Welcome back to another Taco Tuesday! If you missed last week’s TT, we looked at Tacoma rock sliders with kick-outs. This week, we will be taking a look at several 3rd Gen Tacoma rooftop tent (RTT) and bed rack combos for overland rigs. If you are in the market for a bed rack for your Tacoma, then make sure you check out our 2nd & 3rd Gen bed rack buyer’s guide where we showcase several of the best and most common bed rack options for your Tacoma.
As always, feel free to DM the owners on IG to ask any additional questions about their setup if needed.
Enjoy!
Table Of Contents
RTT & Bed Rack Benefits?
If you are considering a bed rack for your Tacoma, odds are that you’re planning to run a rooftop tent as well.
Bed racks paired with cross bars are a great option for those looking for an easy way to mount a rooftop tent and accessories to their Tacoma. The main drawback to these racks is the loss of bed height for those Home Depot runs. Or, if you were needed by a friend to help move some furniture, which may not be the worst thing.
The durability and utility of a given bed rack will largely depend on its quality and design. It has the potential to put uneven or even damaging pressure on the bed of your truck. The bed of the Taco is composite for example, so loading the bedsides could be an issue. Fortunately, that can be remedied with bed stiffeners. Check out our 2nd & 3rd Gen Tacoma bed stiffeners buyer’s guide.Â
Pivoting to the RTT portion of this combo, the Tacoma is a unique vehicle to consider for overlanding. I say this because it offers several options for sleeping configurations. If you are willing to cozy up and sleep tight, you can sleep in the cab of your Tacoma. There are also truck campers, RTTs, or even just sleeping in the bed under the stars.
Personally, I feel the RTT route is the way to go when it comes to making my Tacoma a dedicated overland rig.
Rooftop tents provide you with plenty of space and comfort for a good night’s sleep. I also like that it is essentially a dedicated sleeping area versus sharing the limited space of your cab or bed with all of your gear. Depending on the type of RTT purchased, you can easily remove it if needed.
Let us know what you think!
1. Will Holder: ARB / CBI
RTT
- Model: ARB Simpson III
- Price: $1800
Bed Rack
- Model: Overland Bed Rack
- Price: $1450
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
My bed setup was highly influenced by Mateo from Tacoma Beast. I think the CBI bed rack is the best-looking and most solid option on the market. The rack gives me plenty of head space to get into the bed to reach stuff even with the tent mounted but is still low-profile enough not to make my MPGs suffer.
I actually chose the ARB tent because I found it for a steal on Facebook. It was still in the box and never used. For the price, I’m blown away by how nice it is. The canvas is nice and thick and keeps me warm in the dead of winter. During the summer, the windows open up so I can stay nice and cool!
2. Porter Clawson: GFC / Leitner Designs
RTT
- Model: GFC RTT V2
- Price: $4000
Bed Rack
- Model: Classic Bed Rack
- Price: $1550
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
I run the Leitner Designs full-height classic bed system with a GearPOD XL on the driver’s side. I have a small GearPOD on the passenger side as well. I’m hoping to add on their 4-gallon water system in the Spring. On the rack sits a Go Fast Camper RTT V2 in the Stone Grey color. The tent fits my wife, our dogs, and myself perfectly!
I chose this combo because of its functionality. When you hear GFC, you think of the camper. However, with the RTT & bed rack combo, you get the tent plus all the mounting systems of the bed rack.
3. Zane Manibog: iKamper / upTOP Overland
RTT
- Model: iKamper Skycamp Mini
- Price: $3300
Bed Rack
- Model: upTOP Overland TRUSS Bed Rack Mid Height
- Price: $1200
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
I picked these two for my RTT and bed rack combo after having a full-size rack. The full-size rack was a bit too high. This mid-height rack is now the perfect height for a bed rack and fits the tent perfectly.Â
4. Jesse Lujan: CVT / CBI
RTT
- Model: Pioneer Series
- Price: $1800
Bed Rack
- Model: Overland Bars
- Price: $520
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
Most rooftop tents combined with a bed rack tend to be very heavy. I tried to go with a combination that looked aesthetically pleasing, yet wasn’t extremely heavy for long road trips. The Pioneer Bachelor tent is easy to set up and take down. I really like that the CBI Overland bars are compact yet strong enough to hold the tent and other accessories. This setup worked well with its weight, aesthetics, and overall functionality for my camping trips.
5. Jake Delger: iKamper / upTOP Overland
RTT
- Model: iKamper Skycamp Mini
- Price: $3300
Bed Rack
- Model: UpTop Overland TRUSS Bed Rack Mid Height
- Price: $1200
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
I have the Top Overland mid-height truss rack, which in my opinion is perfect for a rooftop tent to sit flush with the top of your Tacoma. I got my rack at TacomaForce. The iKamper Mini 2.0 is by far my favorite tent I’ve tested to date! It is the easiest to set up and take down (only taking ~30sec) and pretty comfortable. The new iKamper Mini 3.0 was just released and I’d definitely be interested in comparing the two!
I chose this combo because I stand behind the brands and both of them are super high quality. I love how easy the upTOP racks are to assemble! Along with that, I chose the iKamper because I really wanted a hard shell tent and I really liked the look of the iKamper. I love the simplicity of it!
6. Trent Frey: Body Armor / Victory 4×4
RTT
- Model: Sky Ridge Pike
- Price: $1050
Bed Rack
- Model: Modular Base | Full Size
- Price: $960
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
My biggest consideration when picking my setup was value. The Victory 4×4 rack looks great and is very solid. I went with this one due to the size and price. There were no other racks available under $1000 that were high enough to be able to also keep my mountain bikes in the bed.
The tent was a perfect choice. In my opinion, there is really no need to overpay for a soft top tent like this. They are all more or less the same design and you end up paying for the name. Most soft tops come from the same Chinese manufacturer and are just white labeled for whatever brand you are purchasing. This setup is perfect for me and has held up great. I would not change one thing about it.
7. Jeremiah Goley: CVT / upTOP Overland
RTT
- Model: Pioneer Shasta w/ Extended FlyÂ
- Price: $2600
Bed Rack
- Model: upTOP Overland TRUSS Bed Rack Mid Height
- Price: $1200
What Do You Like About Your Setup?Â
The upTOP Overland bed rack is strong, and only weighs 55lbs. It offers an insane number of attachment points for mounting your gear on those beefy side armor plates. The mid-height keeps your rooftop tent aligned perfectly with the top of the cab to cut down on wind drag and makes for a clean, low-profile look.
There are four things that I love about the CVT Pioneer Shasta. The first thing is that it weighs only 98lbs. I like how easily it sets up, taking just about 5 minutes. The cover is easy to close but also fits snugly with no embarrassing ballooning when driving down the freeway. Lastly, the quality is 10/10; you don’t have to pay over $3K to get all of this. I love my CVT!
Final Thoughts
This week’s Taco Tuesday has me super excited for my next Tacoma build. I 100% plan to run a bed rack and RTT combo for that one. If you all watch my YouTube or frequent my IG, you may have gotten some hints already about that new project. I am super pumped and these rigs have me inspired!
If you want to be featured for Taco Tuesday, submit your build through TrailTacoma.com/Feature. Next week’s Taco Tuesday will be featuring Awnings that owners are running and what they like about them. We’re looking for sweet rides to showcase! If this is you and you love your setup, send in your details because we want to see it.
Thanks for reading guys. I’ll see you next week!
