A.R.E. CX HD Truck Cap and Rhino Rack Platform

Hey everyone,

Been working on this little project for a while now but I finally came across a solution that works.

So when I bought my 2020 TRD Pro the vehicle had the truck cap installed as well as aftermarket tires and rims. Some dude had traded it in for a GMC Sierra AT4 and the dealership couldn't move it.

Anyways, ever since I bought it last May I've been looking for the right solution to mount to the crossbars in order to actually get some use out of them. Called numerous places in my local area that sell A.R.E. truck caps and they offered no solutions. Did the same for Yakima, Rhino Rack, Prinsu, etc and nobody had any idea what would actually work because the cap doesn't have tracks.

Ended up buying a 64x50 universal Pioneer Platform from Rhino Rack because the crossbars underneath slide along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle vice laterally. Additionally, I did a little digging and I came across these clamps:



Using the clamps I was able to mount it to the crossbars and it was very sturdy. However, I hated how high the platform sat above the truck cap.

So I began doing some trial and error with different size T slot nuts. Ended up finding some on Amazon that were 23mm across.



The actual Rhino Rack track underneath the platform is roughly 26mm wide. So the T slot is just wide enough to bite into the track.

After removing the HD bars and sliding the Platform crossbars to the correct distance (which was pretty painful) I was able to run the T slot nuts through the bottom and screw the platform onto the frame posts.





A couple of notes that I think are really important:
The T slot fittings I fattened up by adding a couple of small pieces of Gorilla tape just to give it some grab on the tracks.

After tightening everything down I noticed the front passenger side post was lower than all the rest of the posts. There's nothing you can do to fix this if the posts are drilled/cut to a different length. So what I did was stacked a rubber and steel washer together to lift up that side so it sits level. Now there's not an obvious cant down towards the front passenger side.

Last but most importantly, your crossbar measurements have to be perfect. I set the front to about 55.5mm and rear to 61.5mm respectively on the Rhino Rack's built-in ruler. I'll double-check the measurements tomorrow to confirm.

All-in-all, this set up feels pretty damn sturdy so far. I've tried to manhandle it to see if the platform will move even the slightest and it doesn't. Only thing shaking is the truck's suspension.

If anyone has any questions feel free to hit me up. I'll continue to update this as I continue testing it out and mounting different things to it.

-Chowdah

 

Very nice!

I just did the same setup with an ARE Z series with a FrontRunner setup.

 

That's what's up dude. Got any sick photos?

 

actually…. Nope. I just realized I didn’t snap any photos. I’ll take some tomorrow. Trying to find my rotopax mount somewhere in my garage at the moment

 

I have a 19 Crewmax with an ARE CX HD. Anyone know what size T-slot nuts fit the internal skeleton? I'm having no luck finding that information

 

where did you get those insulated window covers ?

 

I’ll take a measurement in the morning and post it here. Pretty sure it’s an M6 with a specific plastic-sized t nut that’s the same size as the one that’s holds the crossbars to the posts.

 

I made them with Reflectix insulation I got from Lowes. 25 bucks for a roll. It’s held up with Velcro and I cut and folded flaps to allow ventilation and access to the windoor slider.

Here’s what it looks like on the inside. It’s me camping up at Big Bear last week to catch a good parking spot and early laps on the hill.

 

Here’s what those little t nuts look like.

I’ll keep working it but the only way to get those in is to undo all of the brackets and slide them in. It’d be much easier to find something that just twists in.

 

Nice setup!