2008 tacoma rtt mounted on cab or over canopy?

[nucktaco]

hi,

ive got a 2008 tacoma DCLB 4x4. me and the gf are planning an alaska trip for next year and want to get a roof tent. i currently have a canopy on my truck and we would like to keep it for dry storage. im having a hard time deciding between mounting the tent on top of the canopy or on top of the cab. im a little nervous about mounting the tent directly to the canopy so would need to have an over canopy rack built or just buy a rack for over the truck cab and mount it directly there.

any recommendations either way?

 

[Tundraexplorer]

What is your budget? And is your canopy strong enough to support one without an external frame? Hate to be the one to say it, but have you thought of selling the canopy, and getting a flippac? They are pretty cool, and offer a nice area to stand up inside the bed. But if you must get a RTT, I would just save the money, get a nice rack for over the cab and mount it there, then you could remove when you are not using it and still have a rack to potentially mount a light bar, but I've always thought it looks a little weird having a RTT on the front and then nothing. Another choice could be a bed rack, and then a bed cover? Not as much room as the canopy but you could keep a more streamlined profile and low center of gravity

 

[yonah]

I have experience with both set ups. I honestly prefer mounting the RTT on top of the cab on my Bajarack. The profile is lower (I've noticed no real MPG loss - I just recorded 18.3 MPG coming home from Overland Expo East) and the weight is more evenly distributed between the front and rear axles, as opposed to just the rear.
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However, being that you own a 6' LB, I would echo the above post and recommend a Flippac. It's a better setup in the long run. There are generally 2-3 6' Flippacs on Craigslist at any given time too.

 

[Greenbean]

As a jealous Access Cab owner with no integrated nuts to mount cross bars, "Thanks Toyota"
I say over the cab. The cab racks on the 4 door trucks look very functional and might also offset some of the weight on your rear axle anyways.
I see a nice high clearance bumper, swing away tire carrier and your camper back there.

Just my .02, I know very little.

 

[zscott]

I have always been a fan of putting it over the canopy. Unless you have a goofy rack system or your shell is a mid rise it will be the same height. There is a lot of worry about having a tent on a shell but I am yet to see someone who has had problems. New shell, old shell, reinforced, non-reinforced, they all work. Myself, Expedition Overland, Mountain State Overland, and the a members on Tacoma world (Homer Taco, Northwest Taco) are all examples of having it on your shell with no problems. Get a bajarack, Eezi Awn K9 rack, Frontrunner rack, or Prinsu and stick it on the shell.

That being said, it is perfectly functional on the cab and numerous people do it that way too. The look drove me crazy (I know, call me vain) but with it on my topper now, I can stack lighter stuff over the cab and taper them to direct wind up and over the tent in the back. It also works well with my suspension to have it in the back.

 

[carbon60]

I'm pondering a short box double can Tacoma, to replace my aging 80. My RTT is a Roost and is 90" long. I guess it will cross the gap, right? And will frame flex cause issues?

 

[zscott]

I'm pondering a short box double can Tacoma, to replace my aging 80. My RTT is a Roost and is 90" long. I guess it will cross the gap, right? And will frame flex cause issues?

I would suggest just getting a rack on your topper and letting it cantilever in the front and rear. With the right height of rack you could make it work nicely. With a rack on cab and topper I would think the tent bottom would get beat up due to frame flex.

 

[BentBomber]

You could also run Thule or Yakima bars over the cap if you were leaning more towards a cap mount. I for one am a fan of the cap mount, though I have yet to mount a tent over my cap. The Thule bars I run give you the option to use tracks installed on the cap to allow you to move it, or what I did is just mount them directly to the cap without the tracks. Very permanent, but so far has served me well. I am a big fan of many of the racks available out there, but like the idea of saving some money on a system to mount my tent on.

Just my two cents, hope it helps.

 

[BentBomber]

Also, Zach, did I hear a rumor that you're doing a 1st gen over cab rack? I'd be very interested if that were the case.

 

[zscott]

Also, Zach, did I hear a rumor that you're doing a 1st gen over cab rack? I'd be very interested if that were the case.

Built one for the xtra-cab as part of the secret santa deal on tacomaworld. Haven't messed too much with the double cab yet other than getting some measurements from a local truck.

 

[BentBomber]

I'd be willing to donate my truck for prototyping, you know, if you were looking to get into the DC 1st gen market. I'm in Denver, but we are always looking for a reason to head to Utah.

 

[Tacomacamper]

We mounted our RTT to the canopy of our tacoma double cab; it works great. Have not had any issues with the canopy or yakima rails not supporting the weight. Plus if you mount it to open to the back you can have access to the rear of the truck from the RTT annex (if you have one). It ends up being pretty slick.

-Ben

 

[jgpoirier]

I just ordered my Prinsu rack and will be cabbing our RTT. Only because I need the bed space for dirtbikes. Otherwise I would have done a bed rail system and dropped the top of the tent even with the cab.

 

[toyrunner95]

I have mine mounted on my canopy with it flipping over the back. That way I have a bit of covered area behind the tailgate I can stay dry under.