With Yakima RibCage, Jeep Wranglers can off-road with a heavy load

Taking your Jeep Wrangler to a desolate, off-road destination these days doesn’t necessarily mean leaving behind the accouterments of civilization. Yakima wants to help you haul it along.

Yakima’s RibCage rooftop track systems for the Wrangler’s JL 4-door hardtop and the Wrangler JK models, each retailing for $600, are designed not so much as add-ons as they’re meant to be integrated with the vehicles.

According to Yakima, the cargo equipment company based in the Pacific Northwest, these heavy-duty, externally mounted track systems can negotiate dicey off-roads carrying up to 330 pounds of gear in dynamic loads, and up to 825 pounds of static loads.

Both RibCage models are permanent hardtop installations and are identical except for the specific components that mount to the Wrangler’s internal supports. The company says that occupants need not worry about cracking the Wrangler’s roof — which would not be a good thing — since the tracks are attached to the vehicles’ internal roll cages.

RibCage’s parts do not interfere with passenger or cargo space. The hardtop is still easily removable by unbolting the rack’s internal supports, according to the products’ specs. Optional accessories allow for expansion of the system, Yakima says.

“With RibCage, we listened to Jeep owners who were seeking a product that’s made specifically for demanding off-road use,” says Todd Scott of Yakima. “RibCage raises the bar of capacity above the competition, and our rigorous in-lab and real world testing methods back that up. It’s an ideal pairing of low-profile utilitarian track and robust internal supports.”

For compatibility requirements, visit Yakima’s RibCage product page.