Go4Lo
Explorer
I'm curious about this statement. When you cut the vertical bars down did you retap the threaded holes that hold the vertical bars to the feet or attach them some other way?
Nice truck BTW!
Pickup truck guys... critique my setup...
- Thread starter cozmo2312
- Start date
I'm curious about this statement. When you cut the vertical bars down did you retap the threaded holes that hold the vertical bars to the feet or attach them some other way?
Nice truck BTW!
actually followed this guide
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...l-review-build-for-05-tacoma-bed-rack.294147/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...l-review-build-for-05-tacoma-bed-rack.294147/
Go4Lo
Explorer
Thanks for posting this info on the HD rack. I tackled adapting a set of these to my Tacoma yesterday. Took most of the day but I'm very happy with the outcome.
In an effort to firm up the mounting brackets for carrying a RTT and keep my existing tonneau cover I chose to cut the 90* angles off of the plates and fix mount them via 3-5/16" button head bolts through the bed rails. After the feet were in place I chopped 5" out of the vertical bars to make them cab height.
Needless to say with 12 bolts holding them firm to the bed rails they are stout! I had to spend a full day modifying these but for $299 and a custom fit I'm very happy with the result.
In an effort to firm up the mounting brackets for carrying a RTT and keep my existing tonneau cover I chose to cut the 90* angles off of the plates and fix mount them via 3-5/16" button head bolts through the bed rails. After the feet were in place I chopped 5" out of the vertical bars to make them cab height.
Needless to say with 12 bolts holding them firm to the bed rails they are stout! I had to spend a full day modifying these but for $299 and a custom fit I'm very happy with the result.
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Yeah, if I grab them and try and shake them, the whole truck rocks back and forth... Definitely stout and I'd have no doubt it would support the weight of a RTT system... It's just the driving part that has me worried, they definitely bounce and flex independent of each other when going down a rough road. Do you plan to mount a RTT to yours?
patoz
Expedition Leader
You might try adding some backing plates made from some 1/4" - 3/8" flat bar under the bed rails if there is clearance, to help stiffen the sheet metal. Make each one as long as possible for the space allowed. If there is nothing in the way, I would make them full length.
Go4Lo
Explorer
Mounted up a Tepui Gran Sabana to mine last night. Its solid with very little movement. Now that I know where tent is going to sit I do plan to shorten the vertical bars a bit more.
Go4Lo
Explorer
That's super nice. Did the hardware that came with it work with the wide bars of the rack?
I'd really like to buy one of these tents but the one I want is out of stock
If you want to use the Tepui set up you will need to buy longer bolts to go with the mounting plates and you will need a wider piece of stock steel for each of the hold downs as the ones Tepui provides are not wide enough for the extra wide TracRac load bars. The other option is to do like me and drill a hole through the load bars and only use one bolt per corner.
Go4Lo
Explorer
ARB Awning
For anyone following this thread I just wanted to share that the TracRac bars have been great so far. Yes, they've taken some work to customize to my set up but for me that's been the beauty of using them. The relatively low cost of has allowed me to justify cutting and chopping them to the point I feel they fit my truck and my set up. In continuation of this process we mounted an ARB 2000m awning on the TracRac bars last night with relative ease using a simple set of 3/16" galvanized "L" brackets from Lowes.
Sorry for the poor pic but you get the idea.
For anyone following this thread I just wanted to share that the TracRac bars have been great so far. Yes, they've taken some work to customize to my set up but for me that's been the beauty of using them. The relatively low cost of has allowed me to justify cutting and chopping them to the point I feel they fit my truck and my set up. In continuation of this process we mounted an ARB 2000m awning on the TracRac bars last night with relative ease using a simple set of 3/16" galvanized "L" brackets from Lowes.
Sorry for the poor pic but you get the idea.
nice... i ditched the bars and the thought of a RTT for now and just went with a camper shell.
doesn't look nearly as cool, but i got a killer deal on it. will be a little bit more inconspicuous for those random wal-mart parking lot campsites, and a bit more permanent and secure. i might revisit the RTT thing at some point when they're not sold out every where.
doesn't look nearly as cool, but i got a killer deal on it. will be a little bit more inconspicuous for those random wal-mart parking lot campsites, and a bit more permanent and secure. i might revisit the RTT thing at some point when they're not sold out every where.
Go4Lo
Explorer
nice... i ditched the bars and the thought of a RTT for now and just went with a camper shell.
doesn't look nearly as cool, but i got a killer deal on it. will be a little bit more inconspicuous for those random wal-mart parking lot campsites, and a bit more permanent and secure. i might revisit the RTT thing at some point when they're not sold out every where.
Looks great! Nice find on the shell.