Factory 3rd roof rack cross bar

[Brian3676]

Picking up a roof top tent and they suggested a 3rd rail. I have the factory limited rack. I am not going to spend $1000 for a basket/ aftermarket rack. Ill do a Yakama or Thule sort of rack if I have to. What I would prefer is to just buy a factory rail though and put it in, anyone done this before? Did some searching and did not find anyone, but dont see why it would not work.

Also, for someone who spent $1000 on the fancy rack, they wanna sell me there old one?

 

[rcebowl]

Just trying trying to help.....

The factory crossbars can not hold the weight of a tent and person they will snap. They snap under much lighter loads. (I know you said factory rails but I just wanted to confirm you were talking about your factory cross bars).

As for adding another rail I'm not sure it's worth drilling holes in the middle of your roof line. nor would that be the correct spacing if you were to do that. If your RRT tent said you need 3 bars I'd be worried about the distance needed between the bars as well.

With that said what kind of tent did you go with? Most tents that require three bars are most likely outside the limit of our roof structures. (at least from what my previous research showed me).

 

[AuSeeker]

Picking up a roof top tent and they suggested a 3rd rail. I have the factory limited rack. I am not going to spend $1000 for a basket/ aftermarket rack. Ill do a Yakama or Thule sort of rack if I have to. What I would prefer is to just buy a factory rail though and put it in, anyone done this before? Did some searching and did not find anyone, but dont see why it would not work.

Also, for someone who spent $1000 on the fancy rack, they wanna sell me there old one?

Someone posted a week or two ago about adding another stock crossbar with no issue, can't remember why they added it but it could of been for a tent, or it could of been to keep gas cans from moving forward or backwards, you actually have room to easily add at least 2 more stock cross bars.

Just trying trying to help.....

The factory crossbars can not hold the weight of a tent and person they will snap. They snap under much lighter loads. (I know you said factory rails but I just wanted to confirm you were talking about your factory cross bars).

As for adding another rail I'm not sure it's worth drilling holes in the middle of your roof line. nor would that be the correct spacing if you were to do that. If your RRT tent said you need 3 bars I'd be worried about the distance needed between the bars as well.

With that said what kind of tent did you go with? Most tents that require three bars are most likely outside the limit of our roof structures. (at least from what my previous research showed me).

There would not be any way to add a 3th stock rail in the center of the roof because of how the cross bars attach to the side rails. i.e. the cross bars attach on the inside of the rails, not on top.

 

[oljedi11950]

Plenty of guys with 5th on stock rails with tents ! Shouldn't be big deal & somebody had posted in last cpl weeks a pic with 3rd rail .

 

[Brian3676]

Plenty of guys with 5th on stock rails with tents ! Shouldn't be big deal & somebody had posted in last cpl weeks a pic with 3rd rail .

Ill see if I can find it. FSR tent guy and CVT said they have mounted the large to 4Runner factory racks and just added a 3rd cross bar. Maybe I misunderstood though. Ill double check what they ment.

 

[rcebowl]

Again I don't think anyone is mounting to cross bars.. they should be mounting to rails. Which to be clear are the rails are the the ones that go from front to bar. The ones that go side to side have a very very low weight limit. Please look at your manual, but i believe the factory cross bars (that go from driver side to pass side) limit is around 120 lbs. There's stories of guys on here with their factory cross rails cracking with spare tires. And a spare tire is nowhere near the weight of a RTT.

Also if I recall correctly the static limit of weight ON the roof is 600lbs, CVTs big boy tents are all aprox 290-330 pending on model so with ANY adults your already half your maximum weight.

I can't speak to 5th gens I can only speak to 4th gen which is what we have. And I'm sorry if I'm coming across rude I'm trying to be helpful bc I'm afraid that the wrong information is being giving. OR maybe I'm wrong and if so I'll trade up for a big boy this summer! But everything I've read is saying other wise.

 

[rcebowl]

Someone posted a week or two ago about adding another stock crossbar with no issue, can't remember why they added it but it could of been for a tent, or it could of been to keep gas cans from moving forward or backwards, you actually have room to easily add at least 2 more stock cross bars.



There would not be any way to add a 3th stock rail in the center of the roof because of how the cross bars attach to the side rails. i.e. the cross bars attach on the inside of the rails, not on top.

Right which was the point I was trying to get at.