The overlanding focused roof rack market is a competitive one. The originator of the segment, though, is ARB.
Since 1975, the lauded Australian brand has been improving on and perfecting its venerable line of roof racks designed for the tops of the toughest rigs in the world.
This morning, ARB one-upped even itself with a new line of roof racks: BASE. It stands for Build, Attach, Set, Explore.
Yes, it’s clearly one of those acronyms they worked their way back into. No matter, the name makes sense; it’s a base off of which you can build the modular overlanding roof rack of your dreams.
BASE is a series of full-welded aluminum slats that run the width of the vehicle. This design forms both the rack’s flat surface as well as its core structure.
If you’re thinking, “Am I crazy? Haven’t I seen racks like this before?”
You’re not crazy. You have seen racks like this … but not quite like this. ARB claims BASE is the most modular rack on the market.
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Let’s start with the sides. This is where the gear tie-down mounts go — not on the face of the flat surface. That leaves the full floor space available for your gear.
That side-mount design has other benefits, too. You can also add accessories onto the side of the BASE without disturbing the gear on top. That means you can mount your stuff and then add accessories to the side.
ARB will launch with four layouts of BASE: full rail, three-quarter rail, trade rail, and quarter rail.
Smartly, ARB has also developed a series of in-house accessories to complement the rack. Accessories include, light bar, side rails rails to transform the flat rack into a safari rack, hi-lift jack bracket, spare tire tie-down, and jerry can bracket to name a few.
This rack proves to be incredibly promising for overlanders who want a high-quality and robust rack that can accommodate a host of in-brand accessories. A lot of us are already running ARB equipment throughout our rigs, from front bumpers to fridges. So, it is great to see ARB step up and innovate further in the roof rack space.
If you’d like to learn more about the new ARB BASE rack, you can find more on the company’s website.
Header image credit: ARB
