be appreciated. You start by removing the factory roof rack, then attach the K9 mounting rail to the roof, followed by a full set of feet, and finally a platform on top. Please see our Roof Rack Installation 101 video for more in depth explanation. Written instructions are also provided with each rack system. Click Here for Instructions.
System Components
The components used on the 5th Generation 4Runner rack systems include a pair of mounting rail, a set of K9 feet (2 per platform cross brace), and a platform.
System Accessories
The Eezi-Awn K9 Roof Rack System comes with a complete array of bolt on accessories. Jerry Can holders, Axe mounts, Shovel mounts, Hi-Lift Mounts, Max Trax Mounts, Awning Mounts, Under Rack Table mounts, and much more. Take a look at the accessories page to see all our options.
Thule & Yakima Compatible
The K9 Roof Rack is also the only overlanding rack on the market that is easily compatible with your existing Thule or Yakima sports bar mounts for bikes, kayaks, etc. With store-accessible 6mm hardware that attaches to the K9's perimeter, your hobbies won't become obsolete with your "old gear."
"The K9 Roof Rack System is a welcome alternative to the cage-style racks that once defined the typical overland roof rack. It is sleek, understated, and complimentary to the aesthetics of vehicles new and old. It is most importantly, remarkably robust, an attribute we would naturally expect from the engineers at Eezi-Awn."
Due to the size and weight of this item, we will only ship within the contiguous U.S. using truck freight.
COMMERCIAL FREIGHT
Please note that free shipping only applies to delivery at a commercial address. Additional fees may apply to Alaska and Hawaii.
RESIDENTIAL FREIGHT
Unfortunately certain items are ineligible for residential delivery. If you plan to ship to a residential address and the product is authorized to ship to a residential address, you will be chargedan additional fee which is notautomatically applied at checkout.Please write "Residential" in the notes section and we will contact you with a quote. If you do not make this denotation, you are responsible for all related fees and potentially the original shipping charge.
K9 Roof Rack Features
Fully Welded 1-3/8"H Low-Profile Platform
Light Weight All Aluminum Construction
All Components Are Anodized And Powder Coated Matte Black
5-1/8" Wide M8 T-Slot Slats, Running Front to Back
Semi-Elliptical Bottom Cross Braces To Reduce Wind Noise
M6 T-Slot Around Top Perimeter With Rounded Top Edge
5 Lengths and 3 Widths Of Platform Available
Multiple Mounting Configurations Including Gutterless/Gutter/OEM Rack Mounts
Full Compliment of K9 Roof Rack Accessories For Top/Bottom/Side Mount
Infinite Gear Organization Configurations
Includes All Installation Components & Hardware
Feet vs Legs
The K9 Roof Rack Kit comes with various components. The Mounting Rail is compatible with Gutter-Less Roofs, like those found on the Toyota 4Runner, Tacomas, or 100 / 200 Series Land Cruisers. K9 Roof Rack Feet are then attached to that Mounting Rail. When there is a vehicle with a Gutter, we use K9 Roof Rack Legs.
The K9 Roof Rack Feet come in 3 basic sizes: 40mm / 2.5", 65mm / 3.25", and 90mm / 4". Each of these feet do have a height adjustment range, measuring from the top of the mounting rail vertically to the top of the foot where the platform attaches. At first glance, the available sizes are in the middle of their ranges; this is because Eezi-Awn uses their middle measurement height as the identifier.
40mm (2.5") height range 55-65mm (2.25" - 2.5")
65mm (3.25") height range 75-90mm (3" - 3.5")
90mm (4") height range 95-115mm (3.75" - 4.5")
The K9 Roof Rack Legs are all measured from the bottom of the leg that sits in the gutter, vertically to the top of the leg where the platform attaches. Each size has 15mm, or a little over 0.5" of height range upward from the listed height.
150mm (6") height range 150-165mm (6" - 6.5")
210mm (8.25") height range 210-225mm (8.25" - 8.75")
250mm (9.75") height range 250-265mm (9.75" - 10.25")
300mm (11.75") height range 300-315mm (11.75" - 12.25")
Installation Guide
K9 2M / 2.5M x 1250mm ROOF RACK FOR TOYOTA 5TH GEN 4RUNNER
A proper installation of the longer 2M and 2.2M K9 Roof Racks on the Toyota 5th Gen 4Runner takes a sequence of actions to ensure that the rail on the roof line lays flat to the roof. When installed correctly, the rail will hold tight to the roof.
STEP BY STEP
Remove the factory roof rack from the vehicle, and leave the black plastic trim in place on the roof. This trim covers what they call the pinch weld, which is where the sides of the vehicle are welded to the roof. It is also where the OEM mounting points are located.
Lay down the supplied K9 Roof Rack round aluminum spacers over the OEM mounting points. The goal of the spacers is to level the gap in the plastic trim to the top of the trim.
Lay the mounting rail on top of the trim, and over the top of the spacers. The mounting rail is the same width as the trim.
Insert and hand tighten the mounting rail bolts through the mounting rail and spacers into the OEM threads. The goal here is to make the mounting rail run smoothly across the roof of your truck. Tighten all bolts in place.
NOTE : Depending on the day the 4Runner was made, the height of the OEM mounting threads can be plus or minus a millimeter. Eezi-Awn provides the shortest spacer they have come across needing for the installation of the rail. When you tighten the bolts down, if you notice the rail recessing a bit to tighten, it will be necessary to add a flat washer (or two) to the top of the spacer to increase the thickness of the spacer under the mounting rail.
At this point, the front end of the mounting rail will sit proud of the roof line a bit at the front. This is okay, and we will address resolving this in a moment. Understand that there is about a foot and a half of rail that is in front of the forward OEM mounting points. Our goal here is to securely mount the rail to the front without requiring drill holes in the roof. When installed properly, the K9 Roof Rack System does not require drilling, but it does require tightening the components in a sequence to ensure the rail sits tight on the roof.
The next step is the installation of the feet to the mounting rail. Both the 2M and 2.5M K9 Roof Racks come with ten (10) feet, designed to be used as five (5) per side. Turn the rack platform upside down. Measure the distances from the back of the platform and each of the cross braces, then space the feet in the mounting rail to roughly coincide with the measurements you took.
Install the wind deflector while the platform is upside down. This will be much easier at this point rather than later.
Invert the platform right side up again, and lift onto the top of the feet.
Install hardware between feet and platform. Start to tighten all the hardware on the feet, but leave loose enough for adjustment.
NOTE : The sequence of tightening the feet to the mounting rail and platform is the key step to the mounting rail laying down on the roof. The logic here is to use the center feet as a fulcrum, the rear feet as an upward force and the front feet as a downward force. The goal is to use the rack components to push the front rail to the roof.
As mentioned before, there are five (5) feet on each side of the rack. Foot #1 should sit at the front and foot #5 should sit at the back with Feet #2, #3, and #4 between.
Go to Foot #3. Lower the mounting as low as you can. Tighten in place. Repeat on other side. This is our fulcrum.
Go to the rear most foot (Foot #5). Raise that foot as high as you can. Tighten in place. Repeat on other side. This creates an upward force on the back of the fulcrum, aiding in the downward force at the front of the rack.
Go to the forward most foot (Foot #1). Raise that foot as high as you can and tighten in place. This action will create even more downward force at the front of the rack, and will hold the front edge of the mounting rail down to the plastic trim on the roof.
Tighten Feet #2 and Feet #4 on both sides in their positions.
“The logic and sequence is easy after a few reads, but unfortunately it takes a lot of words to explain! It’s a great setup that works well in all conditions.
I designed this installation specifically for the 5th Gen after using it extensively on my own vehicle. For more than 80,000 miles over the course of 3 years, my fully-kitted K9 Roof Rack sat ontop of my 4Runner from Alaska to the east coast, and I never heard so much as a squeak. It has also proven successful on both of the Expedition Overland 4Runners, from the Darien Gap in Panama and back to the states.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions--we are always happy to help!”
-- Paul May, Founder & Owner of Equipt Expedition Outfitters
