My Custom Monolithic 8' Bed Rack

I decided while I am waiting an unknown time for my Raptor to be scheduled I would start designing and building my custom rack. For a little bit of background I utilized a full steel RCI setup & unistrut design on my current ranger (see bottom photos), but this time I wanted to cut out some weight and will be moving to 8020 extruded aluminum for this build. The main feature will be 21" base sub-frame height and then an 8' monolithic over the cab platform. Sort of like the setups you see with over-the cab wedge campers, just minus the wedge camper portion. The upper platform will be completely walkable and will utilize DURASLAT flooring like my current build. This grated flooring is 3/4" thick high-impact polypropylene plastic which is commonly used for poultry house flooring. The front of the rack will be equipped with a row of 7" round spot lights to give it that classic touch.

Please keep in mind I will be updating photos as I design and add things, so the initial photo is the basic crude shape. There will be a third additional vertical bar and I will once again be incorporating some double walled storage containers with gas struts and locking caps. In this design I am starting with some basic off the shelf connector components, but I will be having to design some custom fabbed ones as well to my liking. My target budget will be similar to off the shelf aluminum bed racks, but the goal is to incorporate the over head components in that same budget range which is why building from scratch will be a better bang for the buck.

I built my current setup for around $2300 including the vertical storage.



Current Ranger:







Version 2 of my rack



And the original Version 1 of my rack;

For the sake of my understanding, why have you chosen not to go with an off the shelf bed rack and attach your own platform to it?

goalieThreeOne said:

For the sake of my understanding, why have you chosen not to go with an off the shelf bed rack and attach your own platform to it?

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As of right now that is correct. I did reach out to Xtrusion Overland to see if they would be willing to work with me, their base XR1 + my sub-frame and platform design (still built by me), but I never heard back from them one way or the other.

The XTR-1 specs I would need would run me about $1,300. I think if I budget carefully I can do a bed rack and over the cab platform for that same amount if I do it all 100% from scratch in my own shop. Granted my design will initially be more "boxy" looking without any custom angle brackets, but most wedge camper racks are all boxy anyhow.

SGT Ranger said:

As of right now that is correct. I did reach out to Xtrusion Overland to see if they would be willing to work with me, their base XR1 + my sub-frame and platform design (still built by me), but I never heard back from them one way or the other.

The XTR-1 specs I would need would run me about $1,300. I think if I budget carefully I can do a bed rack and over the cab platform for that same amount if I do it all 100% from scratch in my own shop.

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Didn't mean to cause confusion. I'm asking WHY you didn't go that route? Was it a load rating issue? A packaging issue? I'm an engineer so don't hold back on the details.

goalieThreeOne said:

Didn't mean to cause confusion. I'm asking WHY you didn't go that route? Was it a load rating issue? A packaging issue? I'm an engineer so don't hold back on the details.

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If you are asking as to the original design, it was done in all steel for a few reasons. I didn't really get into custom fabbing my own stuff till I sort of already had an RCI rack. I started working with RCI products since I was already a customer in ordering a bunch of individual components to shop/bend/modify (mainly the side platform paneling) that are not really openly advertised on their website. The second reason I worked with steel is because... well, its much cheaper. A ten foot span of unistrut was only $30 from a local DIY store. Considerably cheaper than extruded aluminum. Of course the downfall to all of this was my rack and all components + gear was around 800lbs. I ultimately had to install some autospring leaf helpers to combat the pre-load my rear eibach shocks were enduring.

Or did I misunderstand your question?

SGT Ranger said:

If you are asking as to the original design, it was done in all steel for a few reasons. I didn't really get into custom fabbing my own stuff till I sort of already had an RCI rack. I started working with RCI products since I was already a customer in ordering a bunch of individual components to shop/bend/modify (mainly the side platform paneling) that are not really openly advertised on their website. The second reason I worked with steel is because... well, its much cheaper. A ten foot span of unistrut was only $30 from a local DIY store. Considerably cheaper than extruded aluminum. Of course the downfall to all of this was my rack and all components + gear was around 800lbs. I ultimately had to install some autospring leaf helpers to combat the pre-load my rear eibach shocks were enduring.

Or did I misunderstand your question?

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What I'm asking is why have chosen to go fully custom fabricated as opposed to taking an existing aftermarket rack system and adding your own platform on top.

goalieThreeOne said:

What I'm asking is why have chosen to go fully custom fabricated as opposed to taking an existing aftermarket rack system and adding your own platform on top.

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Because I should be able to build the entire system for the same price as paying for just the off the shelf bed system.

That is why I reached out to Xtrusion Overland in a no shame scratch my back I'll scratch yours sort of question. They supply the base system, I'll build and connect my custom system, then I more or less act as a rolling advert and spokesperson (for lack of a better description). I have directed a lot of potential sales to RCI locally with my current setup and I could do the same for them. I just never heard back from them, which is not me snuffing them or anything, they are probably very busy. So I am just moving on to my backup plan. I had actually planned to attend the next SEMA and overland expo east with my truck, but that basically got put on the back burner now that I have a Raptor on order.

The big take away from this is I do custom one-off fab stuff as a hobby for myself. I do not run a business or work for another product company, matter of fact my job pays garbage. So when I fab stuff up budgets take priority to minimize my bank account bruising.

I'd like to one day maybe go into business doing this kind of stuff, but that is a pipe dream for the foreseeable future.

SGT Ranger said:

Because I should be able to build the entire system for the same price as paying for just the off the shelf bed system.

That is why I reached out to Xtrusion Overland in a no shame scratch my back I'll scratch yours sort of question. They supply the base system, I'll build and connect my custom system, then I more or less act as a rolling advert and spokesperson (for lack of a better description). I have directed a lot of potential sales to RCI locally with my current setup and I could do the same for them. I just never heard back from them, which is not me snuffing them or anything, they are probably very busy. So I am just moving on to my backup plan. I had actually planned to attend the next SEMA and overland expo east with my truck, but that basically got put on the back burner now that I have a Raptor on order.

The big take away from this is I do custom one-off fab stuff as a hobby for myself. I do not run a business or work for another product company, matter of fact my job pays garbage. So when I fab stuff up budgets take priority to minimize my bank account bruising.

I'd like to one day maybe go into business doing this kind of stuff, but that is a pipe dream for the foreseeable future.

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That's awesome and I respect the hell out of that.

Man if you ever get to the point you're making them for other people, I have some ideas. I would love to have a rack system that you can attach exterior panels to to enclose cargo, like a topper. But could be removable to add your camping gear on the weekends. Something like the RSI Smart Cap, but with removable panels, camera housing, wiring gutters, etc.

goalieThreeOne said:

That's awesome and I respect the hell out of that.

Man if you ever get to the point you're making them for other people, I have some ideas. I would love to have a rack system that you can attach exterior panels to to enclose cargo, like a topper. But could be removable to add your camping gear on the weekends. Something like the RSI Smart Cap, but with removable panels, camera housing, wiring gutters, etc.

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Ha... just stay tuned. Like I said, to start with is just mapping the base system out. I have some stuff planned. I generally do things in stages. Further stages (expanding the base budget over time) usually results in things getting a little mad scientist on my end.

I have big plans for the bed area. It will all be hard mounted to the rack system when all is said in done. Like a slide in camper, but not a camper.

SGT Ranger said:

Ha... just stay tuned. Like I said, to start with is just mapping the base system out. I have some stuff planned. I generally do things in stages. Further stages (expanding the base budget over time) usually results in things getting a little mad scientist on my end.

I have big plans for the bed area. It will all be hard mounted to the rack system when all is said in done. Like a slide in camper, but not a camper.

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I’ll be following along

The woes of working night shift and it being a night off. Still in zombie mode...

Little more work...

Scale doesn't translate exactly right once it comes to real life assembly, if it does I will chop the vertical supports to get it closer to the apex of the roof line for a more streamlined design.

I forgot to mention, the reason I did parallel bars to the factory bed caps is because they finally added bolt holes under the caps (removable plastic hatches) and I will be running carriage bolts through the bars and factory bed caps to secure it with a much cleaner look than c-clamps.



Flooring mapped out;



Toying around with some attachments. I am thinking I may do a fixed half ladder on the rear side section (use the tire as the first step up);

Are all the beams the Xtrusion product. Can you purchase that material from them in lengths that are needed. I like the XTR1 system for the Ranger. I see you do not have a roof rack on the cab. Did you feel that the twisting from the box would cause problems. Myself I would put an aluminum plate on the top and just make it so I could put a standard tent there.

Scooter said:

Are all the beams the Xtrusion product. Can you purchase that material from them in lengths that are needed. I like the XTR1 system for the Ranger. I see you do not have a roof rack on the cab. Did you feel that the twisting from the box would cause problems. Myself I would put an aluminum plate on the top and just make it so I could put a standard tent there.

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I will be buying the 8020 extrusion as raw material and cutting to length.

I do not see the need for a roof rack with my designs, I have plenty of storage between between the over head platform, vertical storage pods, and the decked bed system. I don't do RTT's - I opted for an ARB 2500x2500 awning with their tent attachment.



I do have future plans to build an oversized squaredrop trailer from scratch down the line.

goalieThreeOne said:

That's awesome and I respect the hell out of that.

Man if you ever get to the point you're making them for other people, I have some ideas. I would love to have a rack system that you can attach exterior panels to to enclose cargo, like a topper. But could be removable to add your camping gear on the weekends. Something like the RSI Smart Cap, but with removable panels, camera housing, wiring gutters, etc.

Click to expand...

You know pondering this a little bit more I may do some prototyping with some marine grade plywood with an extra layer of sealant maybe something like a bed liner. Since the initial design is pretty much all right angles and boxes it would be as simple as cutting a sheet to size making sure to seal it properly and then I would also add a rubber gasket around the edges so when it's bolted to the t slots on the extrusion it seals it pretty damn good.

The only problem with going that route is then if you want vertical side storage you would pretty much have to custom Fab those up and incorporate them into the wall design. As mentioned before my vertical storage is more or less just double walled cargo boxes which for the sake of getting those to line up with a flat piece of stock and still be sealed the design is just way too intricate and specs would have to be super tight.

The other alternative is if you have a flat wall I could just go with the shallow double wall pistol or rifle case boxes just attached to the exterior but you give up storage depth with that design. The positive is you gain more interior space by not having the cargo boxes protrude into the bed area. Honestly once the core system is built there's all sorts of things I am mulling over to test.

SGT Ranger said:

You know pondering this a little bit more I may do some prototyping with some marine grade plywood with an extra layer of sealant maybe something like a bed liner. Since the initial design is pretty much all right angles and boxes it would be as simple as cutting a sheet to size making sure to seal it properly and then I would also add a rubber gasket around the edges so when it's bolted to the t slots on the extrusion it seals it pretty damn good.

The only problem with going that route is then if you want vertical side storage you would pretty much have to custom Fab those up and incorporate them into the wall design. As mentioned before my vertical storage is more or less just double walled cargo boxes which for the sake of getting those to line up with a flat piece of stock and still be sealed the design is just way too intricate and specs would have to be super tight.

The other alternative is if you have a flat wall I could just go with the shallow double wall pistol or rifle case boxes just attached to the exterior but you give up storage depth with that design. The positive is you gain more interior space by not having the cargo boxes protrude into the bed area. Honestly once the core system is built there's all sorts of things I am mulling over to test.

Click to expand...

One of two options:

A horizontal bar the length of the rack halfway up with mounting provisions on either side inset into the rack. Thin sheet still attaches on the outside. Boxes in the inside.

Alternatively, have cross support on the inside of the sheet with your mounting provisions.

For my need, inside storage can be accomplished with a molle panel. All I’m doing is enclosing it for sensitive cargo, and then pulling the sheets off for daily driving.