DiamondBack Covers | Modifications

For those of you running the Diamondback + Frontrunner loadbars/racksystem, is it pretty simple/quick to remove the system? Do any of you have pics of what it would look like with the bars detached/uninstalled? I'm assuming you would just have to remove the bars & legs. Reason I ask is b/c I just ordered/purchased a Diamondback + Front Runner Rack system + Skycamp mini & was generally curious how much effort it would take to remove the whole combo in the event I just want to store the RTT and/or need to use the cover alone to haul stuff. TIA

 

I recently transitioned from using the KB Voodoo high-rise bars for my RTT and started using the Frontrunner system. I like the Frontrunner, but both systems have their pros and cons. The pro of the KBV system was that it was really easy to detach the bars. I use a hoist to lift the tent up and the bars come with it. The pillars would stay on the truck which I didn't mind. One of the downsides and the reason I switched is that in order to use the Skycamp mini with it, I had to use their 1.0 attachments which means the bars are semi-permanently attached to the tent. It would not be easy to detach the tent from the bars and use them for other things. I was also getting rust in areas of the system that were not in abrasive areas, i.e. should not be at risk for rust.

Switching to the Frontrunner system, its upside is that it is easy to detach the bars from the Skycamp mini 2.0 tent clamps, take the tent off, and have the bars for other uses. I am also able to have a partial view out the rear-view mirror with the tent on which is actually very nice, something I didn't have with the KBV because it sits lower. The downside, and getting to part of your question, is that removing the legs/pillars from the tracks on the DB cover is not difficult, but it is not a system that is exactly designed for frequent removal. To remove it completely off the tracks, you would need to unscrew two bolts on the back of each pillar with an allen wrench, then you also have two nuts inside each pillar to remove with a socket or wrench. In that way it is a bit annoying and really its biggest downside. I end up leaving the whole system attached, bars and all, to the DB cover when the tent is lifted off. That's fine for me, but if I was hauling things on top of the cover frequently, it would be very annoying. Once the bars are off of the tracks, the tracks are very flat and it would be easy to put materials on top of them to strap down.

I don't have experience with other systems but it seems like there are others that work with tonneau covers that might be more 'quick release'. The Frontrunner really isn't.

 

Just got my HD! Pictures CANT Justify the quality and the way this looks in person. I was a bit hesitant once I installed Im happy I made this decision!
Now onto looking for the right rack system

 

Both KB Voodoo and Frontrunner seem like great ways to go, but if you put emphasis on having the ability to quickly and easily remove the rack with the tent still attached I would recommend taking a look at the Yakima system (skyline towers and landing pads).

 

Just saw DB added something new. What do you all think of it?

https://diamondbackcovers.com/collections/cover-accessories/products/toolbar

 

Would be better if it sat between the support bars IMHO

 

I agree. It seems like it would limit the height of what you can load in the bed by quite a bit as it sits in the pictures.

 

That was my thought, I pack my bed pretty full so that would leave me without much room. Might work better on a bigger truck. Also thought that it would have been better to sell the fist clamps with the toolbars since the bars aren't much use without them.

 

Posted this in the wrong section! I’m looking for some advice on installing a FrontRunner system that I got with my Diamondback SE. I’ve mocked up a template for the base tracks but it looks like no matter what I do, one of the holes will likely catch the very edge (and the weld) of the cross bar underneath- anyone just skipped this bolt hole or any advice on how to deal with it given that I would need to use a jack nut?

 

There’s a couple things at play. The first is that supposedly Front Runner says you only need to use 3 of the 5 holes in the rails to mount them securely. I haven’t seen literature that says it but others have contacted FR directly and been told that. If you use 3 alignment is fairly straightforward. The second, before I saw the above info I mounted mine using all the holes and supplied hardware so it can be done but you will have to use the insert/jack bolt for one of the holes as it falls directly on the crossbrace of the cover.

 

Thanks @Rx7turbo2, maybe I’ll reach out to FR to confirm that 3 or 4 is fine, strength wise. How far in from the cover edge did you mount yours?

 

Appreciate the response fellas. I was able to find a company local that makes a bed rack that works with the diamondback cover.

https://chassisunlimited.com/thorax-bed-rack-system-diamond-back-cover-2005-2020-tacoma.html

 

Has anyone installed Yakima roof racks by using the Yakima Baseclips? I don't want to install rails or drill on the cover. As I understand it, the Baseclips are designed for naked roofs, however, it is vehicle specific. I've seen some of the Baseclips and the are attached by using a hook system that holds on to the edges.

 

I posted this elsewhere, but figured this thread was probably a better spot... It's the bed rack that I made for my Diamondback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Ae1jZ6FAI

 

Awesome. Love the ingenuity.

 

Hey @kiwiyyc, we happened to come across your question about the Front Runner Rack installation. No worries if all 5 mounting holes cannot be utilized. With the differing panel sizes of a DiamondBack from truck to truck, not every mounting hole can be utilized on every cover. At times, the studs may interfere. As long as you've got 3 bolts, 2 outside and 1 inside, you will be set.

Here's a link to the installation guide for quick reference. It talks about stud interference at the end of section 2, "Fit and Secure Tracks".

Hope this helps!

— Luke from DiamondBack

 

Thanks very much for this, @DiamondBack Covers!

 

After multiple rounds of measuring, lasers and centering (tapered boxes are a pain) before drilling, @DiamondBack Covers, the FrontRunner system is on! Four out of the five mounting holes used (one cab side of the each panel stud, three tailgate side) and it is rock solid.

 

Howdy fellas,

I’m about to purchase an HD cover from Diamondback. I was gonna get the frontrunner rack system to go with it, but there isn’t any way to lock the rack the cover. I even called FrontRunner and they said that anyone with a 10mm socket can just unbolt the rack system from your truck. I live in Denver and this has become a common method for thieves to take your rack and whatever gear you have attached. Has anyone installed a locking rack system like a Thule to their diamondback?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yakima has optional locks.