Tired of buying equipment that would break under Baja’s extraordinary conditions, the engineers who founded BajaRack started building their own. And people liked what they saw. “Our equipment gives you the ability to safely (and in style) transport your gear to its destination,” the company said. Like many businesses, BajaRack started with engineers who liked the outdoors and the challenge of the many climates Baja offers. The goal is always to build products that will withstand one of the most outrageous races in the world: the Baja 1000.
The U.S. arm of the company is based in Vista, California, with the sole manufacturing plant located in Ensenada, Mexico. Everything from BajaRack is designed using the latest CAD tools. The company philosophy is quite simple: offer customers the best products in the market that they will enjoy and be proud of owning for many years. BajaRack engineers and employees put themselves in the customer’s shoes.
01. The Vista, California,...
01. The Vista, California, arm of BajaRack is mostly offices and storage. The company doesn’t build anything here, but it was a convenient place to pick up the rack for Brian Cyr’s ’09 GMC.
In 2009, BajaRack expanded to the European market, opening its own distribution center in the northern part of Germany. BajaRack products can be purchased in Canada, South America, Africa, and other parts of the world.
We asked John Gjata, product manager of the U.S. division, to hook us up with a rack for Brian Cyr’s ’09 GMC Sierra 2500HD shortbed 4x4. A few custom mods were required for this rack, so we asked John if we could install it at the BajaRack office just in case we needed some help. As it turns out, it’s about the easiest install you could ever attempt. The mounts slid into the rails on Brian’s A.R.E. bed cap just like a custom fit.
We then headed down to Ensenada to visit the factory and see how the racks are built. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves there and loved meeting the enthusiastic crew that builds these rugged racks.
02. Unpacking a new part...
02. Unpacking a new part is a bit like the holidays for adults.
03. We laid out all the hardware...
03. We laid out all the hardware to get a sense of how it was going to work and to make sure all the pieces were included.
04. We liked how the shorter...
04. We liked how the shorter middle mount was clearly marked.
05. First, the crossbar had...
05. First, the crossbar had to be removed.
06. Next, the endcap was...
06. Next, the endcap was taken off. John Gjata of BajaRack helped out.
07. The first of three mounts...
07. The first of three mounts (per side) was slid into the channel on the roof of the truck cap.
08. After the mounts were...
08. After the mounts were on the channel, the endcap was replaced.
09. You can clearly see the...
09. You can clearly see the height difference in these two mounts.
10. When it was time to...
10. When it was time to lift the rack onto the top of the truck cap, we all pretended to be busy so John would have to do it himself. It’s not heavy, we just wanted him in a photo.
11. See, it only took one...
11. See, it only took one person to get the rack up there.
12. Brian made the fine-tune...
12. Brian made the fine-tune adjustments to get the mounts lined up with the holes on the rack.
13. Here, you can see the...
13. Here, you can see the way the mounts line up with the tabs on the rack.
14. All the hardware was...
14. All the hardware was supplied, and it was nice to see everything line up so perfectly.
15. John got into the fun...
15. John got into the fun of working on an HD truck and spun a few wrenches with us.
16. The rack from BajaRack...
16. The rack from BajaRack is an extremely good looking product that can take a whole lot of abuse.
17. We drove down to BajaRack’s...
17. We drove down to BajaRack’s Ensenada, Mexico facility to see how things are built.
18. Every rack is assembled...
18. Every rack is assembled on a jig, which ensures correct fitment.
19. The racks start out as...
19. The racks start out as raw steel. Everything is done in-house, except for powdercoating…and that could change in the near future.
20. Notching is done the...
20. Notching is done the old-fashioned way, but it’s still done right.
21. Brackets and other small...
21. Brackets and other small parts were being flame cut while we visited.
22. Quality welds are extremely...
22. Quality welds are extremely important on a rack, and the technicians at BajaRack are highly skilled.
23. See what we mean? Those...
23. See what we mean? Those are some very pretty (and no doubt stout) welds.
24. Tube bending is both...
24. Tube bending is both an art and a science.
25. No sharp edges are left...
25. No sharp edges are left on any of the components.
26. This rack is ready to...
26. This rack is ready to be shipped.
27. Ignacio Ramirez keeps...
27. Ignacio Ramirez keeps the BajaRack manufacturing plant running smoothly.
28. There are all kinds of...
28. There are all kinds of variations on roof racks at BajaRack.