Oilbrnr
Active member
Agree.
Boils down to where you plan to go, for how long, and is it going to be a dedicated rig or dual purpose. Oh, and how much $$$ you're willing to part with.
Ram with canopy
- Thread starter 60Dan
- Start date
Agree.
Boils down to where you plan to go, for how long, and is it going to be a dedicated rig or dual purpose. Oh, and how much $$$ you're willing to part with.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
I think they are cool and as others have pointed out, they are very popular down under and over seas with the 70-Series Cruisers and Patrol crowds. One of the drawbacks I see with the platform is that you still have to put a RTT on top of that canopy that's already taller then the top of the cab. You lose available cargo space due to the shortened length and segmented layout as well. I guess we will see how well it works with the Expedition Overland crew who just installed one on their new Tundra.
I prefer the rack over the top of the bed with a bedslide or drawer system in the bed below, hence why I went with the Nuthouse Rack with that same arrangement. I like that the Tech 2 rack sits well below the roof line of the cab helping to further reduce drag and COG. The only other option I can foresee being an alternative for my particular needs would be either a service body with a slide-in FWC or a flatbed with underslung boxes and a flatbed FWC.
I prefer the rack over the top of the bed with a bedslide or drawer system in the bed below, hence why I went with the Nuthouse Rack with that same arrangement. I like that the Tech 2 rack sits well below the roof line of the cab helping to further reduce drag and COG. The only other option I can foresee being an alternative for my particular needs would be either a service body with a slide-in FWC or a flatbed with underslung boxes and a flatbed FWC.
I saw that recent video too. Don't get me wrong...that Tundra build looks pretty dang cool. Whether or not that tray/canopy setup offers any true benefits over just a regular pickup bed with a drawer/slideout system and cap....I don't know.
A regular bed gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to towing (especially for 5th wheel-prepped vehicles) and hauling gear. As you note @Tex68w, some usable space is lost with these canopy setups, and the overall storage platform sits higher. Expedition Overland got a sponsorship for that build (I'm assuming), so the cost wasn't an issue for them?
I don't know if the cost and effort justifies the switch to an Aussie-style tray/canopy system for the average joe's rig....as cool and sexy as they are.
But if a build happens on this forum, I'm definitely subscribing so that I can ogle over something that I'll likely never get the chance to own and use.
ttengineer
Adventurer
Do you have a picture of your Nutthouse setup?
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Tex68w
Beach Bum
Shoot, the bigger Barroud RTT's are over $4K.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Not yet because I won't be picking it up for another 3-4 weeks, but you can see some similar builds on their website.
Clutch
<---Pass
Would think the Ute bed would be more versatile. Really liking the side access of them...kinda sucks having to crawl up to the front of the bed to grab stuff. yeah you could do a bed slide, but with those you loose side storage.
Not much of fan of RTT's, rather have popup like this.
Perhaps have the guys at OVR LND build a flatbed version of their canopy.
https://campovrlnd.com/
Put a drawer system in the pickup bed and install a truck cap with opening side windows or doors and you have pretty decent access from the sides. Or use a slideout system. The North American aftermarket gives you plenty of options.
The tray/canopy system perhaps offers slightly better ergonomics, but it is sacrificing some usable space in these American pickup beds. I think they make perfect sense for a Toyota LC 70, which only has the option of a UTE tray, so it's not as if you're giving up any space. For American trucks, at least 1/2 tons and 3/4 tons, the bed space you get with a traditional bed is pretty hard to beat both in terms of space and flexibility (towing, carrying a camper, work duties, ect.).
Clutch
<---Pass
Even with windoors...access is a little tough since the trucks sit up so high anymore. Think the typical pickup bed is popular in the US vs elsewhere in the world is more about looks than function.
We live in a heavy AG part of Idaho...believe flatbeds are more popular here than I have seen elsewhere, especially for 5th Wheels such as stock and horse trailers. Super easy to load feed bales from the side, or irrigation/pump parts, etc... a lot easier to load than up over a bedside. Can haul more too. Use the ute all week for work...pop on a camper for the weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/UteBed/photos/?ref=page_internal
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Tex68w
Beach Bum
Those flatbeds might be popular with the AG crowd where you live, but the overwhelming majority of farmers and ranchers here in Texas use a 8ft bed 1-ton diesel truck usually with a transfer tank and tool box in the bed. Seeing how one in every five trucks is sold in Texas, it's safe to assume that the flat bed truck crowd is a small percentage in this industry/use.
Clutch
<---Pass
Yeah, Texans don't actually use their trucks for work...
Are they to blame for these new fandangled interiors so working people can't hose them out anymore? I kid...I kid... In all reality, the people who are doing the "real" work are the migrant workers, they are usually in a 2WD Tacoma, Ranger, or some sort of 1/2 ton. While the bosses are running around in the 3/4-1 Tons....at least that is the way it is here. I never see any white dudes working the fields.
Was kinda shocked how many flatbeds are running around here. Will have to double check but we have about 9-10 flatbed dealers within 10-15 minutes of the house.
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@Clutch, can you tell me what brand that canopy/tray setup is? That setup actually seems pretty decent in terms of space compared to the Patriot Camper's setup.
If the components are widely available and cheap (or at least priced competitively with other aftermarket flatbeds), I could see the value of something like that. The problem I anticipate with this new crop of Aussie-sourced tray/canopy setups is that they will cost a lot due to labor and import costs. Good quality stuff, I'm sure, but good enough to justify the cost? I guess we'll wait and see.
As @Tex68w points out, the standard pickup beds seem far more common in the ag and industrial crowds for the simple reasons of:
a) they can easily be adapted towards multiple uses.
b) they can pack a lot of stuff (including auxiliary fuel)
c) they come standard on most 3/4 ton trucks at no extra cost. This doesn't matter as much to the expo type who wants to modify the rig and has no problem dumping tens of thousands of $ into it. It matters a lot to the more typical operator (hot-shotting, towing, farm work, energy development).
That's why I don't see these fancy tray/canopy setup's becoming all that relevant to the North American truck market. I see a lot of flatbeds for camper usage and some towing. But I see far more owners using regular beds for a variety of applications in my area.
If the components are widely available and cheap (or at least priced competitively with other aftermarket flatbeds), I could see the value of something like that. The problem I anticipate with this new crop of Aussie-sourced tray/canopy setups is that they will cost a lot due to labor and import costs. Good quality stuff, I'm sure, but good enough to justify the cost? I guess we'll wait and see.
As @Tex68w points out, the standard pickup beds seem far more common in the ag and industrial crowds for the simple reasons of:
a) they can easily be adapted towards multiple uses.
b) they can pack a lot of stuff (including auxiliary fuel)
c) they come standard on most 3/4 ton trucks at no extra cost. This doesn't matter as much to the expo type who wants to modify the rig and has no problem dumping tens of thousands of $ into it. It matters a lot to the more typical operator (hot-shotting, towing, farm work, energy development).
That's why I don't see these fancy tray/canopy setup's becoming all that relevant to the North American truck market. I see a lot of flatbeds for camper usage and some towing. But I see far more owners using regular beds for a variety of applications in my area.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Yeah, Texans don't actually use their trucks for work...
In all reality, the people who are doing the "real" work are the migrant workers, they are usually in a 2WD Tacoma, Ranger, or some sort of 1/2 ton. While the bosses are running around in the 3/4-1 Tons....at least that is the way it is here. I never see any white dudes working the fields.
Was kinda shocked how many flatbeds are running around here. Will have to double check but we have about 9-10 flatbed dealers within 10-15 minutes of the house.
While I know you're kidding, in no way would one compare an ag guy in Idaho to a farmer or rancher in Texas lol. The majority of farmers/ranchers down here do a lot of the work themselves and are in the fields daily. I know in my family and many others around here that migrants are only brought in at harvest to possibly run combines or assist in the field with refueling, fertilizer/seed, grain trailers etc. as simple manual labor.
Most, actually all of the hands on my families operation are younger white kids and some even have agricultural bachelor degrees from Texas A&M. Some drive diesel HD's and a few drive half-ton gassers, it's a mix really, but when they aren't working they are usually hunting or fishing so they need a competent truck that can put in the work and get things done.