I don't understand open bed trucks with racks and tents.

[CSG]

Once upon a time, my first *real* camper was an old school cab height shell with a carpet kit in the bed of my Plymouth Arrow pick-up. I spent the best part of the summer of 1980 into the fall traveling in that rig. Wasn't carrying lots of gear (backpack, cooler, grub box) and it was a helluva rig traveling the west until mid-fall.

I think of doing that again with my longbed GMC 2500 which was bought to carry a Lance camper and, later, haul a 5th wheel. I don't like anything about RTTs other than the gimmick factor.

 

[Brian Glendenning]

Yes, Baltic Birch. You can’t find it at a big box store but many places that have a wide variety of wood products will either have it or can order it (even in my town of 8,000 people in the desert Southwest ). Generally good quality - flat and void free.

 

[LD5050]

+1 for the my-wife-thinks-shells-are-for-old-people camp Would have had one on my last Titan if it weren’t for that.

I personally am going with a rack+RTT, not because I think it’s better overall but because it’s better for our specific situation.

I enjoy seeing varied setups and solutions to the same problems/ scenarios. I know I don’t want to look like everyone else and just blend in to a sea of the same make/model/setup.

 

[MidOH]

All of those locks and safety bolts are a no go in the north east. Unless you keep bolt cutters and a DC grinder on your truck.

 

[vdeal]

I enjoy seeing varied setups and solutions to the same problems/ scenarios. I know I don’t want to look like everyone else and just blend in to a sea of the same make/model/setup.

Also precisely why I don't drive a black, white or silver/gray vehicle.

 

[vdeal]

All of those locks and safety bolts are a no go in the north east. Unless you keep bolt cutters and a DC grinder on your truck.

I presume you're talking about road salt rusting them out? I'm in WV and we use a lot of salt. Never once had a lock or nut corrode up on me. Do you have to cut your lug nuts off when you change a tire? Also, by no stretch of the imagination can OH be considered northeast in my book.

 

[Grendel]

For those that have a Open bed and racks, do you worry about theft?

When using as my daily driver I strip off fuel cans and maxtrax, I only put them on when camping. I installed at least 1 locking nut on all of the panels and gear pod.

 

[grubworm]

I'm in WV and we use a lot of salt. Never once had a lock or nut corrode up on me.

All that coal dust protects it from corrosion... :)

 

[vdeal]

All that coal dust protects it from corrosion... :)

Most of the coal production in the my part of the state (northern mountains) ceased back in the 70's/early 80's. The majority of the coal comes out of the southern and southwestern parts of the state. Appreciate the humor though.

 

[roots66]

For me, bed caps are expensive, bulky, heavy, limit rear visibility, are nearly impossible to install/remove by one person, hard to store if you don't have the spare room, and severely limit the use of the bed. I've had quite a few pickups and have had caps for some of them. None of them have been dedicated to just overlanding. Thus, regardless of what else I may use it for, they were all first and foremost a truck with a bed and I use it as such.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Anyone interested in a Tacoma rack for pick up. Found this on craigslist today.

Toyota Tacoma Truck Rack

Custom metal truck rack for a Toyota Tacoma, any standard bed model. Excellent condition with nice detail, back piece come off to load wider things. Very handy, easy to mount. Please call/text...

albuquerque.craigslist.org

 

[JCWages]

I don't have my gear mounted in the open like the ''cool'' Overlanders. And the ratchet straps holding my crates down are a PITA to get open due to rust. Nobody is going to bother a simple 55g Stanley tote. It's likely filled with junk. Riping open a topper window or door is just as easy.

Some of ya'll display your gear when you get to camp, like you're a booth for Expo East or something. Lools cool, but bad idea.

I'm not usually too far from my truck, and stick to wheeling in areas of like minded folk.

Or maybe they are mounting gear where it is easiest to access quickly and takes up the least amount of precious room which happens to be outside of the bed on the sides or top of the truck. :)

Again, we should try and understand how someone else uses their rig/gear before we judge. Or maybe we shouldn't judge at all.

 

[Supernaut]

I went with a rack instead of a cap for many reasons. Here are a few:

I use my truck primarily for overlanding in the desert. I need a Baja chase rack with tent rails. I need to be able to get at things like propane, CO2, shovel, sledge, jack, gas, etc.. in the bed from the sides. I don’t want to go though a window in a cap. I don’t want to crawl into a cave either.

I also need a secure place and way to store this gear where so it’s ready when I need it. Critical gear can’t be packed away in the back of a cap. I want quick easy access.

My rack doesn’t rest on the sides of the bed or bed rails. It’s bolted to the bed itself. This transfers the weight of the load to a lower point. I can say from experience with both types of setup, bolted to the bed handles (corners) significantly better. In my case this is an important difference.

Clamps on the bed rails are not for me. I camp in the desert and like to take washboard at speed. The vibration can be intense. In my experience this is very bad for clamps. Most caps are clamped to the rails and I don’t want to worry about my cap and tent sliding off.

I don’t like the idea of a significant load applied to the sides of the bed over time.

Sleeping on an air mattress in the bed won’t work for me so there’s no advantage to sleeping under a bed cap.

My rack wasn’t cheap and it’s custom made. Still, I bet it cost less than a brand name new cap with similar capabilities.

It’s also likely stronger and overall lighter than a cap. It’s steel so maybe the weight is a toss-up. It’s definitely stronger.

It’s all about what suits your needs the best. For me, this works way better than a cap ever would.

 

[grubworm]

Nobody is going to bother a simple 55g Stanley tote.

They are now...

 

[Trigger]

My RTT rides just above the roof line allowing me to have space in my bed for gear and even sleeping when my RTT is full with my wife and two kids. It sits low enough that I can put my kayak on the top of my cab and RTT. My mountain bikes mount to the sides of my KB Voodoo rack. I don’t worry too much about water intrusion on my gear. I use 3 Plano cases. The only concern I have is a fridge when I get one. I think I’ll have to go with an ARB Elements fridge as they appear to be the most protective against weather.View attachment 104980View attachment 104981

 

[Edy Coyote]

I use a camper shell but love the look of the open racks. Looks really cool.

 

[4wheelspulling]

One of the nicest setup trucks I have seen is Chadlyb’s Toyota Taco. He has a sweet setup, and actually uses it lots! He put lots of thought in on everything on the truck. If he does not use an item, it is gone!

An RTT is way down my list for my use. My pop top Alaskan Camper works when I want that comfort. The rest of the time I sleep in a ground tent or my vehicle. Vance.

 

[John~SWNM]

For those that have a Open bed and racks, do you worry about theft?

Not really. I dont leave my trail gear on the rack 24/7 and when we're out & about in the back country I use cablelocks if we have to run into town or are around too many other people. One thing I'll be adding in the future is a locking tail gate latch, making it impossibleto get the cargo boxes out of the bed.

 

[MidOH]

Are the contents of those boxes more expensive than the bed or tailgate?

Same reason I don't endorse the aftermarket tailgate theft locks for Fords.

 

[BLACK_BETTY]

I am between a cap with a rack over it, or an open rack. Either way it will be made easily removable as I use my bed to its fullest extent. I also have a forklift, so fast removal isnt an issue. It is more of what I stumble across first because i am not blowing money on brand new stuff to beat up.