Lowest profile camper shell rack? (Prinsu/Rhino Pioneer platform/etc)

Hey there. I currently have Yakima HD bars on my Snugtop but want to move to a lower profile rack that I can leave up on the truck all the time, and just put the cargo basket up on top when I need it.

From reviewing at least 100+ pages of threads so far, I prefer the look of the Front Runner racks but don't like how they seem to stick up at least an inch (low feet) or two inches higher than the Prinsu does. Has anyone found a way to make/use lower profile feet (I'm not matching up to a rack on top of the cab)?

I'm currently looking at the Prinsu, FR, and the Rhino Rack Pioneer platform. If there are others that are low profile/flat that would be great.

I'm not using an RTT, cargo basket for firewood, Rotopax, shovel plus general "gear" are the intended use.

Any photos of these things installed *without a matching cab rack* would be welcome. Trying to decide...thanks!

And because this thread is worthless without pics, here's my truck up at Coyote Flats last month. Cheers.

 

not sure if you are still looking, was searching and your post popped up - yakima has a new platform that will mount to your current towers, it's called the locknload. i was looking to see if anybody was using it yet, i have the same setup as you and want something lower profile.

 

thanks for the note! I went with the Rhino Rack platform on the Smittybilt AM mounts (used six of them, it's solid!) The Lock n Load looks interesting but I couldn't get the Yakima HD bars to stop from moving around offroad w/ a load on them. So far so good w/ the Rhino though. The Offgrid basket mounting on it isn't great but I'm going to build a little bracket and I think it will be OK.

 

Check out the UpTop threads here. Very low profile.

<edit>. Doh, decision already made.

 

All good, thanks for the note! I do like the look of the UpTop ones as well but already went Rhino. I think there are a lot of good choices (including maybe the new Yakima thing but I'm still leery of the sturdiness of their bar clamping mechanism--the cam/bolt piece that clamps the tower to the bars seemed like the weak link IME.)

I have a friend with the Front Runner on their LR and it seems like they have a lot more wind noise than I do with the Rhino, though that may be in part because the Rhino isn't out over the cab.

 

Nice pix and plate!

 

sweet thanks for the update, i had been looking at rhino rack too. i hate my current set up with the basket on top of the bars, it's so high up off the top of the truck. thanks for posting the pic i like that it's pretty low profile, exactly what i'm looking for do you remember what the dimensions are of the rhino rack? i have the long bed but i've been meaning to get out and measure the width between the tracks on the topper to get an idea

 

I got the 52" x 49" model for the short bed. With the Smittybilt mounts it's just under 2" of clearance at the center point of the cap--I think you could maybe sneak it even tighter with more effort but it's low enough for me (and like 4" closer than the Yakima bars put anything.)


And yes, my truck needs a wash. I picked up an 80 series Land Cruiser last month so all my car-attention has been going into that. My truck feels neglected I think.

 

I think we need pics of this 80 series. For science.

 

Haha, who am I to stand in the way of scientific progress.

It's triple locked so someday it will leave my Tacoma in the dust offroad, but without any armor I don't want to push it yet.

 

sweet, thank you. that is plenty close enough to the roof for my needs!

nice cruiser! would love to have one of those someday

 

Prinsu for scale

 

Truck looks good! What brand of front bumper is that?

 

Demello Off road @JDEMELLO