Let's See Some Softoppers

Honestly, I never realized mine were twisted in until I saw the post on this thread. They been like that for 150, 000 miles. I don't think it bothers me enough to do anything about it.

 

Put a spacer in between the flat clamp and curved one. Maybe half inch.

 

I don’t think that’s where the problem is for me. My rail is twisting independently of the curved clamp.

 

It curves because that pulls it. I put one in a year ago and its been straight since

 

That’s not the case with mine. In my case, the rail was actually twisting within the clamp. All was tight and perfectly straight until the bars were pinned. It’s the weight of the system that is causing the rail to twist.

I wish I had taken a pic of the rail before I took it off. The curved clamp was the only thing resisting it and keeping it from falling into the bed.

 

If you straighten that clamp, it'll straighten the bar. It'll act like a lever and push on the bar itself to straighten it. I mean, it's worth a shot, right?

 

How tight do you pull in the tension straps? The stress of the fabric pulling up is also causing the rails to twist.

I really only since my straps down hard just before snapping on the fabric. I take most of the stress off the straps when everything is snapped down.

 

Again, I wish I had taken a picture. With mine, the rail was twisting INSIDE the clamp. There was enough play between the 2 that the rail could move independently.

 

Im at work & snuck over to my truck & took those real quick.. loading the Big Rigs.. North Bound & Down…

 

I hope a Fast-Top soft topper can go in a Softopper thread. It's only been 2 months but so far I'm extremely happy with the versatility. It's a tonneau, a topper, they work together or are quick release. They have a JayBar option that's a rack compatible with the all of it.

The parent firm has been at it a long time in trucking and ag tarp products, and 5 years or more making these.

 

What did you use for the 3rd brake light? Got a link?

 

HIPOPY Car LED Brake LED Strip...

$13 HIPOPY Car LED Brake LED Strip Light, 35" 144LED DC12V High Mount Stop Brake Light Bar, Rear Window Warning Signal Light for Vehicles Trucks Cars

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BYDGQD3C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Added velcro to it.

 

It is ok to have a slight tilt to your bedrails. Please ensure the clamp is nesting on the flange correctly. The foot of the clamp should be nesting flush against the truck. If you have troubles with this, loosen the bolts on the clamps and place the clamp as it should be flush with the truck, then tighten them back up. Also, please ensure the bedrails are inward enough. There should be NO gap at all between the clamp and the truck bedrail. If you do this and still have any gap at all, please loosen the bolt again and start with the top gap by pushing down on the clamp to close that small gap. Then while keeping that in place, push the clamp inward where the arrow is pointing to close the bottom gap as shown in the attached picture.





Also, the weather stripping should be compressed down and the clamps should be tight, but not so tight that they cause the bolt to strip.


Most beds have a slight taper to them, so please let the bedrail sit where the clamp wants to position it. Please take the clamp apart, install the bottom portion into the utility track, and snap the top portion onto the bedrail and let the clamps determine the final placement.


Finally, if you try the above steps and you still have tilting of the bedrails, we recommend allowing your Softopper canopy to stretch out for about a month. This will relax the fabric and decrease the tension on those bedrails.

 

We recently did a post on all the Softopper compatible racks that we know of! Check it out and if you have any questions, let us know! https://softopper.com/softopper-compatible-bed-racks/

 

Softtopper doing it's thing, first overlanding trip.

 

I'm a bit late to this party here but seems the conversation is ongoing so wanted to throw out an idea, which I think may be relevant to at least @wilki168

The problem may not be with the rails or clamps at all. The problem can be because the topper frame and canvas are applying too much pressure, causing the rails to twist. Check where the frame connects to the bracket on the rails. There are 3 holes for the pivot pins. By using different holes you can effectively move the topper up/down ~1/4". This can be used to fine tune fitment, especially when the canvas changes over time. In this specific instance, moving the pivot pin downward will move the frame downward, giving you some slack.

I've had 4 Softoppers on my truck and they have all fit a little differently. I've been able to use different pivot pin holes to achieve better fit.

 

Ha.. @Softopper_CO .. my canvas is Stretched out.. & I wasn’t one that thought he needed Bed rail help. Winter is few weeks away so was gonna take back of truck apart & clean & will look @ readjusting. Thanx.

 

Hey Softopper peeps! Just a heads up, EVERYTHING on our website is 10% off until midnight tonight 10/09/24. This includes all accessories, racks, merch, replacement parts, and full tops.

Head over and gear up at a discount while you can! https://softopper.com/