You can use the stock rails not the cross bars.

The weight limit of 145lbs or (160lbs or whatever) is for the factory crossbars NOT the factory rails. The cross bars are the weak point of the OE Roof system.

I had my RTT Tepui Autana Ruggedized (so not the lightness one) on the factory rails, family of 3 (2 adults and a 4 year old) with absolutely no problems for approx 6 trips and over 5000 miles. (left it on for daily driving in between trips)

I have since upgraded but the point reminds you totally can do it, just don't use the cross bars, they snap under light load. Their (Crossbars) "structure" is based off their "flexing". If you notice as they just sit on our trucks there's always a nature bow to them. and it's when they flatten when they gain their strength. That time of structure is not ideal for RRT as the weight is distrued differently.

Its been long over due on this photo. Here is the 4runner with the RTT on the crossbars i made out of unistrut. It's not a great photo but you can see it.

It worked really well. It cut my MPG down by about 3 mpg. I also am not a big fan of the RTT if I am camping and am going to keep my car in the same spot then its amazing. But having to tear it down everytime was definitely a pain.

Attached Images

 

If you do a lot of wheeling you will just break the plastic side bar mounts with a RTT. My friend has a big Tepui and just last weekend broke off the entire rack from the roof of the 4runner after wheeling and the tent landed on the ground with roof rack shrapnel side bars still attached to her tent. The plastic which mounts the rack to the roof simply isn't strong enough to hold the dynamic weight of a 150lb tent while wheeling. Just a warning, because it really happened in real life just a few days ago and RTT's aren't cheap- I would hate to see another one fly off of a truck on a trail.

Do you know if that was a Sport or SR5 rack. I have a rola basket mounted on the Sport rack with lowering brackets and a RTT and so far it held up ok wheeling in Death Valley, Utah etc.. but would hate to break it on a trail.

Sent from my Fire Phone using Tapatalk

Its a 5th gen trail premium that had the roof rack break.

If you can drop $1500+ on a RTT then you can spend some $$$ on a decent roof rack.

whoa. you brought this old thread back from the dead lol! if anyone is looking for some solid aftermarket crossbars to mount a RTT to the factory running rails, i can recommend these. have been using them for months of on/off road driving and they've been rock-solid: LFD Off Road - Ruggedized Crossbar 4th Gen