Best way to mount a RTT over a topper: Opinions Please!

[Bravo1782]

Hey Guys,

Did a lot of thinking and planning this weekend and here's the call I decided to make: I just ordered a P3000 Topper Rack from Vantech. Here's why (in no particular order):

1) It was the cheapest option. $530 when I placed the order. Even the cheapest topper was still going to be $2000+ (god forbid I want any fancy options)

2) Out of the box, it hauls 600lbs (talked to the company and confirmed that is the DYNAMIC weight rating).

3) I have a 2011 F-150...it's a realllllly common truck...I gotta believe that eventually I'll find a nice used topper out there on my travels...I don't mind waiting to find a nice used topper.

4) The way the crossbars are built, I can easily add accessories like lights or an awning. Sweet.

5) The height is adjustable, which means I can get it as low as I can to decrease overall profile.

6) No fabricating, and no stressing out fiberglass.

7) I get to try it out, put it through its paces, and then report back to everyone here with my experience.

 

[1stDeuce]

Where's the "like" button?? I see you're going to drill a LOT of holes for that particular rack... Do let us know how it works out!!!

 

[Bravo1782]

There may be a little custom fabrication involved to make all my systems play nice...I've got a decked drawer system and L-Track along the entire length of the bedrails, so it's going to take some creativity...we shall see!

 

[Bravo1782]

Update for anyone interested in my saga: So I got my Vantech P3000 rack friday and I unboxed it saturday. That's when the disappointment began...but first the good!

The actual rack itself is extremely well built. The mounting plates are 3/16" aluminum, the uprights and bars are VERY well put together...cleanly tig welded, look extremely robust, overall a good kit, I think...

The problem is the mounting plates...They will not work on my 2011 F-150. Where the bolt holes in the plates line up on my truck, I will not be able to put on nut on the bolt. There's not much clearance on the underside of the bedrails. The other issue is the dimensions for the front and rear plates are identical...mirror images, if you will. The problem is while the F-150 bed is square, the fenders narrow from the front to the back...so while the cab side plates might fit if I could actually bolt it up properly, the rear plates stick out way to far, which means their purchase on the rear bed cap is really limited, which makes me nervous about structural support.

They do fit a little better if I remove the factory plastic OE bed caps, but the bolt holes still don't line up.

I've put in a call to Vantech to talk to them about this. It seems pretty clear to me that a custom bedrail cap is necessary if I want to use this setup.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[Dalko43]

Note that the HD contractor caps are typically steel, not aluminum. I would not recommend a RTT on an aluminum topper, at least not the ones I've seen...

I've had my RTT, as well as some other pretty heavy stuff up on my Unicover Safari I... It's a heavy topper, and I've seen no evidence of any damage at all. I have Thule gutter mount racks mounted to Thule Artificial Gutters bolted to the corners of the topper, so the rack only has about 1" clearance to the center of the topper. Mine does have solid glass contractor style windows in both sides, which is nice. If I was going to order one, I'd opt to have at least one side window with a sliding vent. I think you can get vented contractor windows now with some brands.





Just curious what you find so un-impressive about the Safari II. I'd have thought it would be just as heavy as my Safari I, which is certainly not a "weak" topper from what I can tell...

Umm...just throwing it out there, but your Safari topper, while well-made I'm sure, is made of fiberglass. The contractor ones, both aluminum and steel, will be capable of handling more weight on their roofs than a fiberglass one, generally speaking of course.

 

[Dalko43]

@1stDeuce - I've had nothing but issues with my Safari II topper...with the original clamps it came with, it never "stayed put" the topper would often shift and flex to the point where I would either have a really hard time latching the upper tailgate, or it wouldn't stay latched, or would be difficult to open. Sometimes it would just latch loosely and rattle. I got some heavy-duty C-Clamps that I can tighten down better and stay tight better than the original ones, but even then it still tends to creep. I talked to Unicover and they said "it just does that sometimes" and to just loosten the clamps, push it back together, and reclamp...which is only a temporary fix. It also isn't sealed well at all around the rear glass and water and dust ingress is just expected. A recent project had me removing the topper and it looked like there was very poor attention to detail...lines that were cut in the fiberglass were obviously crooked, or a cut was taken to far. I've got a few friends with LEER and ARE toppers, and they seemed much more substantial and well thought out. I wouldn't trust my RTT up there...no way.

@badm0t0rfinger, I love the way those cargo cages look, but I just can't bring myself to give up the security of a topper. Plus, I love the unassuming, low profile look it gives. Very few people would give a stock-looking truck with a RTT a second look. It would be super easy to build something like that, but I just can't bring myself to give up the weather and theft protection of a good topper.

OP, you bring up some very good points. And this whole line of conversation is helpful because I find myself asking the same questions as you. I'd eventually like to switch into a pickup, and already, before I even have bought one, I'm having a hard time making up my mind on how I want to cover/secure the gear in the bed.

I think that while the cheaper, fiberglass tops are decent and economical solutions for general pickup use, they leave something to be desired for robustness and weight capacity for offroad use.

I've been reading a bit more about the contractor, aluminum style of tops (ARE's DCU series stands out: http://www.4are.com/product/dcu/). They seem to offer good storage solutions, greater security for gear vs a fiberglass top, and certainly more strength and robustness for handling weight and abuse. I do question, however, how will they will perform offroad while encountering forces and stresses that most highway vehicles aren't accustomed to. I'd be interested to hear if any others on here are using these tops for overlanding uses.

The final option I've come up with is getting some sort of metal, tubular frame or rack, sort of like what badmotorfinger was suggesting. I honestly think that this option is the best and safest for anyone truly wanting a RTT. If you get one that sits low enough, you can get something that keeps the center of gravity low, minimizes drag, and yet still leaves you usable room in the bed to store gear (something like this: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/136762-Toyota-Tacoma(1st-gen)-Bed-rack-for-Roof-Top-Tent). The only obvious downside to this one is I don't think your gear in the bed will be nearly as well protected (both from the elements and theft). Maybe there is a solution to that problem that I just haven't heard of yet.

Anyways, just adding my thoughts. I hope to get into a pickup for a project vehicle soon, so this thread is helpful with my own brainstorming and I am eager to see what you end up using.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I hate to add this now, but I have a VanTech roof rack on my topper, and it's not great. It does the job, but not in an entirely satisfactory way.

The design is very solid. The parts are decent quality, it seems fairly tough, and the overall structure is good. However...

The fit and finish is garbage. When I got it (came with the topper) the coating was coming off the metal in huge strips. Underneath was a monumental amount of rust. I ended up having to strip the whole thing and paint it myself. I also had to replace all the hardware, because it was so corroded every bolt snapped when I pulled it apart.

That's just my experience. You may have a different one.

 

[Zeep]

If you don't want a full on topper, then maybe this will do the trick:

http://www.leitnerdesigns.com/

Who makes that bumper?

 

[Zeep]

Bump for more bumper input!

 

[Pilotamis]

Update for anyone interested in my saga: So I got my Vantech P3000 rack friday and I unboxed it saturday. That's when the disappointment began...but first the good!

The actual rack itself is extremely well built. The mounting plates are 3/16" aluminum, the uprights and bars are VERY well put together...cleanly tig welded, look extremely robust, overall a good kit, I think...

The problem is the mounting plates...They will not work on my 2011 F-150. Where the bolt holes in the plates line up on my truck, I will not be able to put on nut on the bolt. There's not much clearance on the underside of the bedrails. The other issue is the dimensions for the front and rear plates are identical...mirror images, if you will. The problem is while the F-150 bed is square, the fenders narrow from the front to the back...so while the cab side plates might fit if I could actually bolt it up properly, the rear plates stick out way to far, which means their purchase on the rear bed cap is really limited, which makes me nervous about structural support.

They do fit a little better if I remove the factory plastic OE bed caps, but the bolt holes still don't line up.

I've put in a call to Vantech to talk to them about this. It seems pretty clear to me that a custom bedrail cap is necessary if I want to use this setup.

I'll keep you posted.

I'm in a similar situation as you and am curious how you feel about your rack now. Would you go the same route, wind noise, loss of MPG's and their customer support when you had an issue.

Thanks!

 

[Livnxxl]

I went from an FJ with an RTT to a ram 1500 with a topper. I installed yakima bars on the topper and had a skeleton frame made of 2 inch box aluminum that fits inside the cap.both sit on the bed rails but the frame holds the weight of the cap and anything on it. I had the setup close to 18 months now and it has all been good. The cap is reinforced for the Yakima rack but on its own was still not meant to hold the weight of the rtt. I have the tent open to the rear and when using the annex I can have the truck bed also. Lets say it gives me a whole lot of space. The RTT is the Tepui Gran SAbana which I believe is now the Altoona. If I get the opportunity I will try and post a picture of the frame.