wreckdiver1321
Overlander
So, I recently mounted a Yakima rack system (crossbars, Control Towers, Landing Pads) on the bed rails of my 2005 Frontier.
I did this to mount my RTT. After a bunch of research I decided on the Yakima system because it would be easy to install and easily removable when I needed the truck bed. So, I got everything mounted up today and I'm not super happy with what I see. Having the tent mounting tracks so far from the control towers puts a lot of leverage on the system. Allow me to illustrate:
This system is pretty sturdy and rigid because the tent mounting tracks are only three or four inches from the control towers. Mine look like this:
It's a little hard to see, but my mounting tracks are about a foot from the control towers. I'm afraid this puts too much stress on the system, and it isn't rigid enough. The crossbars are ever so slightly bowing from the weight. Not much, but they are. As such, the tent is very slightly wobbly. Not much at all, but it's not totally solid. When the tent gets opened, the weight on the racks obviously gets diminished as some of the load is transferred to the ladder. It feels okay with me in the tent, but there will be the weight of an extra person in the tent with me. Overall, I'm not very confident in it.
I am considering throwing another crossbar in between the two others to spread the load, but I don't know if this would make it rigid enough. I'm not entirely sure where to go with this one.
Thoughts?
I did this to mount my RTT. After a bunch of research I decided on the Yakima system because it would be easy to install and easily removable when I needed the truck bed. So, I got everything mounted up today and I'm not super happy with what I see. Having the tent mounting tracks so far from the control towers puts a lot of leverage on the system. Allow me to illustrate:
This system is pretty sturdy and rigid because the tent mounting tracks are only three or four inches from the control towers. Mine look like this:
It's a little hard to see, but my mounting tracks are about a foot from the control towers. I'm afraid this puts too much stress on the system, and it isn't rigid enough. The crossbars are ever so slightly bowing from the weight. Not much, but they are. As such, the tent is very slightly wobbly. Not much at all, but it's not totally solid. When the tent gets opened, the weight on the racks obviously gets diminished as some of the load is transferred to the ladder. It feels okay with me in the tent, but there will be the weight of an extra person in the tent with me. Overall, I'm not very confident in it.
I am considering throwing another crossbar in between the two others to spread the load, but I don't know if this would make it rigid enough. I'm not entirely sure where to go with this one.
Thoughts?
