Roof Top Tent on a Topper Shell

[TacoWheeler]

@WanderRig I love the SnugTop! I’ve had it since 2009 and have had zero issues. Came with two sliding windows and a fabric wrap on the inside. I’d like to install some racks for a RTT.

 

[dbcowen]

Hey all, I am brand new to this world and seem to be struggling with a issue regarding racks. I have a new power wagon with a topper/camper shell with yakima/tule rails preinstalled. There is lots of talk about what the topper/camper can hold, when what little research I have done seems to point to what the rack interface can support dynamically. I am looking into yakima bars, but they have a max dynamic load of 165lbs. They said very specifically to me that adding cross bars does not increase your dynamic load at all. Is there another rack system that can be recommended that would allow for a slightly higher dynamic load?

 

[1000Taco0001]

I have a topper on my Tacoma its a CX made in 2009 it has held up find with a 94 lb tent, front runner rack (64lbs( ish)) on the top, and me in it. (230 lbs). No cracks or anything to speak of. However, I am considering a larger tent and my wife is wanting to come along so while I was looking for something that might add that extra support, I found this: Buy a LoadMax universal roof rack support system 2010 - Current Unfortunately its an AU only company and its over $200 to ship.

Anyone seen anything similar in the states or know of any fabricator that makes something similar?

 

[AdventureWithDanan]

I have a topper on my Tacoma its a CX made in 2009 it has held up find with a 94 lb tent, front runner rack (64lbs( ish)) on the top, and me in it. (230 lbs). No cracks or anything to speak of. However, I am considering a larger tent and my wife is wanting to come along so while I was looking for something that might add that extra support, I found this: Buy a LoadMax universal roof rack support system 2010 - Current Unfortunately its an AU only company and its over $200 to ship.

Anyone seen anything similar in the states or know of any fabricator that makes something similar?

I’ve never seen anything pre-fabricated in America… However I have seen a few home fabrications on this and they appear to work very well. I was once upon a time looking for the same thing for my Tundra and was unable to find an existing solution.

 

[North American Sojourner]

I’m running a Leer 100XQ on my short bed Tacoma with a Tepui Kukenam 3, I think it’s even called like an ultra light model tent or whatever. Anyway the tent weighs about 115lbs without anything inside it when it’s folded up. The shell was used when I bought it and had two cracks in the fiberglass on the drivers side when I bought it. I bought the RTT last fall and had it on the truck for about a month driving it daily with no issues. Put the tent back on this spring and have went camping in it several times and some mild off-roading with the tent on and had no issues with cracking or anything. So far I’m the only one that’s been sleeping in the tent and I’m about 180lbs. The tent will probably remain on the shell until like November when I remove it for the winter. I’m actually more concerned with the thin Tacoma bed walls opening up at the top than I am the shell cracking at the moment. I’ll be buying some bed stiffeners for the truck in the near future

View attachment 110824

Great information here. And thank you. You are probably at the max weight but it's a used cap and you understand what the results may be. Perfect. Probably the #1 reason I built my own topper/cap. When I was done, I knew the limitations.
Thank you for the straight info. We appreciated it.
Zim

 

[North American Sojourner]

The commercial caps are the best for weight. They are reinforced in and out, and able to carry hundreds of pounds. I love the look, and modeled my cap after them when I built it. Others thing they are ugly. It's whatever you like cause it's your money.
I'm going ARE DCU after the first of the year.
Zim
The old unit and for sale.


And this is where I'm headed....maybe.

 

[North American Sojourner]

I’ve never seen anything pre-fabricated in America… However I have seen a few home fabrications on this and they appear to work very well. I was once upon a time looking for the same thing for my Tundra and was unable to find an existing solution.

You could probably do the same thing with 3" x .125" flat bar bent and all the interior corners and perm mounted to each side. Lots of work but, would keep the fiberglass from spreading on the bed rails.
Zim

 

[1000Taco0001]

You could probably do the same thing with 3" x .125" flat bar bent and all the interior corners and perm mounted to each side. Lots of work but, would keep the fiberglass from spreading on the bed rails.
Zim

Yea I added the bed supports in the rear. I am probably going to have to "dig deep" and see if I can get something fabricated myself to support the weight on the roof from the top of the bed similar to what the Aussie company has above (it may be functional but it will probably not be pretty) I made an attempt once before, but it started as a disaster and then I ran out of gas so that is why I have the fiberglass topper now. :)

 

[North American Sojourner]

Yea I added the bed supports in the rear. I am probably going to have to "dig deep" and see if I can get something fabricated myself to support the weight on the roof from the top of the bed similar to what the Aussie company has above (it may be functional but it will probably not be pretty) I made an attempt once before, but it started as a disaster and then I ran out of gas so that is why I have the fiberglass topper now. :)

I've had some disasters for sure. And I have a few more left too. LMAO
Zim

 

[ZetRocks]

I haven’t had any issues with my RTT mounted on my topper. Have had it on for >2 years and been on some long multi-state overland adventures. My wife and I both sleep up there. We aren’t super heavy - 175 and ~115 (don’t tell my wife I put her weight haha). Hopefully my good fortune continues and I don’t run into any issues. I did reinforce the underside of the topper with aluminum strips that bolted through from an older model 4Runner roof channels. I also used Superstrut as cross beams to mount RTT.

 

[1000Taco0001]

I haven’t had any issues with my RTT mounted on my topper. Have had it on for >2 years and been on some long multi-state overland adventures. My wife and I both sleep up there. We aren’t super heavy - 175 and ~115 (don’t tell my wife I put her weight haha). Hopefully my good fortune continues and I don’t run into any issues. I did reinforce the underside of the topper with aluminum strips that bolted through from an older model 4Runner roof channels. I also used Superstrut as cross beams to mount RTT.

Any photos of your aluminum reinforcement. I have been running a light tent on top of my old ARE CX topper and it’s held up fine. But I recently purchased a heavier tent and my wife is now coming along so it’s quite a bit more weight than I would like to run on it regularly.

 

[ZetRocks]

I haven’t had any issues with my RTT mounted on my topper. Have had it on for >2 years and been on some long multi-state overland adventures. My wife and I both sleep up there. We aren’t super heavy - 175 and ~115 (don’t tell my wife I put her weight haha). Hopefully my good fortune continues and I don’t run into any issues. I did reinforce the underside of the topper with aluminum strips that bolted through from an older model 4Runner roof channels. I also used Superstrut as cross beams to mount RTT.

Any photos of your aluminum reinforcement. I have been running a light tent on top of my old ARE CX topper and it’s held up fine. But I recently purchased a heavier tent and my wife is now coming along so it’s quite a bit more weight than I would like to run on it regularly.

Here you go. Nothing special but it keeps the pressure off the fiberglas and adds an underside support to match the top rails. I also have truck bed L-bracket supports which probably help stabilize the topper against the truck bed walls under the weight.