theferg
DD for Life
- Location
- Southern Utah
I'm trying to find a good way to mount my tent about 8-10 inches above the topsides of the Tacoma bedsides and get the top of the closed tent about level with the top of the cab. Similar to what the FrontRunner Bakkie pickup bars (seen on Kurt's Tacoma) or Xsporter can do, but for a bit less money. I'm thinking maybe attach some tall gutter mount thule towers to the topsides of the Tacoma bed. I've seen where someone is using the rails of their soft tanneau cover and just attach some gutter mount towers to it and it looked slick, but I don't want to spend money on a tanneau cover just to get the rails to use for this--and I have no use for a tanneau cover.
My idea is to run the thule bars for carrying the tent but also for carrying bikes etc (nothing long like canoes or kayaks though). Maybe even at the same time if the fit isn't too wide. Again, I'm also wanting the bars about 8 inches or so above the topside of the bedsides.
Anybody got some good ideas for this? I don't have a welder or any good metal saws right now so custom isn't really going to work either (unless somebody around here wants to bend me a couple bends and weld me a couple welds...). I'm not totally stuck on Thule (don't care for yakima) stuff, but I've not found much else out there that might work--I am totally open for other ideas though.
So in looking around, I've found some thule artificial rain gutters that mount to a side or flat top surface that I think might work if the bolts are beefed up. #542 Thule Artificial Rain Gutters I'm thinking bolt them to the topside of the bedside and then use them with the thule #387 tall gutter mount towers (which have about 8" clearance). Could also use the thule #953 super high gutter mount towers which have 11" of clearance....
I figure if I can find the towers and bars used, this can be a very affordable way to mount the tent.
-Ferg-
My idea is to run the thule bars for carrying the tent but also for carrying bikes etc (nothing long like canoes or kayaks though). Maybe even at the same time if the fit isn't too wide. Again, I'm also wanting the bars about 8 inches or so above the topside of the bedsides.
Anybody got some good ideas for this? I don't have a welder or any good metal saws right now so custom isn't really going to work either (unless somebody around here wants to bend me a couple bends and weld me a couple welds...). I'm not totally stuck on Thule (don't care for yakima) stuff, but I've not found much else out there that might work--I am totally open for other ideas though.
So in looking around, I've found some thule artificial rain gutters that mount to a side or flat top surface that I think might work if the bolts are beefed up. #542 Thule Artificial Rain Gutters I'm thinking bolt them to the topside of the bedside and then use them with the thule #387 tall gutter mount towers (which have about 8" clearance). Could also use the thule #953 super high gutter mount towers which have 11" of clearance....
I figure if I can find the towers and bars used, this can be a very affordable way to mount the tent.
-Ferg-