Bed Cap or keep my bed rack

chops749

Observer
Hi all,
I currently have a 2017 DCSB Tacoma with KBVoodoo mid-height rack with my RTT on it, and I run a hodgepodge collection of bins to keep my gear in, and I'm thinking about switching out to a canopy. I think I would like to have drawers to help organize the kitchen and recovery gear, with a small platform for sleeping if needed. So I have a couple of questions for y'all:

-Are there any decent drawers that I can get for a Taco that are waterproof that I could use?
-What containers are you using to keep stuff dry in the back of your truck?
-Should I even care and just run with what I've got? (I feel like its not efficient to have bins with crap strewn about...the Industrial Engineer is coming out in me)

Any help/pics of what you are running would be great. I want to get efficient in camp and I think this will really help.

Thanks!
 

vartz04

Adventurer
Check out decked. It’s about $1100 and allows you to keep things as is but have 2 big drawers.

Caps run about $2500 for a nice looking one with a decent roof rack. Not sure what you could sell your current stuff for so I can’t say if it be cheaper one way or another
 

bkg

Explorer
Check out decked. It's about $1100 and allows you to keep things as is but have 2 big drawers.

Caps run about $2500 for a nice looking one with a decent roof rack. Not sure what you could sell your current stuff for so I can't say if it be cheaper one way or another

*and* not all toppers/caps/canopies/"insert local nomenclature here" - are built to hold an RTT. ARE has one that looks interesting, but it is spendy and has a line-x type stripe on it.
 

chops749

Observer
I have a Leer cap on my Tacoma. I currently use Rubbermaid Actionpackers to organize my gear. Not my pic, but here's what they look like. I run the same set up.View attachment 428949

Decked recently released the system for the Tacoma and my Leer dealer is getting some in stock. It's $1150. If it checks out, I may pick one up in spring.

https://decked.com/products/decked-toyota-tacoma?variant=47245293587

Those look clean. How do they do with rain? I have an ARB fridge so my setup would probably be different.
 
Last edited:

aaen

Adventurer
The over lander is not capable of holding a RTT. I had one, the sales man lied to me, and I had issues. After talking to ARE, they told me it was only capable of holding 165lbs, which is a roof rack, and maybe two kayaks. That was all. If you put the RTT on top and slept in it they wouldn't warranty any damage.

If your looking at getting a canopy from one of the mainstream manufactures, make sure you contact the manufacture and not listen to the dealers. I am also in the same boat, I went from a canopy to the kB voodo midheight and am strongly debating going back to canopy as I want the room.

Sigh
 

chops749

Observer
Yeah...I broached the habitat idea with my wife...note to self...$8000 expenditure to a pregnant woman is a bad proposition. I just want ease of storage. Getting bins out is a PITA.
 

roving1

Well-known member
I bought a Thule truck track that adjusts and an RTT as a stop gap solution when I flew out to buy a truck in Nevada and could not source any new or used aluminum cap. Fiberglass caps weigh too much and I don't care about the looks of them really so considering that the price is absurd.

So I bought the Thule rack and RTT thinking I would probably sell one or both later on. Thing is as time has gone on and I have researched options I'm liking it more and more.

PRO's:
The ability to see and get to everything from all sides of the truck is AMAZING! Yes you have to do more watertight container packing with plastic bins or water tight bags but those things are cheap. They are also easy to replace or configure in a new way with a quick trip to Walmart. You won't look cool but it works.

The rack is adjustable so I can pack it for travelling with a low profile and cut my aero load down quite a but. Then when I get to where lift it up so I can stand under the tent in the annex room.

The rack is so flexible to strap or bungee anything to.

I'm running into weight carrying issues and those drawer systems are all really heavy and almost none of them are dust proof or 100% water proof. As cool as pulling a super long drawer is out of some thing is for convenience that weight and money could be turned into a water system and hot shower which I would want way more than worrying about pulling some bins out of my bed.

The rack is universal and can co on any truck small-full size.

Cons:
I miss being able to just jump in the back of the truck to sleep. Particularly on a long transit where I just wanted a few hours of sleep at a rest area without having to set up.

It's nice to be able to just lob objects into the back and not worry a bout how to secure them from wind and weather.

While easily defeated a shell is still more secure than having an open bed.



I might go to a cap someday but for now I'm in no rush. I really want an AT habitat or similar but the prices of those things make me laugh whole-heartedly.

IMG_20171220_105146.jpg
 

chops749

Observer
I have to agree @roving1. I do like my rack for those very reasons...and I would love to have a habitat, but I need my kidney. I think I need to pair down my gear, change some out and get some better storage options and I would probably like what I have even more. I have kid number 2 on the way, so in a few years I'm either going to have to buy a swag, get a habitat, or get a trailer with spare RTT...

That being said, who's got a great source for either aluminum cases or pelicans? I know Equipt sells the aluminum cases, but again, they can be pricey.
 

vartz04

Adventurer
I have to agree @roving1. I do like my rack for those very reasons...and I would love to have a habitat, but I need my kidney. I think I need to pair down my gear, change some out and get some better storage options and I would probably like what I have even more. I have kid number 2 on the way, so in a few years I'm either going to have to buy a swag, get a habitat, or get a trailer with spare RTT...

That being said, who's got a great source for either aluminum cases or pelicans? I know Equipt sells the aluminum cases, but again, they can be pricey.

Check out the new HF pelican style cases for smaller stuff and seahorse has cases made in the USA on amazon for cheap all the time (the 920 which is a roller suitcase style for $68 with no foam occasionally if you can stand having a bright blue case)

Also consider watertight duffles like the cabelas boundary waters bags or big roll top dry bags for stuff that doesn’t need impact protection but has to stay dry.
 

Kelly6773

New member
I have to agree @roving1. I do like my rack for those very reasons...and I would love to have a habitat, but I need my kidney. I think I need to pair down my gear, change some out and get some better storage options and I would probably like what I have even more. I have kid number 2 on the way, so in a few years I'm either going to have to buy a swag, get a habitat, or get a trailer with spare RTT...

That being said, who's got a great source for either aluminum cases or pelicans? I know Equipt sells the aluminum cases, but again, they can be pricey.
Try a company called sea horse. There just like pelican but much cheaper. I have several friends that are flying mechanics that for tired of getting pelican warrentied. They bought seahorse. Never looked back. They get some serious use on the planes. Well tested
 

Theoretician

Adventurer
I have a Leitner rack on my truck to support the RTT and wanted some security for the bed, so I used polycarbonate roofing panels to enclose it. I used some galvanized pipe to make a sort of hatchback for the rear. I didn't spend much time or money on it - just wanted something to keep wandering hands away at the Overland Expo in May, but it worked well enough as a prototype that I'm planning on doing it right in the near future. The roofing panels and sparse mounting points just in the corners don't hold up well to passing tractor-trailers on highways.

I spent a lot of time before I bought the rack and RTT looking for a shell that would work, and the only ones I could find that had a manufacturer load rating, nevermind a rating high enough for a RTT and occupants, were from Alu-Cab or a couple of Australian outfits - none of which sold here. That adjustable rack that a lot of of people use has an official weight rating of something like 200lb.

 

roving1

Well-known member
I have a Leitner rack on my truck to support the RTT and wanted some security for the bed, so I used polycarbonate roofing panels to enclose it.

That adjustable rack that a lot of of people use has an official weight rating of something like 200lb.


That's a cool idea . I was thinking of getting a heavy duty trucking tarp made up to do the same that I could lock on somehow.

Which rack are you referring to? The Thule I have is rated to 450lbs and I actually bought it at CVT.
 

Theoretician

Adventurer
That's a cool idea . I was thinking of getting a heavy duty trucking tarp made up to do the same that I could lock on somehow.

Which rack are you referring to? The Thule I have is rated to 450lbs and I actually bought it at CVT.

Yours is the adjustable rack that I was referring to. I remember looking into it about a year and a half ago and saw a weight rating that was too low for my tastes - I'll take your word that it's 450lb as opposed to the 200 that I said. If I remember right it was buried inside one of their manuals, and they never specified whether that was static or dynamic. 450lb could work for someone camping solo, if you take that rating to be a static allowance, but then the dynamic allowance (if you reduce static by a factor of four as Leitner does) is only 113lb for going down a trail. If I recall, there are one or two tents that would abide by that dynamic limit but they're small and not terribly weather resistant.
 

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