Roof Rack on Camper Shell (Canopy)

[Mtnboy]

I want to put a roof rack system on my camper shell on my truck (I've always called it a canopy but I realize now nobody else does).

Has anybody done this themselves? Cost? Any install issues? Tips? Tricks? Good places to buy?

I got quoted $600 from the place in town to do it and that's over double what I paid for the shell to begin with, so that's not feasible at all.

On a side note, maybe we need a Truck/Vehicle/Transportation Forum, seems to be quite a bit of discussion on here about that stuff and it is an integral part of Western Hunting in my opinion. Even if you aren't a "road hunter" out here in Idaho some of the places I go require good ground clearance and 10-Ply tires just to get to the trailhead.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I purchased a rack system from Rhino Racks on Promotive and installed it myself. One of the screw leaks a bit, and I can't seem to seal it up with silicon. It's not a hard process, I don't think I would pay someone to do it.

 

[Mtnboy]

Did you install it on to Bars or just straight to the roof?


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[mrbillbrown]

My '01 Tacoma had a Yakima rack on its camper shell, canopy, topper etc. It was there when I bought it. They had used a set of Q towers bolted directly to the top and a set of bars could be used or removed at will.

Been thinking about putting a set on my current '06 Tundra camper shell. When I inquired at a local accessory shop the only advice they had was making sure I had a camper top that would be sturdy enough to accept the towers. They warned that some shells didn't have the right re-inforcement in critical areas to withstand the force applied by the roof rack.

molon labe, mrbill

 

[Tod osier]

Or topper or cap.... Some of them are cored (a layer of light weight material within the fiberglass to add thickness that adds strength). You need to decide if you need to screw through the core area. Downsides of drilling through the core are that you can compress the core and crack the fiberglass or water can infiltrate the core if not sealed well. The absolute best way to deal with a core if you have to drill through it is to drill a bit oversize from the top, but not go through to the bottom and then squeeze a thick epoxy in and let it cure and then redrill - this forms a seal and makes the area around the hole incompressible. OR mount the stuff where not cored.

Overall the job is easy, especially if not dealing with a cored area.

 

[jeffpg]

I am wanting to put a Leer 100XQ on my 2015 Chevy 2500 HD. Their Wilderness package comes with a rack on it, plus some other options. It'd look something like this on my truck.

 

[coop2424]

I have one on mine that was cheap $60 that i used the rails that were on my canopy... Ultimately I want something bigger that goes over part of the cab also but money isn't there for it right now..

This red Tacoma I saw at the dealership this week and is more of what I want..

 

[Jason Snyder]

Did you install it on to Bars or just straight to the roof?


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On bars.

 

[Brendan]

I haves the rails installed when I bought my leer. I could take pictures if anyone's interested in exactly how it's mounted...

I use a packasport during hunting season for more space.

 

[dotman]

Easy if you have a welder and metal supply shop, just make your own. I'm no that impressed with what I've seen for the price retail wise. A buddy of mine made a really nice one for a custom food truck that probably would of cost $5K if bought on the retail market, think he had $500 in it.

For a topper $150 and a welder should get you the exact setup you want.

 

[xziang]

No matter what you do I would purchase the rack/bar set up from possibly thule or Yakima. (I'm partial to Yakima) There are some others out there that can reallyl increase in price. If you buy bars and 'towers' from craigslist you will save some cash.

I have a shell on my taco and planned to put a rack on top for I pulled he rack off of my Tacoma. Here was/is my plan if I plan to do it. I went to salvage yard and pulled the cargo rack off a 4runner with intentions of bolting it to my camper shell. Then I was going to use Yakima rail riders which fit into the stock 4runner cargo rack and mount the bars that way. This would allow me to have the rack system on the camper shell so I could install a rocket box and or a basket.

The other route you can go with Yakima anyway is to get some rain gutter mounts and then rain gutter towers and affix those to the camper shell. Usually you can find Yakima stuff on craigslist and ebay so that would save you some $$.

I never installed a rack on my camper shell for haven't needed it and if I would I have yakimas QTR set up that goes over the cab if I want to put a basket or rocketbox on it.

To sum it up I might try and find a factory roof rack system off a SUV and then transplant it onto the camper shell and go from there.

 

[beachbunny]

I had an old Blazer with a fiberglass top. I took some rack bars , drilled straight through them and the roof ,bolted them down and sealed it up with roof cement. That never leaked.

 

[camping1601]

I've done two sets of the Yakima tracks on Jeep Wrangler fiberglass tops. They worked great.

 

[Ray]

On an old F150 with a ABS plastic topper I had a yakima rack system with the Q towers. Not that costly. I sealed the bolt holes with black 3M 5200. That is a marine sealant/adhesive. I takes a day to cure, but lasts decades out in the weather.

However, once I started carrying loads of wood for furniture making, I changed over to a welded steel rack custom fitted to the truck. I did not like the bolt together systems and found that buying one locally cost the same as having one made locally. Probably well over your budget though.

 

[Bmcox86]

I'm glad I saw this post, I'm looking to do the same thing on my 2010 tundra with a leer topper, I want to put Thule or Yakima racks on the topper and one on the truck to carry a cargo basket on one side and a 15ft canoe on the other


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[Ray]

One of the things to consider when loading a canoe on a double/quad cab truck is how will the bow fit over the front of the cab. It depends on the shape of the bow and the distance ahead of the last cross piece of your rack system. If your rack is way back on the canopy, you may still need to have a foam canoe pad system up on the truck cab. Pipe insulation foam will last one trip before it wears through under compression. Use the real deal foam canoe pads that slip onto the canoe coming/sides.

A classic prospector style bow on your canoe may block a good part of your view if too low on a rack. Could even hit your windshield.

For loading boats on a pipe/lumber rack I have learned that I like an open side. Most material racks have a top and bottom bar to hold things in and keep them from swinging out from the truck. I have found myself in places were getting the canoe on/off the rack was best from the side of the truck rather than the rear. Thus my current rack has only a single side rail/bar and no posts sticking up.

Another thing to be aware of with some trucks - like my 2006 Tacoma - is that the bed is just a big plastic box with flimsy sheet metal sides. When mounting a welded or bolt together rack you need to make or buy special mounts to go onto the bed rail system as there is nothing but thin tin to bolt to on the top of the bed sides. The plastic side caps will collapse, too. There is a rubber product from the mining industry called "skirt board" that comes in a variety of thicknesses and widths. It will not collapse under heavy loads.

 

[xziang]

I'm glad I saw this post, I'm looking to do the same thing on my 2010 tundra with a leer topper, I want to put Thule or Yakima racks on the topper and one on the truck to carry a cargo basket on one side and a 15ft canoe on the other
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You may have a hard time fitting a basket on one side of the rack and the canoe on the other. Agree with above post in regards to the bow of the canoe might hit the roof of the truck. May need to put one bar on the cab of the truck using a QTR tower.