Expedition.Report
Explorer
Hi Guys!
I have been posting photo's over on my build thread for my my RTT specific bedrack build, but I thought since I used this sight so many times in researching design and looking for idea's on how I was going to build mine, I figured it would be best, and eaier to search for, if I made a separate thread and posted pic's only related to my bed rack or bed cage build.
Previous setup:
I pulled the trigger on a CVT Mt. Shasta last August for a road trip I went on with the GF down to Yellowstone & White Fish. It was a simple setup with only three cross that I welded up mounted to the OEM roof rack rails. It worked well for the month that I had it installed (had to take down for winter) but I soon realized for a number of reasons that come spring I would not be mounting the tent back up in the same manor.
For starters I had not liked having the RTT mounted up so high as it made it difficult to set up and take down, it increased my height of my rig by 17'', the cover was loaded with the stink of dead dried bugs that came to an "end" on the blunt edge of the cover. But the main reason I didn't want to mount it in the same location was that I had learned about the way the factory had installed the roof rack rails to the top of the cab of the truck, 5 riv-nuts/side... thats it!!!
Main goals for version 2.0:
- maintain enough height to maintain the usability of the annex while one is sleeping above while the other is down below
- keep the lowest profile possible
- maintain security of the bed contents for extended absence from the rig
- NOT TO LOOK "HOMEMADE"
- future consideration for mounting roto-pax & Maxtrax on either side
- keep the weight down without compromising any strength
The mock up stage:
I started out by picked up three lengths of 1"x2" 1/8" tubing for a total of 24' & measuring out my bed rails for a shop to build me a piece of angle iron that is sized just right to run the length of the cap, low enough to reach the bed rail mount to be bolted in..... but thin enough that I wasn't buying 3/8" thick industrial angle iron to keep the weight down.
The MS paint mock up/concept:
After all that was in and ready to go, I went down to my pops shop where they have a few extra tools that I don't, the biggest being the room to work. and we took out measurements and calculated out our angles..... then just winged it!!
Here is how that turned out:
after seeing that our guesstimations were spot on we welded it all up then drilled the holes in the side of the angle iron and used 3/8" spring nuts to mount the bed rack into my trucks bed rail mounting system.
From there we placed the RTT on checked that the functionality of everything was there and how we wanted it, drilled the mounting holes so the tent will mount right up to the top of the bed cage.... and this is how it looked after all of that was complete:
I have been posting photo's over on my build thread for my my RTT specific bedrack build, but I thought since I used this sight so many times in researching design and looking for idea's on how I was going to build mine, I figured it would be best, and eaier to search for, if I made a separate thread and posted pic's only related to my bed rack or bed cage build.
Previous setup:
I pulled the trigger on a CVT Mt. Shasta last August for a road trip I went on with the GF down to Yellowstone & White Fish. It was a simple setup with only three cross that I welded up mounted to the OEM roof rack rails. It worked well for the month that I had it installed (had to take down for winter) but I soon realized for a number of reasons that come spring I would not be mounting the tent back up in the same manor.
For starters I had not liked having the RTT mounted up so high as it made it difficult to set up and take down, it increased my height of my rig by 17'', the cover was loaded with the stink of dead dried bugs that came to an "end" on the blunt edge of the cover. But the main reason I didn't want to mount it in the same location was that I had learned about the way the factory had installed the roof rack rails to the top of the cab of the truck, 5 riv-nuts/side... thats it!!!
Main goals for version 2.0:
- maintain enough height to maintain the usability of the annex while one is sleeping above while the other is down below
- keep the lowest profile possible
- maintain security of the bed contents for extended absence from the rig
- NOT TO LOOK "HOMEMADE"
- future consideration for mounting roto-pax & Maxtrax on either side
- keep the weight down without compromising any strength
The mock up stage:
I started out by picked up three lengths of 1"x2" 1/8" tubing for a total of 24' & measuring out my bed rails for a shop to build me a piece of angle iron that is sized just right to run the length of the cap, low enough to reach the bed rail mount to be bolted in..... but thin enough that I wasn't buying 3/8" thick industrial angle iron to keep the weight down.
The MS paint mock up/concept:
After all that was in and ready to go, I went down to my pops shop where they have a few extra tools that I don't, the biggest being the room to work. and we took out measurements and calculated out our angles..... then just winged it!!
Here is how that turned out:
after seeing that our guesstimations were spot on we welded it all up then drilled the holes in the side of the angle iron and used 3/8" spring nuts to mount the bed rack into my trucks bed rail mounting system.
From there we placed the RTT on checked that the functionality of everything was there and how we wanted it, drilled the mounting holes so the tent will mount right up to the top of the bed cage.... and this is how it looked after all of that was complete:
