Rack-it Racks

[dylzomg]

Hello!

I have a Toyota Tacoma (Double Cab, Long Bed), soon to have a shell, and looking to put a good rack on it.

I've seen a lot of local trucks in my home town sporting these racks. Mostly for carrying ladders, equipment, etc:
http://www.rackitinc.com/truckracks/3000seriescampershellrack.html


I'm assuming the downsides are that they are both 1) Heavy 2) Expensive.

Has anybody considered these, or, any reasons not to?

I'm new to the expedition scene, so any advice would be welcome.
Thanks!

 

[Haggis]

I had one on my old Ram for awhile when it was in work truck mode. They're heavy and rust easily. I meant the rack in that last sentence though when I think about it that phrase would be true about the Ram also. I took the rack off after just a few months and just went with the Yakima racks that were on my shell for hauling ladders and such. The rack is still sitting in my yard keeping a couple of canoes off the ground. Though you can get similar racks made out of aluminum but those are pricey.

 

[scrubber3]

If you need one of these and the price it right, you may be able to just put a good coating of black spray paint on it to keep it from rusting. Like Haggis said, they are a bit heavy so before adding it, be sure it will be needed. As I always say, build it the way you will need it because the extra stuff is just more unnecessary weight. Add some, take it on a trip, and add some more if needed. Repeat as often as necessary. No need in wasting money.

 

[DesertBoater]

I have that exact rack (Technically one of their "Sure-Fit" racks) for my 05 Access Cab. It's a really nice rack and is very very well built. I've loaded it up with probably more than I should, however, as an outdoor professional (sea/whitewater kayak guide/instructor) I need to carry large, heavy things on a regular basis for fairly long distances. I've also used it for lumber, ladders, etc, and it's been great.

The biggest downside for me was my cap. It has skirted sides (sides hang down below the bedrail) which is great for weather/water resistance, however meant that when I installed the rack, I needed to trim four slots for the rack supports to extend through. Other than that, and a large amount of foam weatherstripping, it was everything I needed. Yes it's a little on the heavy side (close to 200 lbs empty), but you would be hard pressed to put anything up there that would damage anything other than the powder coating. The only place mine has a little bit of rust is where I've worn through the powder coating on the top sides of the rails. The manufacturer recommends the occasional application of your preferred variety of spraypaint, but that never lasts too long.

Even after what I have said, I'm considering selling mine, as I've stepped up to a FWC, and try as I might, the two just won't play nice together. The rack does a lot of things really well, like carry heavy/cumbersome/large things. Having realized that my cap+rack combo weighed in at nearly 400 pounds, I came to the conclusion that in some cases less is more, especially with regards to weight vs utility. For me, being able to comfortably live out of my vehicle for extended periods of time is important. Living in the cap in periods of sustained bad weather just doesn't cut it. And perhaps the same will be true of the camper, but I'm willing to re-arrange and try something new for a while and experiment until I get it right. Instead of putting 4 kayaks, 2-3 bikes, a 14 foot inflatable raft, and a cargo box on my roof (like I did with the ladder rack), I'm now planning on just the 4 boats up top, bikes on a hitch carrier, and nix the cargo box and raft. For my purposes a Yakima rack seems like it's the way to go, so that's my next move. I hope there's a little bit of help jumbled in there somewhere...

Cheers,
West

 

[Chainslap]

I have a Hauler Rack on my Tacoma. All aluminum so no rust and pretty light. Don't have it installed currently but it mounts independently of the camper shell so it's easy to put on and take off. Also means no holes through the shell for water to get in. Bought the whole setup cheap a couple years ago.