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I considered it but none of the manufacturers that I could find would rate the roof load capacity for the weight of a tent plus two people. Some of the caps that looked like they could handle the load would have cost 2-3x as much as the ACS rack.

Oh god yes, loads of pinstriping. The local offroading club (NM4W) is basically a jeep club. They've told me that when I'm attending a run with them it sounds like a bunch of jeeps are being chased by a moose through the forest. The paint job lasted about a day before I took on a light trail...

I have one on my 8ft bed F150. Been very happy with it. Every shell that I could find, even brand new, would only certify a weight capacity of around 200lb max, if anything at all - which would be fine for the tent, but not once I'm sleeping in it. Letiner certifies his rack for 1000lb static...

Trying to fit in, but just making like a moose through the brush.

Going into the backcountry while stock and coming back unhurt isn't too tough. Know your vehicle and don't get stupid, plan your lines to accommodate your vehicles strengths and weaknesses, remember to go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary. My F150 got where a bunch of jeeps went...

Nothing you do to a vehicle will affect the GVWR, save for stuff like limosine recertification that was mentioned. You never know what the limiting factor was in the manufacturer defining the GVWR, so you'll never know if you're safe in exceeding it after mods. As an example, for my F150 the...

Has anyone tried the Crux off-road aluminum bridging ladders? They aren't a whole lot more expensive than the maxtrax but seem to offer more utility and durability.

Can't speak to the roof, but putting some roofing panels on the sides (and rear) of the frame over the bed of my truck increased my gas mileage by just under 20% compared to just the frame and RTT alone, at 70mph. Cut wind noise quite a bit as well. I wasn't expecting such an improvement, so i...

My F150 started at about 20mpg stock at 70mph. After the frame and tent (not a shell), it dropped to about 16mpg at 70mph. After I put roofing panels on the side of the frame, that came back up to about 19mpg at 70mph.

For any kind of bug out setup - I hate the term SHTF because of ambiguity and social connotation - you have to start with anticipated duration. If you're talking about up to a week then things like water filtration, winter-proof shelters, hunting and trapping tools, etc. aren't important...

What size did you end up going with? What were the other options that you considered viable?

Haven't noticed any sagging in the middle of mine in the past six months. I can say that my wife and I love the extra room in the fold-over tent even if the setup/takedown time is longer - it's no challenge to sleep up there and still have our clothes and such up there with us. The annex...

Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I can advocate for the Leitner Rack. Very happy with mine, which I chose because none of the shells available in the USA came with a 1000lb/250lb static/dynamic load rating and a custom design would have added a zero to the cost. I share your...

A lot of assumptions in there, but for a small 4x4 with low HP and light axles sure - stick with 31in tires, because it probably came with 29in tires stock. You already denigrate the extra inch of clearance versus increased stress on the drivetrain, but I would counter that (assuming 8in stock...

Same with cold and wet climates. If the ground isn't dumping a lot of heat into you then it tends to be drawing a lot of heat out of you. Getting off the ground has a lot of benefits - chief among them for me is that it gets the wife out because she feels more secure. Building up a 4x4 van or...

I had the same issue, finding decent weight ratings for camper shells, and gave up. Instead I got a Leitner rack that specified a 250lb offroad rating, 500lb highway rating, and 1000lb static rating. Then, I bolted some roofing panels to the sides and made myself a hatchback out of pipe and...

I got an F150 for the purpose, with the heavy duty payload package. Get about 19mpg average so far, and a 3000lb payload rating for a future FWC, with a factory rear locker.

Here's a story about a Subaru Legacy and a Crown Victoria making their ways through Moab: http://sirchrischin.kinja.com/this-crown-victoria-shames-that-subaru-legacy-proving-y-1787262129?rev=1475209060996 The driver is more important than the vehicle. I'd call 4x4 a necessary safety along with...