Bed rack with tonneau overhaul - feedback

snowfiend

Active member
Edit 9/19/22: see post #3 for current pictures of the rack in primer and with the tent mounted.
Edit 7/4/22: this is an old thread I’m reviving. See today’s post for the build plan.

I am looking for ideas on how to improve my bedrack system, both aesthetically and functionally. The setup for the past 5 years has been Thule crossbars with Truck Covers USA American Roll Cover on a 2013 F150 6.5' bed and it's time to take it all off and refresh the cover (grease internals, polish up the cover and remove accumulated tree sap, realign, etc). Aesthetically, I hate how the podium feet and the canister distort the bed rail caps. Functionally, the crossbars need to be stronger as I bent one standing on it to clean the roof (I weigh 175lbs and had feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart). Budget is much more on the DIY side compared to a full custom Nuthouse build, and I would like to keep the current rack height.

Current setup photos, next post has some of my design thoughts:

519925519926519927519928519929

Would like to try and avoid this again, strapped a piece of plywood to the crossbars then loaded it up :ROFLMAO:

519931
 

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snowfiend

Active member
Design:

-Low profile with cargo basket/platform on top
-Hinged to allow easier loading underneath. Inspiration here but hinged front to back like a hard shell tonneau https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/hinged-rtt-bed-rack-design.128133/page-2
-Removable (ok to leave brackets)
-Integration with existing Thule bike racks and ski/board racks
-Bonus points if it can store two zero-g style lounge chairs underneath but above the tonneau (love the chairs, hate trying to pack them)

This is what it looks like under the bed rail caps, they sit up off the metal bed rail and obviously the reason for the distortion. https://www.f150forum.com/f38/dust-seal-underside-bed-rail-caps-104807/ Removing the caps would give a stable mounting platform, but the holes would need to be addressed (possibly metal tape before linex?). The clips are known to break during removal, so if I tried to take them off for a test fit and it didn’t work I may need to buy new caps. Not ideal.
So assuming the caps stay on, I see two options. 1) Running a piece of unistrut along the bed rails to help distribute any load and minimize distortion or 2) some sort of angle iron between the bed rail and tonneau rails for the rack to mount to.



1: something like this build, but more outboard to fit the tonneau rails. Possibly a flat stake hole bracket that the unistrut will mount to (2nd photo).
OwEV7u3l.jpg


Bracket example:
d3302ede-42ad-4e6c-820d-fe28f752c0ab-jpeg.463068

or
https://www.leonardaccessories.com/product/ladder-racks-cross-tread-stake-pocket-kit
cb3c1126-f9a2-4e86-9ee8-5e8fe1fd5c04.jpg


Some square tubing as a stand off cut at 45* angles (for a little style), then unistrut crossbars (or square tube?).
519933


2: styled after a between the rails headache rack or bed rack, but with enough room for the tonneau rails before hitting the uprights. then unistrut or square tube crossbars
maxresdefault.jpg

Scott-Simpson-2014-Ford-F-150-Bed-Rails-2.jpg


Inspiration links:

This looks good, but only 200lb dynamic rating means not much of an improvement from what I have and isn’t compatible with my cover: https://www.kbvoodoo.com/shop/f150-hi-rise-crossbars-for-use-with-tonneau-covers
From same mfg as my cover, but don’t want a full size ladder rack. Won’t sell just the stake pocket mounts: http://www.truckcoversusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/american-truck-rack.jpg
Interesting platform using ATV ramps: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/bed-rack-with-tonneau-cover.63937/
 
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snowfiend

Active member
Raw steel, Rack in primer, and with the tent mounted. Feels sold on the road but still need to test it on some rough stuff. Still planning on an accessory rail down the sides and a rear-mounted 3rd brake light.
C6C21C17-B770-4A2F-B0A7-8DFB5C4C168C.jpeg
E40C4AC1-2715-4E96-9396-67F1D4295E54.jpeg1435B264-4507-48E1-83E4-CD33AF405FA8.jpeg
 

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snowfiend

Active member
Reviving this after 3 years. I just bought a CVT Denali RTT and need a stable platform, Thule rack isn’t going to cut it. There are a lot more tonneau-friendly racks out there now, but the TCUSA cover is still a hurdle. The rails are wider and don’t play nicely with any brackets that fit between the plastic rail cap and the tonneau rail.
I even bought a (used) set of RCI tonneau adapters, it just doesn’t fit well enough or stable enough for my liking. I’m not ready to ditch the TCUSA since it does a good job of keeping things dry.

So after a lot of forum and YouTube searching, I’m going the unistrut/superstrut/strut channel route. 14ga strut channel anchored between the stake pockets as a bed rail and 12ga for the three crossbars & top braces. 14ga side bracing/accessory panels. Uprights will be somewhere between 12-14” depending on just how high I want the tent to sit above the roof. Rack platform will be ~60” long and 50-54” wide.

I need the strut rail anchored as far outboard on the rail caps as possible, I’m still not sure exactly how to make that happen. Probably some stacked plate/washers with strategically placed holes ala Adarac mounts. May have to bolt mid-bed as well if there is too much deflection

As far as the build goes, these two videos capture basically what I’m going for and will use parts of both as inspiration. Mine will be welded because the pre-bent angled pieces are $7-10 each and I’d need at least 12.


Very (very!) rough sketch of what I’m going for.
DAF7DCCB-334A-43FD-ACD1-E176BD7FAD92.png
On the underside of the rack I want to slide in a table and maxxtrax. Build will start next weekend so I welcome any feedback. Any thoughts on strength/stability of uprights that start out 90* then two 45’s to horizontal (Gladiator vid) vs. 60* or 67.5* to horizontal (F150 vid/my sketch)?
 
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snowfiend

Active member
Build started. This tonneau is a pain to work with and now I know why most bed rack manufacturers that advertise as tonneau-compatible don’t list this cover. The side rails are much wider (towards the exterior of the bed) and take up more of the bed rail cap real estate. I wanted to use the stake pocket holes as the “anchor” but the rail covers 2/3 of the pocket hole.

I ended up ordering stale pocket tie downs that clamped to the underside of the bed rail and modified them to have an offset 9/16 grade 8 shoulderbolt that I will use as an anchor. I picked these tie downs even though they were more expensive because they are one of the few all metal tie downs and the clamp wraps around the bed rail vs just being a flat piece of metal. The 14ga rails will likely get a bolt through the bed rail in the middle of the span to prevent flex/bowing.

Also using part of the RCI tonneau adapters as a base plate to help support the ends of the strut rail.
40E3A253-9588-44D5-A47F-A009A6C11981.jpeg
C9B678BE-CE4E-4DB5-B2C6-62CDD9127256.jpeg3EC416FE-B528-4458-9EC4-D5EA6EAB84C4.jpeg7567BDCA-38C6-4A6E-8D6A-42ED03049E94.jpeg
 

snowfiend

Active member
Rack is complete, need a shakedown test but it’s on and feels sturdy. First trip is in 4 days! See post #3 for current status
 

GalacticFuzz

New member
Shakedown run complete. She’s solid.
Snowfiend,
I too have an F150 and have been looking into bed rack options. Just can't stomach the price of them. I really like your use of the unistruts. Down the road I will be doing something similar.

Did you end up making the cross bars on the sides and top like your initial plans showed? How did you end up attaching them? I was thinking I would end up welding some plate steel to them and drilling a hole to allow it to be bolted to the vertical posts.
 

snowfiend

Active member
Snowfiend,
I too have an F150 and have been looking into bed rack options. Just can't stomach the price of them. I really like your use of the unistruts. Down the road I will be doing something similar.

Did you end up making the cross bars on the sides and top like your initial plans showed? How did you end up attaching them? I was thinking I would end up welding some plate steel to them and drilling a hole to allow it to be bolted to the vertical posts.
Not yet, I probably won't do anything on top but will do braces on the sides. I am a little concerned that the welds on the feet are really the only thing holding the weight of the tent from rocking fore/aft during braking and acceleration. Bracing on the side will give a good spot to mount accessories too. Just put a second coat of primer on the uprights to better cover the inside and will be taking everything off to coat it in bedliner. Also going to try and use some various weatherstripping to better dust-proof the tonneau/bed.
 

GalacticFuzz

New member
I am a little concerned that the welds on the feet are really the only thing holding the weight of the tent from rocking fore/aft during braking and acceleration.

Makes a lot of sense. That is one thing that I could see being a concern. When I get to making mine I am thinking to extend the mounting pad wider and welding an additional triangular brace to help add some additional strength. Something along the lines of what I've attached.
 

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