I was thinking on top of the cab but now I might be more interested in the one that sits on top of the Smartcap. It looks like it would be less prone to wind noise with the way it is designed.
Are the leaks something that can be easily sealed with caulking or not going to be easy? I live on the east coast (Virginia) and we deal with all kinds of weather so that would be a little more important to me. This might make me change my mind about the Smartcap. Thank you for your help.I have the Prinsu Pro racks and a Smartcap mounted on my truck. The front rack installed easily and is working out well. The rear rack was a bit more of a challenge . The hardware Prinsu provides is not compatible with the Smartcap so I had to buy M8 bolts and drill out the mounting feet to allow the bolts to pass through. Be careful drilling through the soft aluminum because it wants to bind up(drill press recommend). I have the rear rack at the lowest position and it is about 1/8” lower than the front rack. My gull wing doors open until they are about parallel with the ground before they hit the rack. I’m going to raise the rear rack by one setting so that it is slightly higher than the front. This will make it easier to slide lumber on from the rear and also allow the doors to open a little more.lm going to add some cleats to the sides of the Smartcap where I can attach ratchet straps because it’s awkward to strap things down onto the Prinsu racks. My last truck (2001 Tacoma) had a lumber rack so it’s an experiment for me to try these racks for work. Still under 600 miles and figuring out the best ways to make them effective. My Smartcap does leak a little but I live in Southern California so it’s a non issue. I torqued everything to specs. Smartcap now makes the roof panel in 3 pieces instead of one to make shipping easier. Overall I am liking the setup and will probably like it even more once I get it dialed in.
I ended up building a rack because I wasn't sure about the fit of the Prinsu one (plus it was not clear just how long delivery would take and I had a trip coming up). The trick with the gull wing doors was making the rack a bit narrower than the cap.
I have both the Prinsu Pro roof rack and top rack on my Tacoma, along with the SmartCap. As Berno mentioned, installing the rack on a SmartCap requires M8 Bolts and drilling a larger hole in the feet for the bolts to fit it. I have the 5ft bed/SmartCap, and with the top rack, I lose most of the ability to use the gullwing doors. It's not a huge deal for me since I camp in the back of the bed and have windows that I can open. But if you want to use your gullwing doors, I would look at a SmartCap-made rack.
Overall, I have no complaints about these racks; they're sturdy and well-made, and I would recommend them to anyone. Right now, I have my solar panels on there with Startlink Mini; once I start camping, I will load up my 270 awning.
That's awesome you fabricated your own. I was thinking I could modify the crossbars on the top rack to the length you have here. But I do like how the roof rack and top rack align, and as I mentioned, I don't need access via the sides.I ended up building a rack because I wasn't sure about the fit of the Prinsu one (plus it was not clear just how long delivery would take and I had a trip coming up). The trick with the gull wing doors was making the rack a bit narrower than the cap.
As far as leaks are concerned, I'm planning to use RV roof sealing tape if it is a problem. Have to check with my nephew about which kind he used that he said was very good.
