Xtrusion Overland XO.Skeleton

Looks very promising. Bed rack that can be made to a topper or a camper. What’s intriguing is the mid height topper for me. Really interested with something that doesn’t exceed height of the truck’s cab. Probably gonna throw in. https://xtrusion-overland.com/pages/xo-skelton

 

I have been considering a GFC long term but this made me really curious. I really like the versatility aspect if you ever decided to change your set up in the future. Very nervous about being an early adopter though. Being in MN I really like the idea of a mostly aluminum construction due to rust concerns.

I will definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

 

The mid height for the Tacoma is confirmed to be at 15”. All the materials are made in house which is great. One of a kind where you can start off as a bed rack, topper or a camper.

 

From what I understand you cannot buy a mid height rack and then upgrade to a camper down the line? Or can you swap out the vertical supports? Since they were angled I assumed you couldn’t adjust the height easily.

 

yeah I believe that it has to be full height. I asked if there’s a way to add a camper/rtt on mid height. They said that wasn’t possible. I just wanna have half height so I’m able to mount a RTT and keep the height in the back match the cab height as much as possible. I’ve searched around and the ones I’ve seen online are either China cheap or stupid expensive like the custom one that nuthouse industries can customize. Another option is a fabricator but I’m not sure it’s worth their time. I thought about taking on it myself and welding up one but it’s probably way over my head.

 

And is this US-made or being brought over on a boat?

 

They claim they own 100% of the supply and process in Kansas.

 

We design, manufacture and source components and raw materials in house and from the best quality suppliers in the US and abroad, to bring you the best quality at the best price.

 

Why ask me a question only to find the answer yourself. I’m not making stuff up. I’m sure you got that from their website somewhere. So here’s where I got what I said.

 

Because I asked cause I didn't know and thought you knew what you were talking about then I started looking myself and it seems typically with the vagueness of the terms they are using its made over seas

 

I saw a YouTube video where he talked about manufacturing much of it in the US but agree that statement is vague and it seems like they want you to assume it’s made here but the actually wording means little to nothing.

 

Call me skeptical but if they're made here why the word salad, just say 100% produced in the US.

About 98% of the rack system is typical 15 series extrusion.

 

I think companies underestimate how much misleading marketing turns off customers. Maybe I’m in the minority but when I see a company do things like this all I can think about is what else they would try to mislead me on and second guess whether I want to buy from them. Not saying that’s this situation but it definitely makes you think twice when you read stuff like this.

edit: I thought he said their extrusions were made in the US but my memory isn’t great.

 

Tomato tomatoe. The problem isn’t necessarily on the company but the regulations put out by Uncle Sam. That said, this is still an upgrade to my RLD, try to get ahold of them all the way in South Africa and source a hinge or strut, good luck!

 

Definitely curious about the mid-rise shell setup, although I suspect it will be too tall (15" plus rails above the roof) for my needs (I have about fist worth of space between my RTT and my carport using a 13" rack). I do wonder if they'll offer a slatted rear window/door similar to the slatted side doors, though. I think it would still fit (barely) under my carport, and would let me have a lockable cage. (Although I suppose I could also do that with the solid doors, with a bit more drag.)

 

They’ve been vague about the offerings so far. For those of us running a RTT and wanting to fit under a garage but also have the security and protection from dirt/water, this would be the option. Although, there’s limited options for a RTT that would be slim enough to still be low profile and match the cab height of the truck. There’s one I’m keeping an eye on. Waiting to see if somebody runs the set up first before I pull the trigger.

 

Especially if you're stuffing a tent between the cab and the swingout-mounted spare with enough clearance for flex under hard use. I'm using a FSR Aspen Lite, which is a little under 7.5" thick and is just about flush with the roof using the 13" rack, but most of the thinner options I've seen would be too long to fit without needing to move the spare tire to the bed.

 

How do you like the aspen lite? My plan to mate with the 15” topper is a 6” foldout RTT which is also super light. Dimensions are 5’x4’x.5’ (L by W by H). Add another inch for the load bar and I’m probably looking at 22” from the cab rail to the top. This mid height topper might be the ticket.

 

I've been following these guys for a while now. I feel like this is another one of those average groups of folks trying to start a business with no real business background but great ideas, and they are trying to do everything themselves without proper marketing and social media teams. It's becoming more and more common it seems. The website is poorly designed without the user in mind, descriptions and explanations are not clear. With that statement of owning processes it's possible they manufacture and assemble entirely in Kansas and just suck at explaining it, or it could be like so many other business out there that claim something is USA based because the company is USA based and they designed everything here, but they source materials and manufacturing from elsewhere.

I am keeping an eye on them, but I think at this point I'm going to build my own modular cap and RTT combo. I see the prices places charge for camper setups like these and then I see what I can get the materials for and have a hard time justifying the massive markup. I realize there's labor and time into design and manufacturing, but wholly hell some are ridiculous.

 

Yeah, I can’t seem to get straight answers from them. I thought about just going to a camper builder myself which is still on the table. But yeah, if I had the space to do all this, I’d probably have that mid height topper by now.