Truck shell/bed rack or trailer?

[doc holiday]

Ok I have been pondering this for some time and I need some input from some more experienced adventureists! I have a 2010 Tacoma DC. I have a leer topper on it and while it has suited my purposes so far Im at a place that I can't decide whether to keep the topper on or make a bed rack that would allow me to get my rtt a bit lower and still maintain some of the bed use. I bought a m416 and also have used it to mount my rtt on but just am not sure if a trailer is the way to go. I know this post is a bit scattered but hope someone can offer some input!! Thanks everyone!

 

[Uglyduck]

I've run through a similar thought process. My DC 07 isn't modified, is a daily driver, and I already had a fiberglass shell on it when I bought the RTT.

Shell
Pro's - Secure and ample bed cargo space, stable mounting platform

Con's - Reduced gas mileage, mounting and removing the RTT can be a PIA (at least in my situation, I remove it when not in use and my wife physically can't help me mount it. My next move will be to make a hoist in the garage to raise and lower it onto the shell. If I get a susp. lift that option is out)

Rack
Pro's - better gas mileage than mounted in a shell or trailer, some usable cargo space underneath. Plenty of RTT mounting options. Reasonably inexpensive, especially when compared to a shell. Lower profile when mounted compared to mounted on a shell.

Con's - equipment security (vs. a shell), reduced cargo space in the bed (I have dogs so this was important to me)

Trailer
Pro's - No need to worry about mounting and removing. Ample cargo space. Equipment can be stored in the trailer when not in use (always ready to go aside from perishables, fuel, and water)
Con's - Limited trail mobility, gas mileage

My shell/RTT has been great once mounted but getting it on and off has been difficult and I notice the mileage drop, although I don't know how much. You've probably already thought of most of this but I hope it helps a little.

Here's the RTT mounting options thread in case you haven't looked at it yet.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1483

 

[Box Rocket]

I'll follow this thread. I've currently got a homemade bed rack that works great for a RTT and I'll agree with Uglyduck's comments on pros/cons. However, I just picked up a Snugtop XTR. I'm anxious to do some comparison between the topper and the rack. I also have a trailer and it works great. Only drawback to the trailer is trail mobility if you're on technical trails.

 

[gfiero]

My Journey-AT FlipPac

I have a 07 Dble Cab Shrt Bed, I have a topper currently, just sold my RTT and waiting on the arrival of my At Flip Pac. The Topper, crossbars and a rack will shortly be up for sale.

My Taco is used as a daily Driver so the RTT had to be taken off after every trip. what a pain!! I have built shelves in the Bed and removed said shelves, I am now going to add a set of drawers and a 10 gal water tank and a Cartiridge Toilet. My work stuff will be in three Rubber Maid Action Packers.

My drivers were minimal effort and time when transitioning from dd to trip mode and back again. The Flip Pac allows me a shell that stays on all the time and with the bed modes listed above I have a truck that is easy to convert and at the same time carries my gear for work.

I have two 5 gal gas holders that go on my bumper and one holds my HiLift, so all that is left is mounting a shovel.

Pulling a trailer is over kill for me I travel alone (darn!) and this gives me the best flexibility and simplicity.

My two cents.

 

[bcrez]

I have heard the opposite about fuel economy. With a cap the gas mileage goes up... well at least on my F-150 it did by about 3%. And I've read (in Tacodoc's thread) that when he mounted the rack fuel economy went way down.

-b

 

[Dave Bennett]

I have heard the opposite about fuel economy. With a cap the gas mileage goes up... well at least on my F-150 it did by about 3%. And I've read (in Tacodoc's thread) that when he mounted the rack fuel economy went way down.

-b

Yep, racks are usually heavy. Looked cool but was a PITA to get to my RTT for opening and closing with the travel cover...

With what I know now, there are 2 options I recommend:
1. FlipPac (my current setup)
2. Snugtop SnugPro shell with Maggiolina RTT on top

 

[Uglyduck]

I have heard the opposite about fuel economy. With a cap the gas mileage goes up... well at least on my F-150 it did by about 3%. And I've read (in Tacodoc's thread) that when he mounted the rack fuel economy went way down.

-b

The shell alone isn't the problem, its the shell+RTT. The Flying Cube is a sail up there. The increased drag drops the mileage.

This is my setup

TDoc, your rack was an above the cab style, correct? Can yo contribute the mileage drop due to the weight of the rack, RTT height, or both?

I can see playing "musical truck bed" with a shell and rack getting old, at least in my situation (I prefer to have the shell on in DD mode). Its a matter of what suits your needs and what you're willing to compromise.

You're Maggiolina suggestion is a good one TDoc, wish I had the hooch.

 

[Gerdo]

The shell alone isn't the problem, its the shell+RTT. The Flying Cube is a sail up there. The increased drag drops the mileage.

This is my setup

TDoc, your rack was an above the cab style, correct? Can yo contribute the mileage drop due to the weight of the rack, RTT height, or both?

I can see playing "musical truck bed" with a shell and rack getting old, at least in my situation (I prefer to have the shell on in DD mode). Its a matter of what suits your needs and what you're willing to compromise.

You're Maggiolina suggestion is a good one TDoc, wish I had the hooch.

Does the RTT flip forward? If not, mount a wind deflector in front. That will make a huge difference.

If the RTT does flip forward you could do a wind deflector on a quick release Yakama crossbar. Sure that is one more thing to do before you can open and after you close the RTT.

OP,
Back to your question. If you do a low profile bed rack that keeps the RTT at the roofline then you have tons of room in the bed for storage. You could do a low cap to keep things clean and maybe a big pullout so you can reach everything.

Trailers are great because if you don't need the stuff, you leave the trailer at home (for daily use). The down side, You can do so much more on trail without a trailer.

 

[pyrate]

Considering a hoist to remove a shell from my truck. The dynamics of the garage are the hardest part, trying to sort out exactly where I can place the anchor points etc. But I have to pull the shell off and on solo so need to do this option.

As to the flying brick, I would put a deflector in front of the RTT. Thule makes them, basic 1 bar rack w/ an angled piece of plastic. Made a huge (4 mpg) difference on my old SUV w/ a cargo rack on top.

 

[rsbmg]

I am still debating but I think a drawer system to keep items packed and secure, along with a canvas topper is the way I am leaning. I have pretty much decided against a RTT or a flippac for several reasons.

 

[Box Rocket]

So I'm looking at this thread again......There is definitely some inconvience I can forsee, but it may be worth it to have the versatility of different setups.

Like I said earlier, I have built a bedrack for my truck that is ~6" above the height of the bed sides. Ideally it could probably be a little higher to allow slightly easier access to items in the bed from the sides. What I do like about it is that the RTT when mounted is below the cab height. It means poor rear view visibility but the tent is mounted low and doesn't affect aerodynamics in a negative way. In fact on the trip I did with this particular setup my mileage actually went up even with a weeks worth of gear in the truck. When using the RTT, this is my preferred setup. What I dislike about it is that items in the bed are not protected as well from the elements.

I got the hard shell a couple weeks ago. Even though it has a built in rack on the top I have not considered mounting the RTT up there because of weight concerns. You guys that are mounting RTTs to your toppers, are you adding extra bracing of some kind to support the weight of the tent and 1 or more persons in the tent? Anyway, I love the topper for the protection from the elements and for security. From an aesthetic perspective I like the look without the topper better, but the topper clearly has a purpose. But with the 1stGen DC, the bed is too short to sleep inside of. The reg cab or extra cab beds are beter suited to sleeping inside with a topper since they're a 6' bed rather than a 5' bed.

But since I have both a topper and a bedrack, as long as I'm willing to deal with the inconvenience of swapping them if needs dictate, then all is well. However, it's not something I would want to have to do every other weekend.

I also have the trailer and it's a great option because I can mount the RTT on the trailer and I then have ample room for gear between the truck and trailer. The trailer just like the rack or topper has it's purpose but there are also drawbacks. The trailer can be cumbersome on certain trails and at times become an anchor. I have found that I'm pretty selective about the trips where I will take the trailer. If I don't really need the extra space for gear, it just makes the trip easier to pack the truck a little tighter and leave the trailer home. The other side of that coin is that a trailer can almost be left packed on a permanent basis. So when you decide to get out, you just hook up the trailer and go. Total convenience. But again, for me it comes back to the type of trails you're on. If I spent the bulk of my time on open desert trails or trails with very little technical driving required, then tacking the trailer would probably become a first option rather than a last. Still for me the trailer gets used mainly behind the cruiser because that's what we take when all the kids come along and we don't have room in the truck for gear. That was the reason for the trailer in the first place.

Like with everything else.....determine your needs and prepare accordingly. It's gonna be different for everyone.

 

[pyrate]

Yes, it is always a compromise. I never wanted a trailer here in CA as you have lane and speed restrictions (and storage concerns living at the beach). But a trip I want to do in ID/WY are in areas where tent camping I guess is not allowed due to bear activity. So that means I need a hard sided sleeping option. The shell is the easiest but then I am bringing my dual sport motorcycle. Normally, that is in the bed of the truck so now I have a need of a trailer. I don't really want to spend $$$$ on a trailer but in order to get something w/ tires bigger than 12" it will cost a bit more.

The thing about a RTT mounted on my vehicle that I never liked is quite simply, once it it set up, you aren't going anywhere. So no staying in one spot for 3-4 days and doing day trips without breaking camp. The Autohome tops would be the easiest option for that but having a RTT on a trailer seems to give you better flexibility.

No option is ever perfect.

p.s. - and a hitch mounted rack for the motorcycle isn't really an option. It's a BMW Dakar at 430 lbs. And when you use one of those racks, you can't get in the back of the truck. Quite the pain.

 

[Uglyduck]

You guys that are mounting RTTs to your toppers, are you adding extra bracing of some kind to support the weight of the tent and 1 or more persons in the tent?

i didn't add any bracing to mine but the tent is only mounted when needed. The static weight capacity for mine is 500lbs, which my wife, myself, and the tent meet with about 50lbs to spare. I check it often for damage, in which case I would consider bracing or another mounting option. I haven't had any problems to date though.

 

[Box Rocket]

i didn't add any bracing to mine but the tent is only mounted when needed. The static weight capacity for mine is 500lbs, which my wife, myself, and the tent meet with about 50lbs to spare. I check it often for damage, in which case I would consider bracing or another mounting option. I haven't had any problems to date though.

Thanks. What kind of top do you have? That's a pretty good capacity. I haven't seen many with a capacity that high that weren't commercial tops.

Mine is a Snugtop XTR and I haven't been able to find any concrete numbers on it's capacity but heard somewhere that it was only around 200lbs. Truthfully I thought that seemed low given that it has the 2" bars and rack on the top. Seems like they want you to think its able to hold a fair amount.

Anyone else? Wouldn't mind seeing some pictures of how some have added bracing to their tops.

 

[Tim A]

I went with an ARE V-series camper shell and I love having all that lockable storage but the shell's roof capacity is only 250 lbs. So for an RTT I'm doing a rack at bedrail height.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a shell that holds more up top like the Snugtop.