Roof rack runner gaps (Prinsu vs. LFD vs. OEM vs. ?)

[brianz]

I like my Prinsu Pro rack, but not the big gaps. Here is a photo from the Prinsu site:

Mine looks like the above, but my FE rack had a basket like below:

The basket is nice, because it holds the rubber strips in place and keeps mud from going into the rubber strips. So, I was just thinking to myself OK that's how the aftermarket works.

The LFD rack on their website looks like at least it spans the gap - this will reduce at least accumulation of mud and snow and the the rubber strips:

The above picture is from the LDF Offroad Website, but @LFD Off Road posted this picture yesterday and I was like WOW - this is what I want:

That looks like it was actually designed specifically for this landcruiser. Is anybody else putting in baskets or anything - trying to work out if the Prinsu Pro is designed like that on purpose without any accessories to fill the gap or is there an OEM part that does (like the bottom of the OEM rack picture above). I'm worried I'm going to lose one of those rubber strips or it will fill with water and freeze and push the strip out. Plus that latest one looks like it will keep the snow and mud out. Are there reasons to not have it like the last one or closer to the OEM style? Any DIY hacks with OEM parts that work with 3rd party roof racks?

 

[LFD Off Road]

Man, I didn't realize how filthy my rubber gutter trim was until looking at your re-post of my photo.

I've seen junk build up under even OEM side rail corners, ours, other racks, etc. It happens. Our rack feet are wide enough so the ends do cover the ends of the rubber channels to help hold them in place a little, but it still can build up dirt under there - when I removed our full rack the other day to install the OEM side rails to start working on the crossbars I had to clean out the mud that had accumulated at each foot that washed off my muddy maxtrax.

When I'm installing racks on older vehicles its not uncommon to remove the OEM side rails and find piles of tree debris and the like there.

 

[EOD Guy]

I don't know if you have access to a machine shop, but it would be very easy to machine a plastic/nylon filler piece that would fill the gap between the rubber strips, holes drilled in the filler piece allowing the OEM mounting post to pass through and be level with the bottom of the rack mounting flange.