Looking to get a Leer 180, but...

HELLO and SALUTATIONS!

I have a super white 3rd gen, *2016* Access Cab TRD Off Road tacoma.

Love it, it is my first truck and i am ready to go hit up some trails and do the camping thing. However my first order of business is to get a Truck Cap.

My main concerns are aerodynamics and wind control at speeds of 70-80mph. when you have things mounted on the roof, the truck can drive differently.

The purpose of this thread is to get some input; both positive and negative; on what I have envisioned for my set up.
Here it is:

Part 1/2
Over the cabin of the truck; where the driver and passenger sit; I will have a THULE Moab Basket mounted with a fairing. On top of the Moab basket, I will have 2 mountain/road bikes mounted on top of that.

Picture below is for reference. *Instead the THULE Moab basket will be on the front half of the truck not the rear* *Disclaimer: Truck below is not a tacoma*




Part 2/2

Here is where it gets tricky. If i get the Leer 180, which has a higher edge over the main cabin. Will i be screwing up the aerodynamics of the truck even more? I plan to put a roof top tent over the Leer 180.

Leer 180 for reference:



The main issue I am having is, would it be better to get a bed cap that is flush with the truck? OR does putting a bed cap that is a little higher have a big impact on the driving capabilities of the truck?

Just trying to get some feed back on what has worked for you guys in the past.

THE END

Any feedback would be great.

 

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question. Just a heads up. I am looking into RTT's as well. I was on Yakima's website and they recommend against RTT on their products. Can't find any mention on Thule's website. Thought I would mention it as those look like Yakimas in the pic but I'm not sure.

 

Honestly I think the basket on the front is going to do enough disruption to your aerodynamics to begin with that the cap won't matter. Those caps with the elevated slope help aerodynamics esp if you're hauling something behind you by shunting the air up and over instead of into. But the bikes and basket and all the other accessories are going to cause significant turbulence as it is.

 

Ohh and welcome and nice first post. Good and beefy and good choice on the truck

 

Not based on personal Tacoma and shell experience, but I have run a couple of different size shells on other pickups, and the same trucks without shells, plus many combinations of roof racks with 1 to 4 bikes, plus rooftop cargo carrier on an SUV (Land Cruiser 80 series) and three different small cars (Prius, Corolla and Forester) and I honestly never noticed much difference in handling or cross-wind stability. Gas mileage and wind noise on the cars, yes. On my T100, I have a FlipPac which is a pretty un-aerodynamic box. The T100 definitely feels slightly peppier without the 'Pac, but I can't say I noticed mpg or other differences. The Leer 180, or SnugTop equivalent, is what I would get if my new Taco hadn't come with a cab-high shell. I think a rack on the cap will be much quieter than a rack on the cab.

 

The Tacoma is as aerodynamic as a brick to start with , get whichever cap and basket suits your end use

 

I had a Leer 180 on my 2012 Tacoma (double cab, long bed). On top of that, I had Yakima racks (on the Yak sliding tracks), and on top of that I had a rather monstrous roofbox (specialty item for windsurf gear - about 8 1/2' long, and as wide/tall as one of the bigger Rocketbox models from Yakima). On top of that box, another set of racks. That was the daily driver setup, and worked fine. Yes, you can feel the weight up high, but nothing too bad. For roadtrips, I'd often have a stick of three boards on the rack next to the box, and one board on top of the box. Again, worked OK. Yes, freeway gas mileage wasn't great, but hey, it's a Tacoma. If you're going that high, I'd way the extra few inches of the 180 over something flush with the cabin won't matter much, but if you're ever camping in it, those few inches make for a lot more comfort sitting up inside.

I ended up taking off the shell and putting on a TracRac, and then the roof box on top of that. That was purely for the ability to more easily load bulky stuff (windsurf and paddle boards, bikes). Miss the shell sometimes.

 

I run a Leer 180 on my 2012, the added headroom/storage space is nice and there is no noticeable drag created by the slightly increased height. However, I will echo one of the above posts; the rooftop basket you're proposing will hit you in the MPG department. I would expect a 2-3 MPG decrease with just the basket alone - i.e. no cargo (bikes).

My experience... When I purchased my truck it had a BajaRack basket-style rack installed (similar to what you're proposing). I got 15-16 MPG around town and about 16 on the highway (granted my '12 has plate bumpers, lift, steel wheels). I swapped the basket-style rack for BajaRack's utility "flat" rack and gained a 1 MPG city/highway (the best I ever got with that set-up was 18 MPG driving 55 MPH through Florida (think flat). I ditched the utility rack to fund a drawer purchase and gained the OEM Toyota Tacoma roof rack in a partial trade. The OEM rack is much more aerodynamic and has the ability to fold closed. I have found that I get around 17.5 MPG city and 18.5-19.5 on the highway with the OEM rack and no other changes to the truck (other than the additional weight from the ARB drawers). I have experimented with the rack in open and closed configurations and cannot tell any difference in the MPG results, so I leave the rack in the open configuration as I think it is more aesthetically appealing.

Take my results for what they're worth, but I would caution you against a roof basket unless it is absolutely necessary. Yes, the Tacoma platform is not very aerodynamic, but from what I have experienced anything you can do to minimize any additional wind drag will pay off. I would ditch the basket rack idea and find a hitch-mounted dual bike carrier for the rear of the truck. A hitch carrier will save you in the MPG department and make the loading/unloading of your bikes much more safe and convenient.

 

I just wonder how that guy gets his bikes off the ram.

 

He just pulls into his garage.

 

Drives into a narrow gulley.