FEEDBACK REQUESTED: Car camping (or overlanding) rack options

[JohnnyO]

Slide-in camper from Travelite or Capri Camper. Put the bikes on the roof or hang them off the back.

Sponsored

 

[NTXTremor]

Im running a modified RCI rack with their lifted mounting brackets. My tri-fold tonneau will not open with this rack which is kinda good for security reasons. The bed is so short on this truck that I can just drop the tailgate (non dampened) and reach whatever I need. If you have to haul something taller than the tonneau then there's a problem.
As for getting in and out of the tent. I just leave the tailgate down and place an ice chest on it and I can stand on that to get in or out. Very eazy.

That is pretty cool. You are right that not being able to open the tonneau cover all the way due to the rack is not a big deal with the short bed at least when the rack is installed especially with your strong arms due to not having a damper. ?

 

[Rhino]

When I bought my Tremor, I did not even know what the term "Overlanding," meant, but I sure as heck had done my fair share of car camping not to mention camping during hiking or biking trips. Neither my wife nor I are all that excited about sleeping on the ground anymore, so the idea of a rooftop tent is very appealing to us.

I bought my Tremor used, and it already had a Ford flip style tonneau cover which does not appear to be compatible with any of the over the bed racks that can hold a RTT. While it pains me to consider this, it appears that if I want to go with a rack and RTT, I really need to either ditch the tonneau cover altogether or replace it with a RetraxONE XR or RetraxPRO XR.

First questions for you:
1) For those with the RetraxONE or RetraxPRO, how do you like it? Is PRO worth the extra money, in your opinion?
2) Any major cons to Retrax?
3) Are there others like it to consider?

Before I sink many thousands of dollars into this, I thought I might do this in phases. Here is my plan:

Phase 1:
1) Replace tonneau cover with RetraxPRO
2) Install Yakima SkyLine Towers with Skyline bars over the bed mounting on the T-slots
3) Continue to car camp but at more "overland" type locations using the Skyline bars to haul our bikes

The other option here would be to just ditch the tonneau cover and leave the bed open, but that limits secure storage options.

Phase 2 (when we realize that sleeping on the ground really sucks at our age):
1) Buy Yakima HD bars and adapter to install on the Skyline Towers
2) Buy RTT
3) Leave the bikes at home or buy a hitch-mounted bike rack

Phase 3 (if I decide we want to go further off-road):
1) Upgrade to Yakima OverHaul HD
2) Outfit with the essential overlanding equipment (recovery traction boards, etc.)

Final questions for you:
1) Is this a well reasoned plan?
2) Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

You should check out KB Voodoo Fabrications....the started the bed rack movement years ago with their tonneau cover compatible products. Great customer service and Made in the U.S.A.

Crossbars: https://www.kbvoodoo.com/ford-ranger-years-2019-to-present
*Compatible with most tonneau covers and even a Retrax specific offering

Their Max-Modular Bed Racks: https://www.max-modular.com/ford-ranger-years-2019-to-present
I believe you can also mount any of their bed racks to the RetraxONE rails with these: https://www.max-modular.com/attachment-brackets/retraxone-xr-brackets

kb voodoo belongs in one place the trash! junk rack junk powder coat terrible company just bleh stay away from voodoo

I think I am the only one to go with this setup:

8.2ft x 8.2ft x 8ft ARB awning and tent attachment. Pulls double duty as just an awning normally.

(Stock photo from Google)

If a serious emergency and bug out event happens, I'd just take a knife and cut it away if I had to drive off in less than 30 seconds.

Normal pack up time is about 5 minutes or less.

so ive been doing the overlanding thing for awhile now so figured id drop in with my info as well!

so first off all my experience has been with my old tacoma for 5-6 years but its still overlanding or fancy truck camping in the end just a different vehicle!

so first off ground tents i hate... yes they can be quick and simple now days but im still on the ground which i personally cant stand! but with that said there is positives to it!
1.price point- they are always way cheaper then a rtt especially after 2020 happened! so the price to get a good one is great now days
2. compact- they dont take up lots of space and are easy to just throw in the bed or in a box when in use/not in use
3.simple- simple to setup overall on some! not all are like this but some tents now days you can literally throw on the ground and poof its a tent!

but with this said i will never own a ground tent unless its when i do a motorcycle trip.... i personally hate them and will never go back to it.

now with rtts before 2020 you use to be able to get cheap ones like the smittybilt tent for 800 and then spend 100 to upgrade the mattress and it was golden! no issues good build quality and an amazing warranty! but since 2020 that has since changed... and that basic tent is now 1200 last i looked so it sucks... but i do love my rtt i currently own. they have pros and cons to them not going to lie but overall its not awful tbh..
pros
1. off the ground- i hate being on the ground and finding that one rock to lay on i always hated it and could never get comfy
2. not hard to setup- so this can depend on the tent you get and how much you use it! i use to have a smittybilt overlander xl and that tent was huge! it took me about 4mins to unpack it and repack it once i got it down but at first it was awful! now some rtt can be opened and closed in seconds (meaning a hardshell tent) but these can hold less gear like blankets and such inside when closed since of the design of them and some can limit your view inside your tent with less windows and such.
3.gotta do it for the gram!- nah im kidding figured id throw that in because why not lol
4. views- now this can depend but most of the time with a rtt you are up higher so you can get some neat views over waking up and going oh... all i see is my buddys truck or my truck in the morning sun vs the guy up on top of the truck is over everyone and gets to see it.
now the cons
1. weight- they average 100+lbs the lightest one i know of is the yakima tent and i think its border 100lbs but i dont remember! so that part does suck you are bolting an extra 100+lbs on your truck and depending on your rack setup that can cause more body roll in off camber sections! (been there done that!)
2.storgae- they are large so storing them does kinda suck unless you have a lift system setup in your garage to take it on or off but if you dont you will need to call a friend or just go to the gym more often lol
3.setup and tear down- ya i said it can be fast but it can also be a massive pain if its a large tent or if you are just not fast at it! so that depends on you!
4. rack setup!- now this will be a big part of this is what rack you go with! you can go a low pro rack where the tent is below the cab so no wind drag and easy to access awesome right!? well it has its onw issues... access to the bed sucks because its so low so you will need a rod with a hook to grab things or crawl into it. the other issue is the fact one window can not be opened because of the back glass of your truck! option two full height rack! these racks are great but also not great!? the reason for that is easy access to anything in the bed which is great and ease of use when its on the truck since its out of the way but the issues comes from now its up very high so its a pain to open/close the other issue is now all that weight is up high! so off camber sections off road will cause your ass end to sway and lean more to one side! which can be sketcy! plus all that wind is now hitting that big square block up top! so more drag! but it does have positives like now all your windows open and you get better views since you are high up!

alright so the next thing is the gfc style of camper vagabond campers, habitat, and so on!
these campershell tent combos are awesome! but they have their own world of issues!
now i have never owned one because the price is so high! plus i like the use of my bed once and awhile!
pros
setup/teardown- super easy when you are at the sight where it opens super quick and closes just as fast normally
storage- lots of dry storage for all your gear or to have it setup as a camper to live out of and have your bed into a relax area or a kitchen setup! ive seen it alot so its pretty dang cool!
there is prob more but without me owning one this is all i can say
cons
price!- these things are super pricey so its always scared me away! now you can build your own and it will do the same thing for a few grand cheaper but still pricey!
storage of the unit- storing this thing is a massive pain after talking to a buddy who had a habitat on his tundra! he always needed a forklift to take it on and off and then needed a good place to put it which since its large isnt always so easy...
build quality- now some are great like vagabond and habbitat and the quality is great but some others are not so great ive heard some pretty poor things about gfc sadly
again prob more but i dont own one soooo ya

next is trailers! this is what i personally like is small offroad capable trailer! i currently own a m100 military trailer that i use with my smittybilt overlander for a rtt and its a awesome little setup! you can also get a capable teardrop and add loads of little things to make it even better for you and who ever to use!
pros
storage- lots of extra storage for either a rtt setup camping trailer or a tear drop trailer
ease of use- these are so easy to use for either setup for my trailer it sits low for the tent so i can easily open and close it or climb on the trailer to close it all up. when it comes to a tear drop its also easy to use because well its all ready to go! just hitch it up and get going!
oh another is keeping everything all in one spot so all you gotta do is hitch up and go! so no reason to store all your stuff around the house!
i have more but eh im already talking a lot here!
cons
weight- you are literally towing an anchor with you... so offroad it can become sketchy or even annoying with it being back there! because of the weight your mpg will also suffer from it so it has its down sides!
storage of unit- again like the gfc and other camper shell tents these things take up space so unless you have the space for one they do suck to have because well they are not super small!
more maintenance- just another thing you will have to maintain and put insurance on so that can suck also!

awning setups are neat but also not? so they are neat because its like a rtt but its also not! so its a smaller package then a tent and lighter but dont think they are easy to setup... these things suck ass to setup especially the floor! it never goes back into the bag! the other issue with awnings is wind... i dont care what you do to em if the wind is strong they will bend.. ive had 2 arb awnings both smaller ones get bent and messed up from wind my buddy has a full on room setup on his fjc and he has had it replaced once already from a windstorm grabbing it and ripping the anchors out and twisting it... so awnings are great but they have their own issues as well... especially since you need a roof rack to mount them to so its not overall cheap...

in the end what you do is up to you op but this is my experinces over the years and just so nobody thinks nah i havent dealt with all that ill post pics of my old tacoma (if i have em) with my different setups and friends setups. ive been in this area for awhile so i know a thing or two now not saying i cant learn more but ive more or less figured out what i like.

the two best options to me is

low pro rack with a rtt
or
a trailer either a tear drop or a small utility trailer/ military trailer setup with a rtt

these are the best to me the rest nah

honestly if you want to see pics of my setups just look at my tacomas build thread most are in there if not there then on my insta.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ith-a-sprinkling-of-sumi-the-hx.587706/page-2

 

[NTXTremor]

kb voodoo belongs in one place the trash! junk rack junk powder coat terrible company just bleh stay away from voodoo

so ive been doing the overlanding thing for awhile now so figured id drop in with my info as well!

so first off all my experience has been with my old tacoma for 5-6 years but its still overlanding or fancy truck camping in the end just a different vehicle!

so first off ground tents i hate... yes they can be quick and simple now days but im still on the ground which i personally cant stand! but with that said there is positives to it!
1.price point- they are always way cheaper then a rtt especially after 2020 happened! so the price to get a good one is great now days
2. compact- they dont take up lots of space and are easy to just throw in the bed or in a box when in use/not in use
3.simple- simple to setup overall on some! not all are like this but some tents now days you can literally throw on the ground and poof its a tent!

but with this said i will never own a ground tent unless its when i do a motorcycle trip.... i personally hate them and will never go back to it.

now with rtts before 2020 you use to be able to get cheap ones like the smittybilt tent for 800 and then spend 100 to upgrade the mattress and it was golden! no issues good build quality and an amazing warranty! but since 2020 that has since changed... and that basic tent is now 1200 last i looked so it sucks... but i do love my rtt i currently own. they have pros and cons to them not going to lie but overall its not awful tbh..
pros
1. off the ground- i hate being on the ground and finding that one rock to lay on i always hated it and could never get comfy
2. not hard to setup- so this can depend on the tent you get and how much you use it! i use to have a smittybilt overlander xl and that tent was huge! it took me about 4mins to unpack it and repack it once i got it down but at first it was awful! now some rtt can be opened and closed in seconds (meaning a hardshell tent) but these can hold less gear like blankets and such inside when closed since of the design of them and some can limit your view inside your tent with less windows and such.
3.gotta do it for the gram!- nah im kidding figured id throw that in because why not lol
4. views- now this can depend but most of the time with a rtt you are up higher so you can get some neat views over waking up and going oh... all i see is my buddys truck or my truck in the morning sun vs the guy up on top of the truck is over everyone and gets to see it.
now the cons
1. weight- they average 100+lbs the lightest one i know of is the yakima tent and i think its border 100lbs but i dont remember! so that part does suck you are bolting an extra 100+lbs on your truck and depending on your rack setup that can cause more body roll in off camber sections! (been there done that!)
2.storgae- they are large so storing them does kinda suck unless you have a lift system setup in your garage to take it on or off but if you dont you will need to call a friend or just go to the gym more often lol
3.setup and tear down- ya i said it can be fast but it can also be a massive pain if its a large tent or if you are just not fast at it! so that depends on you!
4. rack setup!- now this will be a big part of this is what rack you go with! you can go a low pro rack where the tent is below the cab so no wind drag and easy to access awesome right!? well it has its onw issues... access to the bed sucks because its so low so you will need a rod with a hook to grab things or crawl into it. the other issue is the fact one window can not be opened because of the back glass of your truck! option two full height rack! these racks are great but also not great!? the reason for that is easy access to anything in the bed which is great and ease of use when its on the truck since its out of the way but the issues comes from now its up very high so its a pain to open/close the other issue is now all that weight is up high! so off camber sections off road will cause your ass end to sway and lean more to one side! which can be sketcy! plus all that wind is now hitting that big square block up top! so more drag! but it does have positives like now all your windows open and you get better views since you are high up!

alright so the next thing is the gfc style of camper vagabond campers, habitat, and so on!
these campershell tent combos are awesome! but they have their own world of issues!
now i have never owned one because the price is so high! plus i like the use of my bed once and awhile!
pros
setup/teardown- super easy when you are at the sight where it opens super quick and closes just as fast normally
storage- lots of dry storage for all your gear or to have it setup as a camper to live out of and have your bed into a relax area or a kitchen setup! ive seen it alot so its pretty dang cool!
there is prob more but without me owning one this is all i can say
cons
price!- these things are super pricey so its always scared me away! now you can build your own and it will do the same thing for a few grand cheaper but still pricey!
storage of the unit- storing this thing is a massive pain after talking to a buddy who had a habitat on his tundra! he always needed a forklift to take it on and off and then needed a good place to put it which since its large isnt always so easy...
build quality- now some are great like vagabond and habbitat and the quality is great but some others are not so great ive heard some pretty poor things about gfc sadly
again prob more but i dont own one soooo ya

next is trailers! this is what i personally like is small offroad capable trailer! i currently own a m100 military trailer that i use with my smittybilt overlander for a rtt and its a awesome little setup! you can also get a capable teardrop and add loads of little things to make it even better for you and who ever to use!
pros
storage- lots of extra storage for either a rtt setup camping trailer or a tear drop trailer
ease of use- these are so easy to use for either setup for my trailer it sits low for the tent so i can easily open and close it or climb on the trailer to close it all up. when it comes to a tear drop its also easy to use because well its all ready to go! just hitch it up and get going!
oh another is keeping everything all in one spot so all you gotta do is hitch up and go! so no reason to store all your stuff around the house!
i have more but eh im already talking a lot here!
cons
weight- you are literally towing an anchor with you... so offroad it can become sketchy or even annoying with it being back there! because of the weight your mpg will also suffer from it so it has its down sides!
storage of unit- again like the gfc and other camper shell tents these things take up space so unless you have the space for one they do suck to have because well they are not super small!
more maintenance- just another thing you will have to maintain and put insurance on so that can suck also!

awning setups are neat but also not? so they are neat because its like a rtt but its also not! so its a smaller package then a tent and lighter but dont think they are easy to setup... these things suck ass to setup especially the floor! it never goes back into the bag! the other issue with awnings is wind... i dont care what you do to em if the wind is strong they will bend.. ive had 2 arb awnings both smaller ones get bent and messed up from wind my buddy has a full on room setup on his fjc and he has had it replaced once already from a windstorm grabbing it and ripping the anchors out and twisting it... so awnings are great but they have their own issues as well... especially since you need a roof rack to mount them to so its not overall cheap...

in the end what you do is up to you op but this is my experinces over the years and just so nobody thinks nah i havent dealt with all that ill post pics of my old tacoma (if i have em) with my different setups and friends setups. ive been in this area for awhile so i know a thing or two now not saying i cant learn more but ive more or less figured out what i like.

the two best options to me is

low pro rack with a rtt
or
a trailer either a tear drop or a small utility trailer/ military trailer setup with a rtt

these are the best to me the rest nah

honestly if you want to see pics of my setups just look at my tacomas build thread most are in there if not there then on my insta.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ith-a-sprinkling-of-sumi-the-hx.587706/page-2

Wow! That is a very comprehensive response. Thanks for your feedback and all of the time you spent.

I am thinking of renting one of these TAYLOR'D overland trailers.
https://www.taylordoverland.com/pages/overland-trailers-for-rent

They are not too far from me and on the way to some cool places like Palo Duro Canyon or Big Bend. Since these offer both trailer sleeping and RTT sleeping options, it would be a good way to try out both in one weekend.

 

[Rhino]

Wow! That is a very comprehensive response. Thanks for your feedback and all of the time you spent.

I am thinking of renting one of these TAYLOR'D overland trailers.
https://www.taylordoverland.com/pages/overland-trailers-for-rent

They are not too far from me and on the way to some cool places like Palo Duro Canyon or Big Bend. Since these offer both trailer sleeping and RTT sleeping options, it would be a good way to try out both in one weekend.

no problem ive done this stuff for awhile and have a bit of knowledge and have learned by trail and error and money... on what i actually like haha

that is a great option tbh! out here where i live we dont have that here so you basically just have to buy it and figure it out lmao

 

[khyros]

So there are 7 pages of replies that I'm not going to read through, so I apologize if what I'm saying has been discussed already - at least you know it's not a biased opinion based off of others' thoughts.

1) I would probably recommend getting the Outpost (or similar from another brand) instead of just an at-rail-height rack system. I say this because I have my Overhaul set at the minimum height of 18'' (though I'm soon to modify it to drop it down to 15''), and as it is, it makes crawling through the bed to get something a little bit more of a hassle. If you have a RTT right above your bed, you literally won't be able to access anything in the bed that you can't reach from the tailgate.

2) I would also not really recommend going with the Overhaul. I just took mine off (needed to get large furniture that wouldn't fit under it), and have been driving around without it for the past few weeks - it's legitimately a 2-3mpg hit just having the crossbars up there. I'm excited to cut mine down to get it inside the profile of the cab. Note, fuel economy isn't why I'm doing that, but I'm hoping it's a nice benefit. Plus, you're putting a lot of weight up high on the truck, which is never good for handling purposes. It might seem like a small amount, but the curb weight is ~4000lbs, and let's call it at 30''. Adding a 200lb RTT at 70'' raises your center of gravity of the truck by ~2inches. That's HUGE. Conversely, adding it at 65'' raises it 1.66inches. So I guess you could say that you're only talking 1/3 of an inch difference between the two, and that's not as huge of a deal, but to each their own.

3) As for the tonneau cover, I have the Ford retrax, which I believe is the pro version since it's metal slates. The main downside to it is that you're taking your 5' bed and making it a 4.5' bed. The aforementioned reason that I took my rack off was to buy furniture, and the bed of the truck ended up being really small. I still would get the cover because my truck is very purpose built, and it supports that purpose. I just wanted to let you know that it is a relatively big hit to truck flexibility.

 

[NTXTremor]

So there are 7 pages of replies that I'm not going to read through, so I apologize if what I'm saying has been discussed already - at least you know it's not a biased opinion based off of others' thoughts.

1) I would probably recommend getting the Outpost (or similar from another brand) instead of just an at-rail-height rack system. I say this because I have my Overhaul set at the minimum height of 18'' (though I'm soon to modify it to drop it down to 15''), and as it is, it makes crawling through the bed to get something a little bit more of a hassle. If you have a RTT right above your bed, you literally won't be able to access anything in the bed that you can't reach from the tailgate.

2) I would also not really recommend going with the Overhaul. I just took mine off (needed to get large furniture that wouldn't fit under it), and have been driving around without it for the past few weeks - it's legitimately a 2-3mpg hit just having the crossbars up there. I'm excited to cut mine down to get it inside the profile of the cab. Note, fuel economy isn't why I'm doing that, but I'm hoping it's a nice benefit. Plus, you're putting a lot of weight up high on the truck, which is never good for handling purposes. It might seem like a small amount, but the curb weight is ~4000lbs, and let's call it at 30''. Adding a 200lb RTT at 70'' raises your center of gravity of the truck by ~2inches. That's HUGE. Conversely, adding it at 65'' raises it 1.66inches. So I guess you could say that you're only talking 1/3 of an inch difference between the two, and that's not as huge of a deal, but to each their own.

3) As for the tonneau cover, I have the Ford retrax, which I believe is the pro version since it's metal slates. The main downside to it is that you're taking your 5' bed and making it a 4.5' bed. The aforementioned reason that I took my rack off was to buy furniture, and the bed of the truck ended up being really small. I still would get the cover because my truck is very purpose built, and it supports that purpose. I just wanted to let you know that it is a relatively big hit to truck flexibility.

Thanks for adding your experiences.

I definitely understand the concern about access to the bed with an at-rail-height rack, but it sounds like a RTT at rail height has less of an impact on gas mileage and lowers the center of gravity, solving some of the issues you mention in #2. It is clearly a trade off.

I definitely use my truck bed for hauling stuff, and one of the things I like about the BakFlip style tonneau cover is that it is easy to remove to get full access to the bed when needed. I have concerns that the Retrax cover would be more difficult to temporarily remove. I am sure it can be done, but I am not sure how quickly or easily.

 

[khyros]

Thanks for adding your experiences.

I definitely understand the concern about access to the bed with an at-rail-height rack, but it sounds like a RTT at rail height has less of an impact on gas mileage and lowers the center of gravity, solving some of the issues you mention in #2. It is clearly a trade off.

I definitely use my truck bed for hauling stuff, and one of the things I like about the BakFlip style tonneau cover is that it is easy to remove to get full access to the bed when needed. I have concerns that the Retrax cover would be more difficult to temporarily remove. I am sure it can be done, but I am not sure how quickly or easily.

True, a bed height one would be better for CG as well as fuel economy. However, it will also 100% block any visibility out the rear window. Obviously so do a ton of trailers and other options, so that's not a 100% deal breaker for people. One thing that I might consider if I was to just do it all over again, would be a bed topper. My use of the bed rack is for my kayaks, but I don't think a RTT would really be any different of a use. By the time you're done with your tonneau cover and overhaul rack and brackets and whatnot, you're around 3k. That's not that far off from getting a high quality topper. Now, I don't have a topper, but what I will say is that it gives you more space for gear, is less intrusive to doing other things with it, and doesn't really change the access to the RTT compared to having an overhaul. I'm not saying that I would have decided it was the right thing, but I definitely would give it a good hard consideration.

 

[NTXTremor]

True, a bed height one would be better for CG as well as fuel economy. However, it will also 100% block any visibility out the rear window. Obviously so do a ton of trailers and other options, so that's not a 100% deal breaker for people. One thing that I might consider if I was to just do it all over again, would be a bed topper. My use of the bed rack is for my kayaks, but I don't think a RTT would really be any different of a use. By the time you're done with your tonneau cover and overhaul rack and brackets and whatnot, you're around 3k. That's not that far off from getting a high quality topper. Now, I don't have a topper, but what I will say is that it gives you more space for gear, is less intrusive to doing other things with it, and doesn't really change the access to the RTT compared to having an overhaul. I'm not saying that I would have decided it was the right thing, but I definitely would give it a good hard consideration.

A topper is an interesting option, too, but I am pretty sure that they impede the view to a certain extent, too. A topper with a RTT would be great for storage and access, but unless I decided to leave the topper on all of the time, it is just another large, heavy item to store.

 

[khyros]

A topper is an interesting option, too, but I am pretty sure that they impede the view to a certain extent, too. A topper with a RTT would be great for storage and access, but unless I decided to leave the topper on all of the time, it is just another large, heavy item to store.

True true. I ask the same question though of your RTT and rack in general. If you're planning on removing your RTT when you're not using it, the default option (imo) would be to have an overhead winch system in your garage. To which I say that the same system can be used to remove your cap/RTT. And if you're planning on leaving it on at all times, then you're going to have less restricted access with it on a topper than you would with it on a rack.

 

[NTXTremor]

True true. I ask the same question though of your RTT and rack in general. If you're planning on removing your RTT when you're not using it, the default option (imo) would be to have an overhead winch system in your garage. To which I say that the same system can be used to remove your cap/RTT. And if you're planning on leaving it on at all times, then you're going to have less restricted access with it on a topper than you would with it on a rack.

Agreed. If I buy a RTT, I will definitely rig up some sort of pulley system to store it up high in my garage, but I would expect that I would disconnect it from the rack to do so. Removing and storing the rack separately doesn't seem like a big deal, especially with the Yakima systems which appear to be very user friendly.

I am not sure that I would have vertical room in my garage to store the topper with a RTT on it. I could probably store a topper in my side yard away from the prying eyes of the HOA. ?

 

[EJH]

So there are 7 pages of replies that I'm not going to read through, so I apologize if what I'm saying has been discussed already - at least you know it's not a biased opinion based off of others' thoughts.

1) I would probably recommend getting the Outpost (or similar from another brand) instead of just an at-rail-height rack system. I say this because I have my Overhaul set at the minimum height of 18'' (though I'm soon to modify it to drop it down to 15''), and as it is, it makes crawling through the bed to get something a little bit more of a hassle. If you have a RTT right above your bed, you literally won't be able to access anything in the bed that you can't reach from the tailgate.

2) I would also not really recommend going with the Overhaul. I just took mine off (needed to get large furniture that wouldn't fit under it), and have been driving around without it for the past few weeks - it's legitimately a 2-3mpg hit just having the crossbars up there. I'm excited to cut mine down to get it inside the profile of the cab. Note, fuel economy isn't why I'm doing that, but I'm hoping it's a nice benefit. Plus, you're putting a lot of weight up high on the truck, which is never good for handling purposes. It might seem like a small amount, but the curb weight is ~4000lbs, and let's call it at 30''. Adding a 200lb RTT at 70'' raises your center of gravity of the truck by ~2inches. That's HUGE. Conversely, adding it at 65'' raises it 1.66inches. So I guess you could say that you're only talking 1/3 of an inch difference between the two, and that's not as huge of a deal, but to each their own.

3) As for the tonneau cover, I have the Ford retrax, which I believe is the pro version since it's metal slates. The main downside to it is that you're taking your 5' bed and making it a 4.5' bed. The aforementioned reason that I took my rack off was to buy furniture, and the bed of the truck ended up being really small. I still would get the cover because my truck is very purpose built, and it supports that purpose. I just wanted to let you know that it is a relatively big hit to truck flexibility.

Get the Outpost instead. I sold my Overhaul and bought an Outpost. I used the same HD crossbars. I have no mpg hit with the Outpost, since it is under the cab height. When the RTT is up there, the truck is more stable having the RTT 5-6 inches lower. Also with the RTT, I have a ~2 MPG hit.

Note that anything lower than the Outpost, you will want to check your RTT. Many RTTs open out on all four sides. If the rack is too low, the RTT side towards the front of the truck will not be able to be opened, or popped out. I have a Yakima RTT and had to ever so slightly bend the rain fly supports on the front to not hit the truck cab roof. Any lower and my RTT would not work.

 

[NTXTremor]

Get the Outpost instead. I sold my Overhaul and bought an Outpost. I used the same HD crossbars. I have no mpg hit with the Outpost, since it is under the cab height. When the RTT is up there, the truck is more stable having the RTT 5-6 inches lower. Also with the RTT, I have a ~2 MPG hit.

Note that anything lower than the Outpost, you will want to check your RTT. Many RTTs open out on all four sides. If the rack is too low, the RTT side towards the front of the truck will not be able to be opened, or popped out. I have a Yakima RTT and had to ever so slightly bend the rain fly supports on the front to not hit the truck cab roof. Any lower and my RTT would not work.

Thanks for the guidance!

 

[mtbikernate]

Ease of removal is one thing I like about the Yakima systems. Thankfully I don't use mine for tents. It's for boats. But I picked up some cabinets recently and needed a tiny bit more space. Was able to take off one of the Yakima bars right there to get the space I needed.

 

[lazynorse]

I'll be the party pooper and poop on RTTs. I'm an avid backpacker and car camper. I've done many multi day adventures out of my 2010 Subaru Outback. Last couple years with a Gazelle T4 instant up (and down) hub tent. We're deployed and ready to enjoy camp well within 20 min. The tent is up in 90 seconds, then I throw my Thermarest Mondo King mattresses back there to mostly self inflate. Before bedtime, I top them off with a small rechargeable inflator. Easy peasy. Drive a few stakes in the ground and the tent is ready. The rest is our camp chairs and table, out and setup in 2 min. Everything else stored in bins when we need it, which are weather protected and clean, btw, because their in a protected interior space.

If you store your gear in an open bed, with RTT on bars over it, your bins and stuff will be a dirty disgusting mess. Your hands and forearms filthy from handling it. They'll get rained on, and possibly more easily stolen when you run into the grocery store to resupply. If your RTT is soft version, you'll be wrestling that thing both up and down and take longer doing it than a Gazelle tent. I can stand in my Gazelle T4, I'm 6' 4".

If its a wedge tent, its 48" wide.. cant even fit two 25" standard pads inside! My ultra light backing tent fits my wife, dog and I with room to spare, each of us with 25" pads.. 3 pounds, takes 5 minutes to completely set up, less to take down. RTT is many times more expensive than an awesome ground tent. Can't secure your base camp when you leave with an RTT, or at least you can easily with your ground tent.

Anyway, make sure you're really sold on the idea of an RTT. They are expensive, must be taken down before driving your vehicle, are heavy and finicky (if soft version), drag down MPGs, are often small inside. I can see some benefit of a hard top RTT, but just barely.

When I get my Ranger, I'm sticking with the Gazelle T4 and all my current gear. I've got it dialed in. I've clocked in the hours with tents and have studied the RTT options very carefully... just doesn't pencil out or win out on the pros and cons. Your mileage may vary.

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