I want to mount a roof rack on my Rubicon Unlimited so I can carry a canoe. I'm told I should not drill through the hard top (to install a Thule artifical rain gutter or track system), because it has a form core that will compress when the mounting bolts are tightened, causing the fiberglass outer layer to crack and eventually leak. Another option is the Safari Canoe Rack/Sport Basket system from Warrior Products, which bolts to the body. Anybody have any suggestions? Has anyone tried Warrior's Safari Canoe Rack? 

I have seen alot of stuff hauled on the Warrior Safari rack including a canoe. Check the weight of your canoe and give them a call for a load rating.  

I;d go the safarri way, or something similar, there are lots of em out there.

If you want to bolt something to the hard top, I get some plates or even some channels, of steel or aluiminum to sandwitch the roof and sread the weight out. I silicone onder the top plate to seal everything up.

I've been looking for the same thing, but everything is so expensive. I don't really need to spend $600 bucks on a full rack just to haul a canoe. I've got a soft top, so it's even worse. Cabelas offer a rear canoe rack that fits into a receiver hitch. Nice thing is that it swivels, so one person can load the rear of the canoe on the rack, then lift the front and walk around to the front of the vehicle and lift it on. All I need is a front cross bar, but no-one makes one. A canoe only weighs 60 to 80 lb, so there's not much weight there, but perhaps some lift force I don't know. Someone should make a simple bar, a somewhat strong light bar style, attached to the windscreen columns, which would do the trick. In fact, i've been thinking of using a light bar. Any thoughts out there?

As far as the hardtop goes, with only 40 lb to deal with, as Groo says, a bar spreading the load would be fine, coupled with the Cabelas rear rack. I suspect the standard foam type canoe cartop "feet" would be fine - they are about 6x8 inches, over 40 sq inches, meaning only about a pound per square inch; tied down a little more. Nothing that should concern any roof - small branches and hail will hit with more force.

with the rear cbalas rack, you could use a water channele rack in the front on a hard top; or with a soft top, a light bar would do the trick up front.  

Yep, I've pretty much decided to go with the light bar. I even emailed Olympic about it, but got no response. Pity, I think there's a market there.  

I have a Congo Roof Rack from Kargo Masters http//www.4wd.com/newsite/shop/productdetail.asp?pid=50311 . I don't know if it'll fit on a unlimited but it fit on my TJ Wrangler just fine. Took about thirty minutes to put it on. You may have to buy the support bars if your going to put a conoe on top. Here is the company site http://kargomaster.com/item.asp?id=62 Hope this helps.

                                                       -KOVictories

Go with a body mount if your hardtop isn't made for the rack.  The OEM fiberglass is thin.

I have a Bestop Hardtop with really thick fiberglass, carpeting, and mounts for their roof baskets and I have them.  Claimed cargo weight capacity for each basket (2) is 200lbs.