Leitner Designs, the Corona, California, company behind the ACS truck-bed racks, is taking pre-orders on a $1,560 platform rack built only for the 2022–2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness, which it says bolts to the factory roof and adds no height to the car.
Leitner rates the rack for 1,000 pounds parked, 500 pounds on the road and 250 pounds off it. But the Outback Wilderness roof is rated for 220 pounds while driving and 700 pounds parked, according to Subaru's specifications as reported in first-drive reviews by AutoTrader.ca and Consumer Guide. The car's numbers are the ones that count, and Leitner's own listing tells buyers to check them.
The rack weighs 38 pounds and mounts with billet aluminum brackets to the tie-down hooks Subaru puts on the Wilderness roof, with no headliner removal. Leitner says it installs in under an hour with the hand tools in the box and doesn't void the factory warranty. It fits the Wilderness trim only (part number 00-SOWFA-1987) and works with the factory sunroof.
Two adjustable T-slot load bars run across the platform and take T-track accessories from Thule, Rhino-Rack and Yakima, so mounts already in a buyer's garage should carry over. A wind deflector is included. The frame is aluminum alloy with grade 10.9 zinc-nickel fasteners and a two-stage powder coat, and Leitner says it is designed and built in the United States. It also pairs with the company's GearPOD ROOF, a locking box that opens from the side.
Platform racks already sold for this car, such as Front Runner's Slimline II kit, clamp onto the Wilderness's factory roof rails. Leitner's pitch is a rack that mounts to the roof's factory tie-down points and, by the company's account, adds no height. That claim matters for garage clearance and wind noise, and nobody has measured either independently yet.
How the rack was developed
Leitner engineered the rack with Rally Innovations, an Anaheim shop run by John and Leicel Peñano that builds rally and overland Subarus. Leitner's listings for the rack say the design was tested over 5,000 off-road miles in the Alcan 5000 Rally.
The only rally car on record with a Leitner prototype on its roof was a Forester. In June, The Shop Magazine reported that a 2026 Forester Wilderness supplied by Subaru of America was being built at Rally Innovations by Valencia High School's ZenSpeed GRP car club for the September Alcan 5000, wearing a prototype Leitner roof rack co-designed by the shop.
Leitner now lists a production rack for the 2026 Forester Wilderness (00-SFWFA-2027) at the same $1,560, with the same published specs.
What to check before buying
Model year. The Outback rack fits 2022 through 2025 Wilderness cars. The 2026 Outback is a new generation and isn't covered; NashFab sells a rack for the 2026 Outback Wilderness starting at $1,374.99.
Load math. The rack's 38 pounds counts against the 220-pound driving limit, which leaves about 182 pounds for cargo, a box or a folded rooftop tent on the move. A tent and its sleepers have to stay under the car's parked rating, not the rack's 1,000. Subaru's published figures are for the Wilderness roof rails, and the Leitner rack bolts to the tie-down points instead, so buyers should check the owner's manual or ask a dealer which limit applies before loading it up.
What isn't published. Leitner lists the rack as pre-sale and hasn't given a ship date, overall dimensions or warranty terms for the rack itself.
Where to buy. The rack is sold direct from Leitner. No other retailer listed it as of mid-October.
Front Runner's rail-mounted Slimline II kit for the same car lists at $1,171.96 at LVB Overland, so the Leitner rack costs about $390 more for a platform the company says sits lower on the roof.
How we reported this
This article draws on the following sources, accessed October 15 and 16, 2026:
- Leitner Designs, Over Cab Platform Rack for Subaru Outback, product page, listed September 21, 2026: price, part number, fit, mounting, materials, load ratings and the Alcan 5000 testing claim. Performance and warranty claims are the company's and have not been independently tested.
- Leitner Designs, Over Cab Platform Rack for Subaru Forester, product page, listed September 21, 2026: the Forester Wilderness version.
- Leitner Designs, company history, about page: founding, location and product line.
- The Shop Magazine, "Students Build Custom Subarus for Colorado Adventure Rally & Alcan 5000", June 17, 2026: the Rally Innovations Forester Wilderness build and its prototype Leitner rack.
- AutoTrader.ca, "2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness First Drive Review", by Lesley Wimbush, July 8, 2021, and Consumer Guide, "First Spin: 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness": the Outback Wilderness roof ratings.
- LVB Overland and Rallitek retailer listings for the Front Runner and NashFab racks: competitor prices.