Any recommendations on a good bed rack for RTT

Thinking about getting rid of camper shell for short bed and getting a bed rack. The camper shells up for grabs

 

Some great info in the 'Offroad & Trails' forum. I have the KB VooDoo Hi-Rise bars, but I think most here will steer you away from them due to the customer service and product quality some have experienced. Mine have been great so far, but I've only had them for 4 months. I went this route simply because I wanted a lower rise option and the tonneau cover to still fit over the bed. You have quite a few options though and as far as I can tell (through reading) they all work well.

Some options:
Mobtown Offroad - Low rise bed bars
C4 Fab - Excursion Bed rack, Mid-height Rack
Victory 4x4 - Modular Bed Rack
RCI - Bed rack

*Far from a complete list, just some options off the top of my head

 

@usernotfound your set up sounds awesome. I think I still want a cover also. Could you send pics

 

I have the Rago Fabrication Modular Bed Rack with just the bars. It's really well made.

 

Currently have the Max Modular (by KB VooDoo) rack with tonneau cover and a Tepui Ruggedized tent, no complaints so far. Be warned, he has a history of past issues and customer support so do your research. If I didn't have this, I would have went for the RCI rack.

 

any pics of your setup?

 

I don't have any pics handy that show the detail you're probably looking for, but I've included a pic from the KB Voodoo site. It'll give you an idea of bar height and a visual of the tonneau installed with them. I believe this photo is the stock tonneau, but I have the Extang Solid Fold 2.0 and it works great with the rack.

*The photos I do have of my setup are all relatively far away with the roof top tent mounted.

 

I have the KBVoodoo HD bed bars and like them a lot sod far. The only thing I don’t like is that they mount to the tie down cleats. Mine are starting to bend up due to them being tight.

 

There are several variables that should be considered when purchasing a rack and RTT, such as how high you want your tent off the ground, MPGs, accessibility from the side of the truck, awning setup, etc. All of the components previously mentioned in this thread will suffice for carrying an RTT, but there are likely minor pros and cons to each depending on your uses.

I chose the C4 bed rack because it was one of the shorter racks and it aligns the top of my CVT RTT with the top of my Prinsu rack (plus it was for sale locally at a good price). I assume this is better for gas mileage than a taller rack which places the entire tent above the roofline. With that being said, my RTT and roof rack substantially lowered my MPGs. I'm at about 16-17 mixed city/highway with the full setup, where I was over 20 mpgs before. I typically drive with the OEM tonneau cover instead of my RTT and see over 19 with just the prinsu rack, so it's pretty clear the RTT accounts for the majority of MPG loss. Most people don't care about MPGs but I'm pretty disappointed; the primary motivation for buying a Tacoma vs a Raptor was better MPGs and easier parking, but my Tacoma no longer fits in my parking garage with stuff on the rack and the MPGs suck for a light truck with such little power/towing ability.

Another consideration is getting in and out of the RTT. By having the shorter rack, I can easily step out of the RTT onto the tire or bedside which I find easier than using the supplied ladder. On the downside, I had to modify the metal poles that hold the window covers taut on my RTT since the rack is so low and the roof line interfered with the poles being inserted into the tent base. Another downside is that I can not use a foxwing awning (or any awning for that matter) on the bed with such a low rack so I only have a smaller awning attached to my Prinsu. If you want a lot of shade and awnings, get a taller rack.

Finally, the C4 rack allows for variable accessibility from the sides of the truck depending how I pack the bed. I typically pack it so I can reach in and pull out small gear when necessary. Conversely, if I pack the truck right with big storage boxes on top there is no accessibility and thieves can not make off with my stuff very easily.