Looking for a roof rack

Looking for a roof rack that will fit the entire length of my upper roof. I have a 2017 TRD Off-Road Double Cab with long bed and an A.R.E Z Series Cap I want something that is walkable & heavy duty, not terribly worried about weight, heavy is fine. I also want all the members fixed, nothing that is adjustable with rails or anything that could vibrate. I am planning on adding custom bed stiffeners and bracing for the cap. I dont want to continually flex the fiberglass with loads. I'm thinking I may have to have one custom made, which is fine also.

I'm looking for something stylish and very functional.

Uses include:

Rooftop tent
Long Lumber 16'
Cargo Carrier

Looking for any suggestions people may have.

Thanks!

 

As in the cab and bed cap all in one piece? If so, since the bed and cab flex a bit, wouldn't that cause problems?

 

www.prinsudesignstudio.com/_p/prd12/3118211191/product/2005---2017-toyota-tacoma-cabrac

 

Is there a reason behind not wanting adjustable cross bars? If the only purpose is because of you being worried about vibration issues id re consider. I rock a prinsu cab rack and absolutely love it. No vibration issues at all , super durable , i think its the best looking rack offerd so definitely stylish , price point is more then fair , possibilities for add ons and combonations are about endless. I would rethink the adjustble bar part but thats just my 2 cents. Also as gogogadget mentioned u definitely dont want a ridgid rack that connectes both your cab and your bed/cap. Thats just a waiting game before you stress the fiber glass cap and crack it. Not saying you were planning to do this but just wanted to make it clear. Good luck with your choice there is lots of good vendors on here. Prinsu was just my choice. Quality work and zach is great dude.

 

Did you install yourself? Any issues? Best way to ensure you mark the hole spots correctly on the weather stripping to ensure an accurate hole punch? My Prinsu arrives this week and am debating having someone install the spacers / cut weather stripping or doing it all myself. I just don't want to risk any leakage or misplaced holes. Lastly, best brand of silicone/sealant you recommend for the hershey's globs? Thanks!

 

Installed my self in about 30-45 minutes. Granted i am a diesel mechanic as my profession but it is a very straight foward job. I assembled the rack on the ground leaving all hardware loose and then placed on roof. Which i also did solo from the bed. The weather stripping i did the cut to fit method because i was impatient and picked a time where i didnt have a long time to get the install done. I have no leaks anywhere and ive been through a few heavy down pours since its been installed. Both driving and just sitting. As far as brand of silicone i used a brand from lowes ill shoot you a messege of the name when i get to the house. But i cut my weather stripping and filled in the gaps with silicone may not be the proper way but u cant tell it apart from stock and it doesn't leak so im not changing it anytime soon.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm no diesel mechanic, but the installation looks straightforward - just wanted to keep a clean look with the hole method if possible - but if I mess that up I can always chop it off to fit I suppose

 

@AddicTioN Thanks for the great information.

From a quick look at prinsu I'm not sure how their roof rack or multiple racks would cover my entire upper roof area with cap and long bed. Maybe someone on here can help me with that... I know i can get one for the double cab but it wasn't immediately clear how i could make this work for a rack that might end up being around 10 or 11 ft long.

Also, I wasn't planning on connecting the racks, but after you brought it up I was wondering if i could make that work. If the rack is braced properly to my truck cab, as well as down to the frame through additional strength members in the rear cap (front and back, 4 total), wouldn't the fiberglass shell be in effect pinned by the rack system and free to move with the rack without stressing too badly? . I cant say for sure this wouldn't cause a problem, but i think if it was done right it would be ok. There is a certain amount of flex allowed with pickup beds and racks, but shouldn't sufficient bracing be enough to limit that especially if the dead load isn't actually on the fiberglass but down to the truck frame? I mean SUV's are built all the time with one piece body's and the shell is able to take any torsion that is applied to it over the years, fiberglass should provide more flex. Anyway vibration analysis is fun maybe if I have time i'll try and come up with some real engineering..... But either way i want to load the truck frame with my roof rack not the cap, for sure.

 

Am I wrong to say the weather stripping is really just an aesthetic piece that hides the channels and factory roofrack mounts? Essentially you should be able to run a tacoma without the black roof moldings and it still not leak so long as you haven't penetrated the roof in anyway.

I say this because with the factory roofrack, it is certainly not water tight and you remove the black strips entirely for installation and leave them off.

 

Baja rack. I had one on my fj cruiser and loved it. Only difference with Tacoma model is you can't get the expanded steel flooring on the Tacoma version. two or three options to choose from.

 

The Prinsu Cabrac will cover the top of your cab, pretty much corner to corner from what I have seen.

The TopRac 6' Bed will cover the top of the cap almost corner to corner.

I guess I am confused about how much more coverage you need.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/prinsu-design-studio-roof-racks-bs-thread.317754/

 

No @GoGoGadget I was confused not you. This will work for me, and is probably the way I'll end up going. I like the look of both racks, I didn't realize that the TopRac will match up and cover from the cap as it does until after I made that post. Thanks for the advice.