Bedrack - DYI

I started out with the intention of building a rack to carry my kayaks. I’ve got 2 that are both over 12’ long. I’d been just strapping them down to my Diamondback cover but didn’t like doing it that way. They just hung out way to much for my taste. It’s funny that I feel way more comfortable towing a 20’ boat.


So my plan started simple then I kind of got out of control. I figured that if it was worth doing then it was worth going overboard! My requirements were to haul kayaks then either be easily removable or be really flexible. It had to be no-weld and I wanted to avoid drilling holes if possible. Trouble is that my bed cover complicated things. Finally I hit on an idea for the mount and was off to the races. I decided that aluminum extrusion was the way to go. I watched a lot of YouTube and got ideas from some of the racks that are on the market today.

Parts came from a several places.

·I started with some .25” thick 4”x 12” aluminum flat bars. These would eventually be braces for the top cross bars. Aluminum flats came from an online metal supplier.

·I used .25” stainless steel from Send cut Send for the mounts. They have an online tool that can handle some simple stuff. The angles on the Diamondback are 41 degrees. I wanted a 90 degree angle for the legs. So one bend ended up being 51 and the other 90. It worked out the way I’d hoped. I don’t have CAD so I got blanks that I could drill myself.

·All of the extrusion and most of the hardware came from tNutz. They are way cheaper than 8020

·Some of the hardware came from 8020. I went with all stainless hardware and had to get some of it from these guys.

·I needed longer bolts for the bedcover cleats. Got those and a little of the other hardware came from Albany Fasteners

·T slot covers to hide wiring (future plans) came from Grainger. Free shipping. 8020 charges a small fortune for shipping.


design on SendCutSend




Aluminum flats and the brackets from send cut send






I hit everything with a flap disc then broke out my cheap Harbor Freight drill press. Drilling stainless was a chore but the press and carbide bits did pretty good. If I did this again I would invest in some help with CAD. It would’ve made it way easier to have the holes drilled for me.





used a 36 grit disc as recommended for the Steel-It





The first couple of mounts are done. I painted them with Steel-It. That stuff is awesome! I got way to close on the first couple. They look kind of crappy, but that’s my fault. The later ones came out way better. I’m using the cleats as my mounting point. I had to get some longer bolts, but no drilling!


test fit








Test fit for the uprights. I bought them long so that I could make adjustments along the way.



I wanted to be able to clear the roof (for kayaks, rod tubes, etc) and wanted to be able to strap an ice chest to the bed cover. I cut the uprights down to 19” and I’ll have just over an inch of roof clearance. Perfect!




I used a mitre saw to cut the extrusion. They came out really clean.







Then I tackled the braces for the top rails. I started out with a cardboard template. Back to the mitre saw. I was able to get 2 brackets from each aluminum flat bar. 16 total. I cleaned them all up with the flap disc. I’ll go back and paint them later.








Now for assembly. I had a couple of rare days off with nothing to do. I started running out of time though – so didn’t take many pictures here. Cab side done







All roughed in. I’ve got a little squaring up to do, but it’s rock solid now. I’m planning some mounts for recovery gear and other equipment along with caring for kayaks.

The crossbars are 63” long. I did them that way to handle the kayaks. Not sure if I like the look. I can cut them down later if I want. For now they are staying like this. I was running out of time so haven’t painted all the brackets yet. So that I can keep the structure , I’ll take them off a couple at a time and paint.

I learned a lot about working with extrusion. The stainless hardware is expensive, but worth it I think….hope. The economy t-nuts, vs the drop ins, are good quality, but they are economy for a reason. You’ve got to really plan ahead when using those. The drop ins are easier to work with, but cost way more. I’ve got a mix. If I was doing this again I’d invest in CAD. If you can get the design right, you can have everything cut and machined to your specs. My skill level with fabricating something like this borders on WTF was I thinking. I’m actually pretty happy with it though and am looking forward to adding some enhancements.

I’ll try to update this thread as I go.

 

Very nice work.

How do you acces the bed with everything on top of the tonneau?

 

thanks

I can’t open it up all the way. But the front cab side panel has a safety catch - I guess so it can’t fly open while driving. Anyway, I can open it to the extent of that safety catch. I’ll add a similar catch to the back panel.

all that said, I rarely open the bed cover. For my use opening the cover has been a convenience but not a requirement. Ive got some bins that slide in/out for smaller stuff. The bed rack height also allows me to use the top of the cover for some stuff. it’s gonna be a trade off. I’m gaining some functionality and losing some. Crossing my fingers that I’m happy with the trade!

 

Gotcha. Not someting that would work for me, which is why I have a topper. Nice work though and upadte as you finish it and include photos of the boats mounted.