01-04 Double cab Tacos with racks above the cab

[austintaco]

I have an 03 Double Cab that I am trying to devise a roof rack system for. I bought a used Con-Ferr rack that I want to be able to switch out between this truck and my 84 4runner. For that reason, I want to go with a factory rail system that will allow me to use the mounting plates that Defenderracks sells for factory applications.
I don't want to go with Yakima or thule because I don't like how high the basket will sit .

I have a shell on my Tacoma, but its higher than the cab, so mounting the rack on top makes it look like I am building a pyramid back there.

I pulled two complete roof rack assemblies from 2nd and 3rd gen 4runners to see which one works best. The rails are the same style with only slight differences in length and width between the two generations.

Has anyone on here used a factory rail system on doublecab? How did you do it? Backing plates, expanding bolts?

Anyone on here have a rack mounted like this with a Sunroof or moon roof? I have a wild hair to have one put in at the same time, but not if its going to compromise the roof. Looking at the Webasto Hollandia 700 or a Webasto pop up. Its just something I have always wanted in the truck

 

[Mc Taco]

...building a pyramid back there...

Funny.

I've never really liked the way that the Yakima system wedges itself in the gap between the door and roof. Never looked too close at it though. But I digress. The factory racks that I've seen on the Tacomas (big fat bars) look at least as tall as the Yaks or Thule systems.

 

[austintaco]

I won't be using the factory roof racks that some Tacomas came with. Defender racks continues to make mounting systems that attach to their racks just like the con-ferrs were designed to do. One system is made to attach to existing factory rail systems. They attach to the rails, not the cross bars.

I found this thread on Parks Off road. He used the Adjusta mounts, but I don't like how the mount will look when not used with the rack:

http://parksoffroad.com/tacomamods/defenderroofrack/defenderroofrack.htm

However, I noticed that they mounted the mounts on the thicker section of the roof, between the door and the rain gutter, opposed to most systems that are mounted inside the rain gutter. Here are the factory tacoma rack instructions:
http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamods/miscinfo/tacodcroofrackinstall.pdf

 

[Mc Taco]

Those look pretty slick. If you are doing a sun/moon roof then you could seal the holes really well from the inside, and beef up the roof at the same time? Good luck and take lots of pictures.