The Yakima bars were a little tall for the RTT in my opinion, and needing a project as always I set about making some low profile crossbars. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of the idea earlier, but it's a super easy task on these 3rd gen roof tracks. One can save a ton of time making the track anchors by just buying a set of eight Yakima replacement anchors for $8.00. The bars are 1"x2" rectangular tubing. They do whistle a little on the freeway with no RTT, I imagine that will be reduced when surfboard pads are applied.
Because the RTT now sits so close to the roof, the stock mombasa tracks with bolts are no longer accessible. It is also a terrible design to begin with as the bolts that mount through the platform wallow out the bottom of the tent. To remedy this, bolts go through the ends of the crossbars directly through the aluminum frame in the tent floor.
I also finally got smart when it came to the hi-lift rattling issue. Disassembling the unit and keeping the mechanical pieces stored in the truck not only eliminates all noise, but it keeps the components in working order. If there was ever I time I desperately needed height, I could probably spare the five minutes it would take to reassemble it. The bar itself is also not very heavy, so it's not as much of a chore to store up high.
Dropping the tent nearly 3-4" made the highway manners much better. There is less wind noise and the truck doesn't seem to be pushed around quite so much. It feels more like part of the vehicle.
With the crossbars the same width as the tent, a new exterior shovel storage plan had to be devised. I eventually ended up with extended bolts through the modified ARB license plate frame bracket. I've had quickfists fail in the past, nearly separating me from my shovel forever, so a hard mount solution was preferred. It doesn't seem to impede the passenger headlight so that's a plus.
Another modification recently was upgrading the wiring to the fridge in the rear of the Runner. I picked up the ARB wiring harness for simplicity and completeness and was satisfied by the quality of fittings.
A big difference in wire size to the OEM rear 12V outlet.
A Hella type plug was purchased to compliment the new ARB loom. 360 degree electrical contact! This thing will never work its way loose like the edgestar plug! Wrong...it still looses contact on occasion
. A jiggle of the plug and connection is restored. So that was a little frustrating after the investment, but at least the gauge of the wire increased..