Technical
Gutter mount, track mount, fixed points or factory rails: roof rack mounting types
Short answer
How a roof rack mounts depends on the vehicle's roof: gutter mounts clamp to the rain gutters, fixed point and OE hole mounts bolt to points the vehicle maker built in, track mounts sit on factory or fitted tracks, and rail mounts fix Wedgetail rails to the roof using the factory fixtures, rivets or drilled holes. Wedgetail lists one fit method per fitment, for example gutter mount on the LandCruiser 70 Series, fixed points on the LandCruiser 300 wagon and drilled rail mount on many utes. Whatever the fit method, every Wedgetail is 100% off-road rated to its full rating, with static at 3.5 x dynamic.
Facts from Wedgetail product data, updated .
- Fit method
- Listed per vehicle fitment
- Gutters
- Gutter mount, e.g. LandCruiser 70 Series
- No gutters or points
- Rail mount (factory fixtures, rivets or drilled)
- Off-road
- 100% of the rating, every fit method
| Fit method | What it means | Example vehicles | Ranges using it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gutter mount | Legs clamp to the rain gutters along the roof edge. No drilling. | LandCruiser 40 to 80 Series and 70 Series, GQ and GU Patrol, Defender (classic), HiAce H100 and H200 | Commercial Max, Oval Steel, Wedgetail Adventure |
| Rails on gutters | Rails sit along the gutters and the platform mounts to the rails. | LandCruiser 78 Troop Carrier and 79, Suzuki Jimny and Jimny XL, Mahindra Pik-Up | Wedgetail Adventure |
| Fixed points | Bolts to the threaded mounting points the vehicle maker built into the roof. | LandCruiser 300 wagon, Transit Custom, HiAce H300, Crafter, Discovery 3 and 4, MU-X (Gen 2) | Wedgetail Adventure, Wedgetail Trade, Trade Max, Commercial Max |
| Fixed point rail mount | Rails bolt to the factory fixed points and the rack mounts to the rails. | LandCruiser 100 and 200, Amarok, Peugeot Partner, LDV Deliver 9 and V80 | Oval Steel, Wedgetail Adventure, Trade Max, Commercial Max |
| Bolted to OE holes | Bolts into holes the vehicle maker provides in the roof (OE: original equipment). | Prado 250, Everest (U704), BYD Shark 6, GWM Tank 300, Kia Tasman, Lexus GX550, Patrol Y62 | Wedgetail Adventure, Wedgetail Core, Wedgetail Trade, Trade Max |
| Rail utilising OEM fixtures | Wedgetail rails attach using fixtures the vehicle already has. | LandCruiser 200 and 300 dual cab, Prado 120 and 150, D-MAX, MU-X, Defender 110 and 130, Kluger, HiAce H300 | Commercial Max, Oval Steel, Wedgetail Adventure, Trade Max, Wedgetail Trade |
| Rails on OE tracks | Rails sit on the tracks the vehicle came with. | Transit Custom (AV), Transporter T7, Triton (MV), LDV T60, BT-50 | Wedgetail Adventure, Commercial Max, Oval Steel |
| Drilled rail mount | Rails fix to the roof through drilled holes, for roofs without gutters or factory points. | Ranger, HiLux, Navara, Triton, Colorado, D-MAX, iLoad, Daily, Master, Ducato | Oval Steel, Wedgetail Adventure, Commercial Max, Wedgetail Trade |
| Rails bolted to roof | Rails bolt directly to the roof. | Sprinter (VS30), Ducato, Daily, Deliver 7 and 9, Berlingo | Commercial Max, Wedgetail Trade, Wedgetail Adventure |
| Rivets | Rails are riveted to the roof. | Hyundai Staria, Kia PV5, Kia Tasman, Farizon SuperVan, Triton (MV) | Trade Max, Wedgetail Trade, Commercial Max, Wedgetail Core |
A few fitments use another method, such as gutter legs, a drilled track mount or a gutter mount combined with fixed points. Each is named on the fitment listing in Find My Vehicle.
Gutter mount
Gutter mounts suit older 4WDs and vans with rain gutters along the roof edge. On the LandCruiser 70 Series, the 40 to 80 Series and the GQ and GU Patrol, most Wedgetail fitments are gutter mount. On the 78 Troop Carrier and 79, there is also a rails on gutters option for the Wedgetail Adventure. Nothing is drilled, and the rack comes off without leaving holes.
Track mount
A track runs front to back along the roof and the rack sits on it. Where the vehicle comes with tracks, Wedgetail uses them: rails on OE tracks on the Transit Custom (AV), Transporter T7, Triton (MV), LDV T60 and BT-50, and a fit to the factory track on the GWM Tank 300. A drilled track mount, where tracks are added to the roof, is used on only a few older vehicles.
Fixed points and OE holes
Many current vehicles have threaded mounting points or holes in the roof, usually under trim strips or plugs, put there by the maker for a rack. Fixed point and OE hole fitments bolt straight to them, with no drilling. Examples are the LandCruiser 300 wagon, Prado 250, Everest (U704), BYD Shark 6 and Kia Tasman.
Factory roof rails
Clamping a rack onto factory roof rails leaves the factory rail as the weak link. Where a vehicle has factory rails, Wedgetail recommends a rail mount that takes the load into the vehicle's own structural mounting points, such as the roof channel or gutter, rather than relying on the rail; the how-to guides cover fitting to factory rails. The rack's rating is listed per solution, and the vehicle maker's roof limit still applies.
Drilled and riveted rail mounts
Where a roof has no gutters, tracks or factory points, Wedgetail rails are fixed to the roof by drilling or riveting. This is common on utes such as the Ranger, HiLux, Navara and Triton and on vans such as the iLoad, Daily and Master. It is a permanent fitting, so it suits a rack that stays on.
Find your vehicle's fit method
Every fitment in Find My Vehicle and the model guides names its fit method, for example the LandCruiser 70 Series, LandCruiser 300, Toyota Prado, Ford Ranger, Toyota Kluger and Toyota HiAce guides. All 134 Wedgetail stockists sell and fit, and the factory fits on site in Bayswater VIC.
Video
Questions people ask
Gutter mount or track mount for a LandCruiser?
It depends on the series. Most Wedgetail fitments on the LandCruiser 40 to 80 Series, the 70 Series included, are gutter mount, and the 78 and 79 also have rails on gutters; the 100, 200 and 300 use fixed points, OE holes or rails on the factory fixtures. Find My Vehicle lists the method per fitment.
Do I have to drill my roof?
Only on a drilled or riveted fitment. Gutter, fixed point, OE hole and factory track fitments need no drilling. The fit method is named on each fitment.
Is a gutter mount rack rated lower off-road?
No. Every Wedgetail is 100% off-road rated to its full rating, whatever the fit method.
Can I put a rooftop tent on factory roof rails?
Only within the lowest of the rail, rack and vehicle limits, and factory rails carry their own limit set by the vehicle maker. A Wedgetail rail mount takes the load into the vehicle's mounting points instead of the factory rail; the rating is listed per solution.
What are fixed points?
Threaded mounting points the vehicle maker builds into the roof for a rack, usually under trim strips or plugs. A fixed point fitment bolts straight to them.
How do I find my vehicle's fit method?
Select your make, model, year and variant in Find My Vehicle, or open your model guide. Each fitment names its fit method.