Prinsu vs Prinsu Pro

[nfosterma]

I've had my 4-door Badlands Bronco for about six months now, and I'm really happy with the change from our 4Runner. I'm in the market for a roof rack, but I'm not too excited with the looks of the OEM option from Ford. I'm sure it works fine, but I don't find it visually appealing (no offense intended to those who might be running this rack!). I like the look of the Prinsu rack, but now I'm trying to decide if the Prinsu Pro will be overkill for my needs. Occasionally, I'll be transporting a rowing single on my roof, which only weighs around 30 pounds. I'll use a dedicated boat cradle attached to the Prinsu rack, which weighs around 20 pounds, so the total carrying weight will be around 50 pounds.

My boat is rather pricey, so I'm not afraid of a bit of over-engineering to keep it safe, but does anyone have experience with the Prinsu Pro and feel that it's a worthwhile upgrade over the base model? I'm hoping to take advantage of "Black Friday" deals, so any feedback that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.

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[Doc TOC]

The Pro design is appealing with the idea of the front part being removable.
But, for me, I had a concern after reading this site Prinsu review from 2022 and this one Prinsu customer service. Been waiting 4 weeks to hear back from Prinsu about the AL alloy issue. For me, that is a deal breaker.

I am real-life school (aka old school) looking for an AL rack with strong sides and rigid construction (joints and cross-rails). Bolt joints and inserts in the wrong AL come loose off-road, even with thread locker or nylon nuts. I have seen loads lost when a rail separates.

Construction is only one decision point. How it mounts, dismounts, lives on, and performs on each truck/SUV differs, since those are the "unique to this vehicle" issues.

This rack could work for you, if you are mostly paved road/gravel road/beach. Your load is light and terrain (probably) less demanding, compared to what I run. So your rack mileage will differ.

Maybe some one else has actually used one on a Bronco. You can always (try) to contact Prinsu and see if they have a Bronco customer's review, or would contact one on your behalf. Even asking how many they sold to Bronco customers may be revealing.

Hopefully you get the experience input you are seeking.

 

[nfosterma]

@Doc TOC, I appreciate your reply and suggestions. Likely, I'll be sticking to tamer terrain, so Prinsu's rack might work for me; however, I'll check out those links to the other posts and decide from there. If I choose to get the Prinsu Pro, I'll provide an update over time to let everyone know my experience.

 

[BroncoRaptorEd]

Sold the rack

 

[nfosterma]

I would also like to say, it took 3 of us to get this on. It was a very difficult install because of the difficulty getting the rear section to sit on the feet. I watched there video multiple times before the install and during the install along with the very poor PDF. I'm very mechanically inclined and have done, trans, engines and many other big jobs. This was just a pain in my ass and in the end I am so pissed off about the roof.

Ugh! That's so disappointing about how the rack dented your roof - I can imagine how pissed you must feel. I appreciate your feedback, and based on other comments about Prinsu's rack, I have been looking at alternatives. I don't plan on putting a ton of weight on my rack, so I don't really need a robust option, but I'm not a fan of the look of Ford's OEM rack. I'm considering the TrailRax one, but I haven't decided yet.

Thanks again, and good luck.

 

[Spicygb]

I’ve got the prinsu pro, while I didn’t have the difficulty installing it that others did, I do think the feet don’t sit well, and I’m worried about damage to the roof. I’ll be reaching out to prinsu regarding this. Curious to hear what they say to others about it

 

[RlsTheBracken]

Oh, man - I just unboxed my Pro rack tonight and am planning to install tomorrow. @BroncoRaptorEd and @Spicygb, any recommendations to make the install go easier? I agree the instructions are terrible and the video helps but isn’t complete either. Would appreciate any lessons learned.

 

[Spicygb]

Oh, man - I just unboxed my Pro rack tonight and am planning to install tomorrow. @BroncoRaptorEd and @Spicygb, any recommendations to make the install go easier? I agree the instructions are terrible and the video helps but isn’t complete either. Would appreciate any lessons learned.

I followed the video, back portion first on the ground. Don’t tighten anything 100%. Put it on the car. The build the front portion, Same deal on the ground and don’t tighten 100%. Put it on the car. Assemble the front and rear together. Then start tightening things up

 

[RlsTheBracken]

I followed the video, back portion first on the ground. Don’t tighten anything 100%. Put it on the car. The build the front portion, Same deal on the ground and don’t tighten 100%. Put it on the car. Assemble the front and rear together. Then start tightening things up

 

[RlsTheBracken]

Thanks. Makes sense to keep it loose until everything is fitted on the roof. The guy glosses over bracket 2, but I’m guessing it’ll be obvious when I start assembling. I bought extra covers in the front so I don’t have to drill the painted ones - I’ll put the painted ones back on if and when I remove the rack.

 

[RlsTheBracken]

I’ll look out for this, but I’m guessing there’s no easy fix - maybe additional padding? Would love to hear what Prinsu says when they respond, @BroncoRaptorEd. Sorry you’re going through this.

 

[RlsTheBracken]

Installed the rack today. @BroncoRaptorEd I see what you mean with the feet. I used some leftover Soundskins for additional padding; maybe that helps. @Spicygb and @BroncoRaptorEd are you concerned about the silver crossbar for the wind deflector contacting the paint near the middle of the bar? Seems really close…

 

[nfosterma]

Hi everyone. I wanted to provide a quick update on my rack selection process. I was close to ordering the OEM rack but decided to purchase the Baja Rack instead. The Baja Rack will be delivered tomorrow via common carrier (the platform ships in one piece), and I plan on installing it this weekend. I'll post pictures once it's on the roof of my Bronco, and I'll supply my initial impressions of the rack. Stay tuned.

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