Access Cab - Roof Rack or Nah?

Hey all,

Those of you thinking of getting or already have one, is a roof rack on an Access Cab worth it? I don't see very much weight being allowed up there.

Maybe for mounting a light bar, some traction boards or a solar panel, but for those of you who already have one installed do get the use the justify the price and effort, or not so much?

Those of you thinking about getting one, aside from money, what's your thinking about getting one or holding you back?

For me it's money (obviously) but also trying to think of what I would put up there.

 

Depends what you wanna do with it. I’d say it’s a no go for a RTT but it’s a great option for storage. I currently have a Prinsu with a Plano all weather case w/ some recovery gear and a small tool box. I plan to put another Plano case and traction boards on it in the future. I like it a lot, I just wouldn’t trust the structure for for the weight of an RTT plus me and my wife up there with no B pillar lol. I don’t have many pics but you can kinda see in this one:



Edit: Although Prinsu’s are my favorite looking/functioning racks, I bought this one because I scored an insane deal on a barely used one. $300.

 

Oh, definitely not for putting an RTT up there, especially with my fat backside.
I'm not even sure these companies have a full load rating on these things anyway (haven't looked lately).

Personally I see my use case being for lights, maybe a solar panel and a plano box. But this is me long-term planning while I build up my project list.

Nice rig!

 

Thanks man! And fair enough hahaha well then yeah the sky is the limit with things you can do with any rack really. Although prinsu is on the expensive side, they offer a lot of attachments. And I bolted down my Plano with regular carriage bolts. Just drilled holes in the bottom of the box, and siliconed the inside. No water issues. But any rack will do what you need, just whatever one you think looks the best. If you can see on mine, Prinsu also offers a wind guard that has a cutout for a light bar which is neat. As far as weight is concerned, with what your planning, I’m sure you’re way under the load limit for a rack.

 

Lights and a solar panel.

You could strap a couple cases up there if you needed more storage space too.

 

@steveo27 , what brand is that rack? Do the legs really hold up well?

 

Rhinorack Euro Bars and feet. DIY plexi fairing. DIY basket.

I wouldn’t stand on it. But it’s perfect for hauling my canoe

 

Right on. That might be a good option as far as the base goes if I didn't necessarily want to drill in the roof.

 

My roof rack is one thing I never see myself getting rid of. I currently use it for forward and rear facing lights and a solar panel. I also use it for kayaks, transporting long pieces of steel/lumber and I used to have plano cases mounted to it to hold gear and recovery boards too.

 

Another epic rig! Thanks for the insight. I didn't think of the kayak / canoe angle. My buddy has a kayak set aside for me to use and that could be useful...

 

It really just comes down to if you think you'll actually need it or not. For example on my tundra, that's not getting a roof rack because it simply just doesn't need one. If you could benefit from one though, they are very useful. My recommendation is to think about if you need one, not buy one just to bolt stuff to it that you don't really need because more weight up high isn't great. Not saying you would, but that's just my .02 on the matter. It's so easy to get caught up in build mode and buying things you think you need, I know I'm guilty of that.

 

Oh definitely. This is why I created the post. I can see how you guys are using yours and it makes sense. I definitely don't expect to put a bunch of crap up there and make it top-heavy, and there's some utility there beyond looks.

 

I have a Surco safari basket , originally got it to hold a spare tire , switched to 34 s , so not an option anymore ( side note: it’s not fun at all to load & unload a spare up there.) comes in handy to strap a couple of bags up there on camping trips....

 

They aint that expensive and if you carry a lot of stuff it will be worth it at one point. Check out the ebay hooker road ones. I had the bed and roof rack on my tacoma and it was badass

 

I had a Prinsu. Needed to drill 12 holes in the roof. Thought I was never getting rid of it because of that. Its pretty useful for the 3 things that you mentioned, but not too much else. Plus if you have the ball to drill your roof..

But then ordered a GFC, and to me it was worth it to remove and sell, rather than cut in half and keep for roof storage. So far, after a year, no leaks. Im pretty sure how Ive sealed it, it will never leak.

 

It sticks up a little taller than the ones you bolt to the drip rails.

The Prinsus and all the knockoffs weren’t a thing when I bought this rack but I’m a happy with it and has worked great for the last 10 years.

 

Oh damn I bet that was frustrating for a bit. But the GFC is so 'effin cool.

The only other thing I'm contemplating up there is a fixed mount ham radio antenna. But that can be mounted other ways too.

 

Had the Prinsu on through 3 different shells, and it's constantly getting reconfigured. Not a fan of fuel and weight up there but so far so good!

 

Nice!