Short Rack vs. Mid-level Bed Rack

Hey guys,

I'm debating between going with the Cali Raised short rack or the RCI mid-level bed rack. I'm aware that there are threads out there comparing all bed racks on the market but I'd like to know more specifically if there are any pros/cons to having a short rack vs mid-level height rack? The difference in height looks to be very minor (9" vs 12"), but I'm planning on eventually purchasing an rtt along with other gear (Rotopax, tools, recovery gear, etc) and wondering if there's a bed rack height best suited for these things or is it all dependent on the rtt I decide to go with and then going from there? I'm also a big fan of the side rails on the Cali Raised racks versus the RCI rack but if one is more functional than the other I'd be more incline to go that route.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Pics for reference:

Cali Raised Short Rack


RCI Mid-Level Rack

 

Have you look at the CBI rack? It's cab height, but the sides go the length of the bed. I don't have one, but I'm really thinking about this one.

https://cbioffroadfab.com/product/3rd-gen-tacoma-overland-bed-rack/

 

I had a cab height rack for about a year and I bought it because I wanted to have the space underneath for small motos, camp gear etc. I ended up selling it because of how high the weight of my RTT was when offroading. It also had a bad howl from the RTT on the highway, super weird sound that would almost feel like my ears were plugged at speeds over 65.

IMO, don't get a bed rack. IF you really want a RTT, get bed bars or something similar and save the extra $500-$600 for sliders, skids and other mods for your truck. The first thing I bought was an $800 rack and looking back I would have been much happier with just a simple set of bedbars. Sure you can mount all sorts of gear on the bedrack, but all that stuff is pricey and a lot of it is just overkill. Nothing wrong with any of it, don't get me wrong! I just think your truck should have armor, better tires and maybe suspension before all the "overlanding" gear. Again, just my opinion and obviously everyone is different. I just wish someone had said this to me a year ago.

For what it's worth I have sliders from Cali-raised and they are top notch with excellent customer service. I also just bought a rear bumper from RCI and have heard nothing but good things about them as well. So I think you're on the right track with those 2 companies!

 

You'll likely need something a bit taller than either of those to fit Rotopax on. I have the CBI, which does have just enough space for Rotopax. I currently don't use Rotopax, but wanted to be sure I had the option. I like having the extra space in the bed, but didn't want the tent sticking up too high above the cab.

 

You are correct, I did bars on mine for that exact reason, the rack looks great but the bars are easier to move around for space as well. I got the C4 Fab bars and they have mount points on the sides for high-lift jacks and rotopax.

 

Cab height because I can't stand losing my rear view.

 

Fuckin' a. I'm seriously removing mine after I move and have the garage clearance for a cab-height because the RCI rack is dead center where I need to see. To make it worse, it's still too short to stick all the things you'd want to stick on a rack so it's really not meeting my personal needs.

 

Well, with my bed bars, the tent sits just a hint above the top of the cab, so the major benefit is that I can still enter parking structures when I have the tent on the back.

Downside is that it does cut visibility from the rearview mirror. But, hey, that's just an argument to perform the backup-camera-anytime mod. And side mirrors work just fine. Haven't hit anyone yet. knock on wood.

 

I have seen that one actually. I actually sort of like the design on it but just not sure I'm digging the height. I'd say it's definitely one of the better cab height racks I've seen.

Really appreciate the feedback! I had glanced at a set of Voodoo bed bars a while back but heard some not so good reviews regarding the powder coating on their bars. Haven't really looked at any others since. Have any suggestions?

Couldn't you simply put the Rotopax on the opposite side that the tent opens up on? I was reading through another thread of TW members dealing with their Rotopax barely fitting or not fitting at all on their bed racks but it seemed like most just placed it somewhere else on the rack.

 

I think rear view is definitely gone with most bed racks unless you go with a cab height rack. I'm okay with losing visibility versus having the rtt sit up too high and have all sorts of wind noise. Not to mention the height clearance needed.

 

Following this thread, I'm in the same boat debating on what rack to get (or if a rack at all). The main point for me is for an RTT, but I ride dirtbikes often and want to be able to "easily" remove the tent and rack so I can load the bike in the bed. @Onwarrds reply about the low bed racks is such a great idea I never thought of. MUCH easier to remove than a full rack and I can shuffle them around when it comes time to load the bike.

 

It's not so much losing the view as it is losing part of the view. I still have enough to be annoying as hell that I can't see what I need. I'd rather have all the view (cab height) or none (low-profile). Problem is I can't have none because my tent has an annex so I'm going to replace with nearly full height.

 

I have the RCI bed rack pictured and have been using it for a few months now. Here are some of my thoughts:

-Rear visibility is not an issue. I can see everything just fine through my rear view mirror or when reversing.

-With the RTT attached, I can only attach rotopax on the side that opens from. I think if RCI would have give us the option to adjust the side plates up or down slightly, this would not be an issue.

-it's harder to just toss my mountain bike into my bed with the lower clearance of the rack. The bicycle pretty much needs to lay flat. I used to be able to toss 3 bicycles into my bed no problem, don't think I can do that anymore.

-If and when you do order the rack, be sure to check if your RTT will need an extra top brace bar ($60). You may not be able to mount it the way you want to with the default setup that comes with the rack when you buy it.

-No wind noise issue

-I honestly can't tell if I lose any MPG with my RTT and camping gear, I'm sure there's a loss, but nothing drastic that's noticeable.

-Rack is sturdy as hell and in my opinion, is the best looking rack on the market.

 

My thoughts exactly! Easier to move on/off. With the full bedrack, you can move it off the truck but it's not that easy and then need to store the whole thing somewhere. When I had to put big stuff in the bed, and motos it was a pain to get off and into the garage to store it.

FYI, re the Rotopax. I did have mine mounted to the bedrack and I could see an issue with the shorter racks not fitting certain sized rotos. Mine are 2gal and if you have a shorter rack I imagine you'd have to get the 1.75 or 1 gal size to fit better with a tent no matter what side they're on. But those sizes should work. Now my rotos are mounted with the standard rotopax mount to some nice aluminum bed rail t nuts from Hondo Garage (https://shop-hondogarage.com/products/toyota-utility-track-t-nut-4-pack) Super clean, easy way for me to keep the rotopax out of the way and sitting flush against the bedrails in the bed without intruding on space too much. I mount mine on the side rails right above the bedside cubbies. The stick up above the rails about 2-3" but sit flush with the top of the cubbies so I can still access them for sting stuff. Honestly I like the setup.

@Johnny77 I'm actually getting bedbars made custom by CaliRaised right now. They have done a few sets for customers who have been asking lately. They said they may add them to their website at some point. I'll try to post a photo up here next week when I pick them up. Hit me up if I forget! They were only $220 powdercoated for the set and I have the benefit of picking them up locally. After ordering my sliders with them and the customer service I'm definitely a fan of them. They are made of DOM steel tubing (the same stuff they use for their sliders) so they should be super strong! Also they have options for adding side rails to them or a single hilift mount.

Also just FYI, I had a KB Voodoo 18" high bedrack before this and was one of the victims of the bad powdercoating issues. I got it last year in March and within 4 months the paint was bubbling up, chipping and honestly was a huge pain to maintain. When I reached out to them they were not apologetic to say the least. They basically told me to strip the rack and have it repainted on my dime after 4 months of owning it. Also I live in Southern California with very little rain. I can't even imagine what it would have been like in a true winter...

Long story short I repainted the rack myself with rust reformer base coat and then a rustoleum truck bed liner paint over that with 2 coats. After another month, more rust. If steel is not prepped properly when it is laser cut, the edges are really hard to keep up with for paint chipping, etc. So it was time I parted ways and moved onto something simpler. A very good decision so far. I'm not one to bash on vendors and I know a lot of people haven't had any problems with KB Voodoo while many others have. I was one of those who did and so I cut my losses and moved on.

Anyways, RCI and CaliRaised seem to be good options either way. I've heard good things about CBI's bed bars and bed racks as well (https://cbioffroadfab.com/product/overland-bars-duplicate/). They just aren't as local and shipping is a killer for me, plus I like to support my local shop when I can.

 

That's true. Guess I meant to say enough of the rearview visibility is reduced with a bed rack to really rely on your rearview mirror. Aren't you worried about all the wind noise and height clearance needed with a full height rack?

This is just the kind of insight I was looking for. I would assume the Cali raised rack will have the same issue with the Rotopaxs. Glad to hear that wind noise isn't an issue with the RCI though. Since it looks to sit a little higher I thought it might cause more wind noise with an rtt mounted.

 

Bro your feedback is on point! I had no clue CaliRaised is offering bed bars on custom orders. I would definitely love to see how they look once you have them. I'm in San Diego so a quick drive up to OC would be worth it if they could add some side rails. Not to mention, $220 is a heck of a lot cheaper than $700 - $900 for a bed rack...

 

I went with a KB Voodoo low rise rack. I'm also going to be using this for a RTT, and will use a pulley system installed on the ceiling in my garage to lift the tent with bed rails still attached when not in use. Decided to mount my RotoPax up against the front of the bed. Works great:

 

For sure! Happy to provide any insights I can. I went through the whole process and after all said and done, really happy with the decision to get rid of my full rack. They can add the side rails in for an extra cost (They quoted me $150 for both side rails also powdercoated), basically the bed bars they made for me are ready to accept the side panels whenever I want/need to add them. They are basically the same side panels that come on their full bedrack. I went with bars that are 10.5" above the bed sides of the truck (so basically their short rack). With the RTT on I will lose that visibility but with my dog in the back seat and my headrests up there really isn't much back there to begin with, haha.

 

How high do the bed rails sit from the bed? I was also thinking of mounting the RotoPax on the front bed if I couldn't make it work on the side rails.

 

According to KB Voodoo, with the crossbars installed, the total height is 6" above the bed rail.