Does this look safe? Bed rack mounting.

[Max 57]

Got myself a Wildtop Beast for my RTT and gear, and after getting it on the bed, it looks like it should be wider to sit fully over the shims. Am I overthinking this?

Side note: Not sure it's readily apparent, but my bed rail caps cupped slightly from just two years of a light weight, soft fold tonneau resting on them. Definitely NOT structural. Bad form, Ford.

PS: that cargo net (test fitted here) for the back of an SUV or truck bed makes a pretty good place to stash boots, helmets and other misc gear, especially once the canvas top is installed.

Yes I wouldn't trust that with any load

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[ryanO]

Got myself a Wildtop Beast for my RTT and gear, and after getting it on the bed, it looks like it should be wider to sit fully over the shims. Am I overthinking this?

Side note: Not sure it's readily apparent, but my bed rail caps cupped slightly from just two years of a light weight, soft fold tonneau resting on them. Definitely NOT structural. Bad form, Ford.

PS: that cargo net (test fitted here) for the back of an SUV or truck bed makes a pretty good place to stash boots, helmets and other misc gear, especially once the canvas top is installed.

Bed rail caps are never structural. They are just plastic trim pieces. Always.

As for the rack. It appears to me the inside of the rack lines up with the i.side of the bed side. Unless I'm mistaken.
If so, it looks fine.

 

[pablo94sc]

Bed rail caps are never structural. They are just plastic trim pieces. Always.

As for the rack. It appears to me the inside of the rack lines up with the i.side of the bed side. Unless I'm mistaken.
If so, it looks fine.

If the cap isn't structural, then the rack likely isn't safe to be used for a roof top tent as currently installed, correct?

 

[ryanO]

If the cap isn't structural, then the rack likely isn't safe to be used for a roof top tent as currently installed, correct?

Not necessarily. The structure holding the rooftop tent is the actual bed side. The clamping force used to attach the rack to the bed keeps the rack in place while the bed structure carries the load. The plastic caps are simply decorative and play no part (positively or negatively) in the structure. It's simply physics......

 

[Jason B]

Not necessarily. The structure holding the rooftop tent is the actual bed side. The clamping force used to attach the rack to the bed keeps the rack in place while the bed structure carries the load. The plastic caps are simply decorative and play no part (positively or negatively) in the structure. It's simply physics......

Agreed, as long as there are proper spacers in the 'stake pockets' to accept the load.

 

[pablo94sc]

Agreed, as long as there are proper spacers in the 'stake pockets' to accept the load.

Not necessarily. The structure holding the rooftop tent is the actual bed side. The clamping force used to attach the rack to the bed keeps the rack in place while the bed structure carries the load. The plastic caps are simply decorative and play no part (positively or negatively) in the structure. It's simply physics......

Wait, can you explain how the caps play no part? If there are downward and outward forces applied to the cap via the rack, wouldn't the structural integrity of the cap play a role? If the cap fails, the downward clamping force would then be cantilevered fully off the shims, right?

I'm not an engineer, but I'm actually interested in how this can work safely. I'm just not able to picture it.

BTW, these are the Buckle Up shims, so aluminum top cap and HDPE (? It's plastic) spacer puck. I may send them back for the AAL ones.

 

[superj]

the spacer will be fine even if its plastic material. same as lift spacers that are plastic material.

the aal ones are super nice though, and should come with more then you actually need so you will have spares if you want to raise it a little off the plastic bed cap. i have them with the aal bed tie down kit on my truck with the under bed rail kit. works great

 

[pablo94sc]

the spacer will be fine even if its plastic material. same as lift spacers that are plastic material.

the aal ones are super nice though, and should come with more then you actually need so you will have spares if you want to raise it a little off the plastic bed cap. i have them with the aal bed tie down kit on my truck with the under bed rail kit. works great

The stuff I've gotten from AAL has been top notch, but looks got me this time. Only real con is the bolts included with buckle up's are look like they are starting to rust through the black coating. I'm going to replace them with quality stainless before I finalize everything.

 

[pablo94sc]

I've been routed to Wildtop engineering. Given it's night in Australia, I don't expect to hear anything until after I've gone to bed.

 

[gtistiffler]

I have the original WildTop and mine seems to sit further out. Here’s a pic.

 

[pablo94sc]

I have the original WildTop and mine seems to sit further out. Here’s a pic.

That looks much safer to me. How are you liking your top?

 

[superj]

i agree. it looks a lot better on @gtistiffler 's pic.

i wonder if you can loosen yours and maybe adjust a bit, @pablo94sc ? or maybe put some washers in between some of the bars to space those out a bit for now? or maybe a thin properly shaped piece of aluminum plate?

 

[pablo94sc]

i agree. it looks a lot better on @gtistiffler 's pic.

i wonder if you can loosen yours and maybe adjust a bit, @pablo94sc ? or maybe put some washers in between some of the bars to space those out a bit for now? or maybe a thin properly shaped piece of aluminum plate?

I had similar thoughts, but not a lot of wiggle room once the upper corners are fitted and the upper brackets are snugged. I'll take a pic of the upper, interior, rail setup. I think the corner sliding into the rail slots on the lateral and upright is pretty slick. Kinda wish they had connected the bottom rails to the uprights in a similar fashion, but that would almost certainly been overkill.

PS: I'm really digging these t-rails. I keep thinking of stuff I could add and ways to mount stuff. It's like an erector set for children ages 18+.

 

[superj]

thats awesome. it definitely looks like you could do a ton of things with it

 

[pablo94sc]

Might not get a chance. Boilerplate responses like this are pure bullshit.

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