Let's See Some Softoppers

Pull the windows off when collapsing it and throw them inside the truck

 

Thought of that. Can I drive the truck at highway speeds without both windows? I am thinking not because the wind might rip it apart.

 

I wouldn't do that. I meant once you get to the airport take off the windows and store them in your backseat where they wont fold. Then collapse it down.

 

Pull what windows? The soft topper windows don't remove.

Are you thinking best top brand?

 

No I mean Softopper brand. They are attached with velcro.

 

But if you collapse it, you will have snow in the bed, where will you put your luggage for the return trip home?

 

Easier to shovel snow than deal with a collapsed topper. I've never seen one collapsed though. Anyone know the weight limit? I'm sure as long its not wet snow, then it should be fine.

 

If mine couldn't stand a snow load, it would be going back.

It will be fine.

 

I agree, but need to bring shovel as well. And I also think it will be fine.

 

The guy is also from Alaska so who knows how much snow they have already.

 

I have seen them take 12"+ before.

Don't know if that was dry or wet snow though.

 

Front and rear. And the rear is removable. Maybe even the front but I don't remember.

 

Softoppers do remove

 

Question for you folks running a rack over the Softopper. Does the topper fold down properly with the rack there? It looks like the rear topper bar would hit the rack at some point as it swings up and forward to the closed position. Am I wrong in what I see?

 

I built my rack to rotate over. So I pull 2 bolts and it flips over so I can fold down the softopper. Or I can just remove 4 bolts and completely take the rack off. I made it for the ease of removing.

 

So I am correct then? I plan to build a rack over a Softopper on my DCSB and just needed to know if I indeed need to factor in a way to flip the topper down under the rack. I plan to haul kayaks and don't necessarily want to have to remove the kayaks, then all or part of the rack to drop the topper down.

Is there any merit in unpinning the pivot point mid bed allowing the topper frame to be lowered down to the wheel well arch, and then fold it closed by chance?

If not, I will get creative with my rack build.

@90yota, love your rig bud. I believe your truck build was one of the first I'd seen with both the softopper and a rack together.

 

Thanks! It has been a really fun build. So I believe Allpro and SOS make theirs to be able to fold inside the rack, BUT they don't sit flush over the topper. They have a decent gap.

That could be a possibility to unpin the pivot and lower it but I'm not positive as I've never tried it.

I understand your point as I would have to remove the roof top tent prior to folding over. I don't trust rotating close to 300lbs onto the 2 legs. Or I could gusset the legs in certain areas just to be safe.

 

Luckily I have time. I still have my Gen 1 Taco for kayak trips until I get the Gen 3 system figured out.

Do you have any good shots of how wide the softopper is on the Gen 3 bed rails that will give me an idea how much over hang I'll need for my rack legs?
I know you had something in your build, but have no idea what page they were on.

 

I made a folder with just pictures of the rack lol. I get asked quite a bit I got tired of trying to go back through my build haha. The L-brackets should be 4"x5" and it will give plenty of room. I made them 4"x4" and it was a little too tight but I made it work. I made the brackets while my truck was getting regeared and didn't measure it correctly while it was gone.

 

Awesome, thanks!

I plan to use 1.5" x .095 wall DOM for my rack (because I have a bunch left over from my baja bug days). So I think I can make it work.
Also, because that is what I have for bending dies on both my tube benders. Never got around to any bigger dies than 1.5".