While the cap on the truck is great for camping and ExPo style trips, it can be a pain when you need to haul tall things or want to have full access to throw in firewood, dump in a load of gravel or the like. The Tundra did come with a cheesy snap-on cover but it is an annoyance to use. I also needed a set of racks to throw my ladders, scaffolding boards and canoes on. I have a universal truck rack, one of the contractor styles with the 2" tubes and cab overhang, but it's ungodly heavy and rusts to no end. Plus when I first had it on the Dodge I almost tore it off on a low slung Hemlock branch while on one trail ride. I didn't want to mount it on the Toy.
So the search began for a cover and rack system that met a few criteria...
*It had to be flexible with removable racks and the ability to have a roll up cover that was always accessible.
*It had to be lightweight and easy to handle.
*It shouldn't rust.
*And it shouldn't cost an extra arm or leg to buy.
So after alot of searching and digging around I settled on a Agri-Cover Access Cover and Rack System. This sytem has a bed-top mounted extruded rail which supports the two uprights and has provisions for the cover. The upright stanchions come in two heights, the shorter one for mounting a basket rack or ski and bike racks at bed rail height or the taller more tradition over cab height. I chose the taller ones. The stanchions are powdercoated aluminum, like the rails, and mount on sliding hardware that travel in a channel. The stanchions bottoms rest on the rail and spread the load along the rails.
Though I wasn't sure of the racks rigidity because of their thinness I have found them to be surprising stiff with little to no flex. Once you strap some ladders or whatever up there everything is really rock solid. The crossrails are rated at 200 lbs each which is more than enough for my needs. And, No, I have absolutely no desire for a RTT so that wasn't a concern. I've been using them pretty heavily the last month and am really happy with this set-up. The stanchions can be set anywhere along the support rails and really easy to move, adjust or take off entirely. Plans for the future call for me to make a couple of brackets for an additionial low mount rack utilizing the yakima bars on my cap and then building a wood and aluminum lower carrying rack for gear. Sort of a marine/boat style rack.
Here's a shot of the system from the rear...
And an open shot...
The cover is totaly watertight, even in driving rains the bed stays dry. Something I could not say about the Truxedo roll-up cover on my Ram. So far it's been a good investment and does it's job well.
