Bed Rack Over Softtopper: Request for Advice, Reviews, Videos, or Input

Oh man! I was just refreshing last night to see if anyone had finished getting the xtrusion overland setup yet. I'm so psyched you shared the pics! Thanks! That thing looks great. I assume you have to drop that rear crossbar to fold up the softtopper? Any other notes worth considering? It looks mounted far enough back to still allow mountain bikes on the tailgate pad, which is cool, and I love the clean look of it, as well as how tight it is to the ST. This might be exactly the thing I need (assuming I can get those crossbars in black). Thanks again!

 

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Looks good. I’m hoping to bolt down my softopper tomorrow and post up a writeup.

 

My ST install is all cocked up and I'm wondering if that's just normal, a function of my meddling with the paint, or if I somehow screwed up the install. Not to hijack my own thread, but here are a few pics of how it's slightly... 'off.' I hope it doesn't interfere with my future rack install (just to bring it full circle )

 

To fold down the Softopper, the entire rack or at least the top of the rack would need removed. The way the Softopper frames are constructed when they fold they arch up in the center before folding flat.

As fars as I know, the top bars, that run front to back, are only offered in silver.

 

Purchase additional Softopper Clamps. I used 4 per side on my top. It really helps to get a more even and “flat” install.

 

Thats pretty normal over time. I used 3 clamps per side and still have a little tilting. A clamp as close to the joint in the middle would probably help to close the gap.

 

I had a gap either in the center, or at the ends depending how i put the 2 clamps on either side with my rack installed. I moved the 4 clamps that came with the softopper close to the front and rear of the trac and bought an additional clamp for each side I put near the joint in the center. So far, it's staying pretty level and sealing well.

 

Finished getting my Xtrusion Overland rack installed.



Options
-2005-2021 Long Bed
-21” Softopper Height
-58” Length
-Black Rugged Powdercoat
-Wide CNC Aluminum Modular Set
-OEM T-Slot Tracks Nuts
Total:$999-25%+shipping=$830
The rack was discounted as they weren’t sure if it would fit the softopper and wanted me to try it out.

Delivery Timeline
Ordered-12/20/20

First Delivery-1/12/21
Package was missing the four corner brackets, one t-nut, and four CNC brackets(currently backordered 3+ weeks, didn’t know this when I ordered them) but did include the sheetmetal wing brackets instead so I would have a working rack. After speaking to Xtrusion the said they would ship the corner brackets with the t-nut when they got it in unless I needed the corners asap. I was in no hurry.

Second Delivery-2/3/21
Four corner brackets and four t-nuts delivered. These t-nuts are only threaded about 3/4 of the way unlike the original t-nuts I received which were threaded all the way through. I ended up using the original ones and an extra I had for assembly so I’m not sure if the 3/4 thread affects the install.

Assembly/Install
Assembly was pretty straight forward using their website’s generic instructions. I did the install in a few major steps:
-Assembly rack on the ground
-Remove Softopper as one piece
-Set rack into place
-Slide Softopper in from the back
-Adjust everything to be even and then tighten down

After tightening down the passenger side intitially I had about a 7/8” gap between the drivers side wing brackets and the bed rail. I adjusted the rack up like it shows in the directions to make the base wider but could only close the gap down to about 3/8”. I used some longer bolts I had on hand as a temporary fix until Xtrusion can ship me longer crossbars.

Pictures

First package all laid out

Powdercoat makes most of the bolt holes a tight fit

Initial gap

Moving the rack up widens the base

Still some gap left

Gap between the softopper and bed rails by the cab

Gap between the softopper and bed rails by the tailgate

No gap in the middle

Three clamps per side

Clearance between rack and softopper

Clearance between rack and softopper



Room For Improvement
Packaging-the packaging needs to get better as I had nicks in the powdercoat of most pieces and the parts are shipped touching one another so the texture rubs and gives the powdercoat a dull appearance in some places.







Thread Locker-they should include a small tube of thread locker instead of pre-applying it because it makes the bolts impossible to thread in without tightening and loosening them a couple times to knock some of the compound off.

Color-the rack really needs to be offered in an optional all black powdercoat. The side and top pieces are identical so I don’t know why all the parts aren’t available to be powdercoated.

Brackets-The top rail brackets should be a two by two bracket like the one below to eliminate the small fore and aft movement the rack has when used without the side braces. I will probably end up buying the brackets shown as well as running a second t-nut on each wing bracket to stabilize the rack a little more.


Hardware-I think black stainless hardware would blend in better than the gold hardware they use but this is a very minor comment.

Overall
I'm happy with the rack and am confident Xtrusion will come through in the end. I knew going into there would be some kinks to work out since they are so new to the market and were offering the racks at a discount for that reason. The biggest plus I think this rack has is that with some new extrusion I can change any aspect of it and there are a ton of off the shelf parts that are compatible.

 

@NukedTaco, looks great! Waiting for mine to show up. Mine will be going over a Softopper as well.

Does the XTR1 line up with your cab rack?

 

So I've had the UpTop Overland for nearly 9months. I think was one of the first to receive. First off I wouldn't consider a single rack that wasn't aluminum. I've dealt with too many products for the Tacoma that are steal and eventually powder coat cracks and rusts. Quality of the Uptop is top notch. The amount of accessories and mounts available are wonderful. As you can see from my photos I carry canoes, bikes on the side which are awesome. I currently have on order a rack to go over the cab in which I will add my RTT. I really wouldn't worry about the ability to take down the soft topper. The easiest is to simply disconnect it inside the bed and slide it out put it down and put it back in. I went with soft topper and aluminum racks to also keep the weight down. If I have one nitpick, it takes a lot of patience to get the rack to allow the soft topper brackets to make the bed water tight.

 

Looks sweet! Is that UpTop's bike bracket? Does the tray mount using the normal hardware or did you have to rig up something to bolt it to the mounts? I've got some Yakima Frontloaders and am looking for a way to mount them on the side.

 

Yup, those are Uptops bike brackets. I had to make a spacer out of plastic for the tray heads they are nearly 20yr old Thule trays.

 

No it sits about 1/2-3/4 inch lower

 

Here are some pictures I was sent of new products Xtrusion is developing

 

Has anyone built brackets to modify their existing rack in order to use it with a softopper?
I'm a cheapskate and don't want to spend another $1k+
I'm building an overland rig and got a steel rack for a steal. Aluminum would be better but I'm upgrading the suspension and widening the stance so it's not an issue (hopefully)..
Anyone with experience with this?

 

Can't say I've seen it done since most bedracks and the softopper are usually the same width.

 

It's a modular rack, adjustable width and height.
I think I might have a plan now though. I'll update with pics of it works.

 

I was literally just looking at soft tops and was wondering if they can be used with a bed rack when I saw this thread on the front page.

Does anybody have experience with a Bestop Supertop? I found one for a decent price on Craigslist but it appears to stand a bit taller than the Softopper. Just want to confirm fit and quality. Looks like the UpTop Overland soft top rack should clear it.

 

The Uptop rack height is adjustable.

 

Thanks for that reminder haha.
And immediately after making that post I saw another thread comparing the Bestop and Softopper. Seems most people prefer the Softopper.