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Here are some pictures and first thoughts on Sherpa's The Capitol roof rack.
First impressions:
I love the aesthetics.
Build quality is top notch. Sherpa charges more than other roof racks but the fact that you don't have to use silicone and its plug and play install is what tipped me to pull the trigger. The Prinsu Pro was runner up but there seems to be mixed reviews. That might be due to the fact that so many people have them and therefore there is more feedback available out there. No regrets on the purchase.
Sherpa had a 2-4 week lead time and it shipped in 3 weeks from order.
Installation:
Installations wasn't too bad. Having a second person helps. You could do it by yourself, but having an extra set of hands to hold the side plates, tighten bolts, and lifting things onto the roof makes the process go much easier and faster.
At the time of install Sherpa didn't have an install video for the 6th gen 4Runner with this rack but I was able to watch their install video for the 5th gen and it was pretty similar. Read the pdf instructions that are given a couple of times before starting. Get organized. I set out a couple of lifetime foldable tables with towels on them and laid out and organized all the parts with laptop on hand to reference the instructions and install video.
Getting the OEM roof rack off was nerve racking. You really have to pry hard on the plastic cover to remove them. It felt like I was going to snap it but in the end they held up fine against the force. Buy a set of plastic pry tools from amazon, I don't recommend using a metal screwdriver as that might scratch the roof and be stiff enough to crack the plastic covers.
The front mounts sit directly on the roof's weather strip and are way more solid than I thought they would be. You can see in one of the photos. Follow the instructions and you can get enough downward pressure for them not to budge.
Driving Impressions:
No adjustments were needed after the first install. No whistling, rattling, or annoying sounds. There is a noticeable increase in wind noise when on the freeway but nothing that I wasn't expecting.
Misc:
I started to install slot covers but if you look closely at the photos I did a poor job and decided to stop half way. I am going to remove them and do it again. I read from some other reviewers that when it rains or you get a car wash that the water will puddle and drip onto the car for days and wanted to avoid this. They fit in easily and remove easily so if I need to use t slots to mount something it would be really easy to remove and cut.
These are what I used https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KPZBTB9?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
If I had to do it over I would have installed these before mounting the cross bars by inserting them and cutting off the edges with a razor blade so there was a perfect fit. What I did was install the cross bars, measure, and cut a bunch to that length. The problem is that there is stretch in the material and a couple of millimeters here and there ends up making a difference.
I ordered 8 Smilies that I still need to install. They seem pretty straight forward and overbuild https://sherpaec.com/products/sherpa-smiley?_pos=1&_psq=smil&_ss=e&_v=1.0
I plan on installing some rock lights on the sides for when setting up camp and getting a little more light when needed.
Overall, really happy with the purchase and I would recommend this roof rack to others.
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