DIY Bed Bars - Rhino Rack RTV and Aluminum Extrusion Cross Bars

*All pics below in second post*
TLDR: BakFlip MX4 to secure truck bed, Rhino Rack RTV track, diy mounts and crossbars, rooftop tent and more!



I've got a BakFlip MX4 on my 2018 DCSB and have absolutely loved it for the last few years. I play hockey, soccer, go to the beach and camp (among other things) so having security and be able to lock it in the bed is a huge convenience. It does cause some problems when it comes to mountain biking or transporting some other items as I don't like driving with it opened up.

Did some research and had seen some people mounting racks over their tonneaus and I know there are some companies that make brackets that slide underneath them, however with how the BakFlip mounts those brackets didn't seem ideal and were also somewhat costly.

Cue the DIY hat and some inspiration from other TacomaWorld posts. I ordered some 1/4-20 rivnuts, matching stainless steel buttonhead bolts (to try and keep them low profile in the track), RhinoRack RTV track (usually used on camper shells/toppers for mounting rack systems), some 1530 aluminum extrusion, and had some spare 3" x 4" square steel tube.

By popping off plastic caps on the bedsides I was able to drill some holes to mount the rivnuts and then drilled corresponding holes in the plastic caps as well. I placed the RTV tracks on top of that and was sure to put some silicone in the holes to prevent any rusting and bolted them in place.

I took the square steel tube I had and cut it into smaller squares to act as the mounting feet that connect the crossbars to the RTV tracks. I’ve since removed the whole system, resurfaced and painted the steel to prevent rust, and even 3D printed some end caps for a cleaner look. Somewhat visible in last photo.

I've taken this off roading on trails and had the RTT mounted with no problems whatsoever! Future plans include fixing my Thule bike racks to it, mounting a diy PVC pressurized shower underneath and I'm sure plenty more.

 

Bed side caps removed


Holes drilled and rivnuts placed with silicon for rust protection


RTV rails fully installed alongside BakFlip


Making the steel mounts


Resurfaced and painted with Rustoleum Hammered Black


Racks mounted


Endcaps 3D printed


Final product with RTT mounted

 

Finally made some upgrades to this bed set up swapping out my custom DIY bed bars for some actual ones albeit Amazon Specials. I had spent some time searching for low profile bed bars as I didn't want a full bed rack, and didn't want anything that was too high up in the air in order to attempt and keep SOME aerodynamics. After finding some from bigger name companies, I kept searching around and found a few options on Amazon that were much less in cost, but looked identical to the name brands. As I know many name brands that are made overseas often come from the same factories and then get branded here in the states.

These fit perfectly on the Rhino Rack RTV rails I'd already installed and so far have held up to the task whether it was something as simple as bikes or heavier items like my rooftop tent.


Here are all the pieces laid out (with one bar assembled). Assembly took maybe 30 minutes and was extremely straightforward.


Easily mounted in to the RTV rails I already had installed for my previous DIY bars. Used some square nuts in the RTV track and some M6 bolts at the right length to bolt down. Has been extremely secure thus far.


Looks a lot cleaner than the DIY bars in my opinion. T-slots on the top and bottom allow for easy attachment of accesssories, and they have been sturdy as all hell. Threw on some Front Runner quick release tent mounts which has been a huge help for easily mounting and removing the tent.