Truck Camper Front Rack & Cargo System Help

shanz3n5

Adventurer
Looking for all good ideas and tech issues, to build up a front cab to front bumper rack and cargo carrier.

I know this isnt a typical set up or solution. I will mostly be using it for long haul and long base camp stays. Here is one photo of the general idea i found through google images. Unknown owner.

Im having an Aluminess front bumper made at this time, and will be mounting a 3 receiver front hitch to frame under it.



Running 2 vertical uprights and horizontal supports is the easy part.

How to attach the horizontal supports to the rear is my main concern

Ideas:

1. Low profile headache rack. Concern: truck flex point between bed and front bumper. twisting rack.



2. Yakima Base Rack (cab roof tower set and bar. No capacity specs and very pricey). Is the the capacity (when i find it) in the bar or the tower shoes.



3. Thule rack. Similar issue but the posted a weight capacity of 165. I'm sure to exceed that weight with basket and gear, but they have a bar/tube that maybe i could stiffen.



so im open to ingenuity and ideas or if there is a system already out there

thanx
photo.JPG
 

Hardryder56

New member
Any chance of mounting the rear uprights to the frame of the truck between the rear of the cab and front of the bed. Or possibly run the rear mounts out from the frame of the truck just behind the rear door posts? Maybe mounted like running board mounts extending out side of the body then up and across the cab's roof.
Tom
 

shanz3n5

Adventurer
ha..
great thinking i was just under truck contemplating. After speaking with McWelco, it looks like thats a similar idea they would do. i just sent them picks and am waiting for a quote. im sure it will be pricey. The guy i spoke to said it would be ugly if i tied the bed to the cab. which i wouldnt do. so ill be mocking some thing up probably from the rear running board mount. it directly under the C post door jam.
 

Hardryder56

New member
You might check with a local off road company to see if they could fab up something like an external roll bar for the rear mount. I remember seeing something like that on one of the car shows on TV, I think they added an external roll cage to a Land Cruiser. Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Tom
 

OutbacKamper

Supporting Sponsor
I am the "unknown owner" of the truck in that picture. My rack was supported by 2 Yakima bars over the cab of the truck. These were U bolted to to the main horizontal aluminium bars. The Yakima bars easily supported the weight of all the equipment on the rack. The only issue i had was that I used the style of Yakima towers that clamp on to the edge of the roof, and these shook apart due to the extreme vibration over thousands of kms of corrugated tracks in Australia. I had to make a few "field repairs" to the towers. I am sure that if I had mounted Yakima tracks to the roof of the truck, things would have been fine.

IMG_0074.jpg4WC Roof.jpg
 

shanz3n5

Adventurer
OutbacKamper
Thank you just made my day. Ive been going nuts with different ideas. Man you were just about impossible to find. This system is perfect for me. I really like the the T-track aluminum rails. Ok, first let me thank you for the reply and 2 additional pics. If you dont mind i would like to pretty much duplicate this design.
I current have 1 Thule tower and square bar that i may use in addition to another.
We can continue this conversation in PM if you would like or here is good enough for me.
do u think i should stick with the Thule tower and bar?, they too attach to the door jam lip. Or do a perm attachment with yakima tracks.
where can i find the T-stock framing?photo.jpgphoto 1-1.jpg
any and all pics are welcome. attachment points and connection will speak a 1000 words.
the aluminess bumper is being built now
Thanx
john
 

OutbacKamper

Supporting Sponsor
Hi John;
I see you are in California, and I am in BC, so this is a long shot....but I would let you have my aluminum rack really cheap if you are interested. It would be easy to modify to fit. Mine attaches with 1/4" aluminum mounting plates to the uprights on the bull bar/bumper. The catch is you would have to come and get it :)

I would really not recommend using the towers that attach to the door jam. My fabricator warned me that permanent roof tracks would work much better, however I was reluctant to bolt anything onto the truck roof. I would use 2 cross bars attached to a permanent track system, this will be much more secure and will help spread the load.

The fabricator I used locally extruded his own 2" square aluminum bar with a "T" track on each face. I believe there are other companies in the US that have similar products, but I am not familiar with them.

I will work on a few more pictures for you.
Cheers
Mark
 

shanz3n5

Adventurer
OutbacKamper
Thank you just made my day. Ive been going nuts with different ideas. Man you were just about impossible to find. This system is perfect for me. I really like the the T-track aluminum rails. Ok, first let me thank you for the reply and 2 additional pics. If you dont mind i would like to pretty much duplicate this design.
I current have 1 Thule tower and square bar that i may use in addition to another.
We can continue this conversation in PM if you would like or here is good enough for me.
do u think i should stick with the Thule tower and bar?, they too attach to the door jam lip. Or do a perm attachment with yakima tracks.
where can i find the T-stock framing?View attachment 196690View attachment 196691
any and all pics are welcome. attachment points and connection will speak a 1000 words.
the aluminess bumper is being built now
Thanx
john
 

shanz3n5

Adventurer
Thanx Mark.
Wow to come and get them would be tough. 20hours, 1300 miles, about $350 in fuel just to get to the border. But would be one heck of an adventure. Ha hence the adventure to have such a rack already on. I am taking your advice and looking into a perm roof track design. and will be looking at http://www.8020.net/ or similar company for the t-slot aluminum extrusion.. Thank you for the offer. there is no doubt you can off load yours in no time.
And yes the pics update would be great when you have the time.
Time to get busy.....Ive been working on a small cabinet remod for a porta potty in my grandby fwc. as a newbie to this site i will try and post progress shots and completion incase another wants to do a similar idea. just need to find the right spot.
sounds like you have a whole new expedition rig now.
~john
 

OutbacKamper

Supporting Sponsor
Thanx Mark.
Wow to come and get them would be tough. 20hours, 1300 miles, about $350 in fuel just to get to the border. But would be one heck of an adventure. ....
~john

I knew it was a long shot, but you never know. I sold my 4wheel camper to a fellow who drove all the way from Kansas! I thought it could work if you had a trip planned in this general direction. I will also be heading down to California at some point next year, but I suspect you are hoping to resolve your rack design prior to that.
 

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shanz3n5

Adventurer
just an update.... i have heard from some good people and some fabrication engineers..... thanx for all the PM and calls. Looks like im not the only one with this idea. I only found one company that actually makes a system. they use extruded aluminum and brackets. i saw them at the del mar outdoor show the company is called LoadIt.com. really seems like a good product and has many various design set up.
I decided to go with a custom build. Found a roll cage and custom off round fabricator near home. Caliber Fabrication. He did some good qwk mods to my Kendon trailor. So after a few hours of design discussion i hired him to build the rack. Left a deposit and will drop off truck this friday. Big picture of build; a truck frame mounted cage, around cab, with a removable basket that attaches to the most forward part of the cage, out to the the dual receiver bumper up rights.
im very excited about this build and working the overtime to pay for it.
i wanted to bring it to the overland expo in flagstaff but it will have to be next year since the truck will be in his shop. so it looks like the commuter car and a hotel if i can find one for the expo.
 

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