I have a 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport and I'm interested in a roof rack to haul extra supplies. I would like to have one that is still low enough I can park in my garage and one that doesn't over the Freedom panels in case I want to remove them during the summer (so it sits in the back top of the Jeep).

I see full body racks and tiny racks. I want to keep this reasonably priced so looking for something under $200-300.

Would anyone recommend mounting it directly to the roof itself (by drilling holes in the roof)?

 

Good luck finding something decent that is reasonably priced.

 

You might be hard pressed on that price range. You might want to save up a bit more to have more purchasing power. I know you mentioned one that doesn't cover the freedom tops but just in case you don't know most full length roof racks still allow you to take the freedom tops off, flip the soft top back, or take the top off all together.

Here's a link to a review I did on my Garvin roof rack they make several different products this one in particular is the full length roof rack they also make one it's not full length

 

I hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure you are going to have raise your budget. Roof racks, even those that mount directly to the hard top, are pricey.

 

Please do yourself a favor and don't do a gutter rack... save your lunch money and look at the Rhino rack backbone or Teraflex Nebo system. Both are low profile and can actually accommodate a good static and moving load. The Rhino rack system can use either their pioneer platform or 3 of their crossbars to accommodate a myriad of accessories... I already had a basket so I went with the bars and have been extremely happy

 

What's wrong with a rain gutter mounted rack like the Smittybilt Defender? I used to have a full size Wild Boar rack, but found that I just didn't need that much rack. 150 lbs is enough weight for me up top.

 

There is a bit of a difference between the Defender rack in that it ties to the rear hinges and a true Yakima/Thlue gutter rack that mounts to the two piece freedom tops and small rain gutter section above the rear doors(4dr). The fiberglass top isnt exactly structural and for sure the rain gutters are not designed to take a load. Would you stand on the rain gutter? I guess in my mind I see a gutter rack, mounted, overloaded, in the woods and with all the body movement causing the rack to rip off the mounts. for my use, we load the basket up like crazy for road trips. With two kids a dog and a wife we often are bringing the kitchen sink, so having a higher capacity with a more integrated rack is what we were looking for and the rhino rack fit the bill...and 270LBs is more than enough for anything we could put up there.

 

Buying a rack has been the hardest decision I've ever made for the JK. I just cant make up my mind. The prices just seem so insane. The main purpose of the rack will be to carry two Kayaks. These are the ones Ive considered the most.

Smittybilt Defender - but have concerns the gutter mounts could tear off at highway speeds with the kayaks on.
Warrior JK Mod Rack - Just too expensive.
Kargo Master Congo Pro - Another pricey setup

My secondary concern is how it mounts. If I go with a cage, I want one that connects to the frame in the back. I really don't want to drill. I also want an easy access point for running lighting wires into the interior.

 

I started out with Yakima Whispbar HD racks gutter mounted that I bought as an open box on Ebay but did not like how they mounted on the Freedom panels gutters- did not grip as tight as on the rear window gutters. I bought the Yakima Tracks and mounted them to the main roof and bought new feet and mounting pads. This works very well and is easy to remove the racks and legs with a simple wing nut. There is a post where short track sections were mounted on the Freedom panels to provide extra length.

 

I think I finally made up my mind. Right now its the Kargo Master Congo Sport or Pro. It all depends on whether it can mount to the frame given that I have the 10th Anniversary Bumpers..