Putting Cargo Rack On Truck

Awhile back, I was at the Flying J just west of town and saw a Dodge quad cab with a cargo rack on top. I was green with envy and wished I could do the same thing someday. Well now I can, but I can't find anyone who makes cargo racks for trucks. I don't want to have anything permanent on top, but I'm wondering if universal bars held down on top with hooks/straps, and a cargo basket attached to that would work.
Kinda create your own...

Something like this:
http://www.realtruck.com/highland_universal_vehicle_roof_rack_bar_carrier/R14968P132C1T.html
and this:
http://www.surcoinc.com/R-BR_SR5.html

I don't think a truck would have any basic differences from cars, vans or SUVs as far as weight on roof is concerned. With adjustable bars and sized-to-order baskets, I wonder why I couldn't do this thing!

Opinions? Suggestions?

TC

I have a roof rack on my truck, I use it for hauling around mountian bikes. Its a Yakima system, and is pretty versitle and strong. After you install it, it is solid. Once it is set up, you just unlock the 4 clamps that hold it to the roof and pull it off. I usually take it off for the winter and hang it on the wall in the garage. Take a look at my sig photo

I had a Yakima system that I used to carry a canoe. They have a lot of options.

The only thing that I'd be concerned about is overloading your front axles. On my truck the front axle is rated at 6,000 lbs and with just me in the truck and a fully loaded cat hooked up behind me (~9,600 lbs), I'm at 5,220 lbs on the front. Put the family in the cab along with all of our road trip stuff and I bet that I'm closer to 5,500, so that only leaves 500 to spare. While I'd be comfortable doing what the others on this thread have done by putting bikes up there, I don't know if I'd want to put more up there.

But that's just me, I don't like to run at my limits.

IMHO

If I were doing the job, I would add a headache rack behind the rear window and anchor the rear of the roof rack to some solid steel. I'd also be very careful where I chose to anchor the front points too. All of our trucks (Ford, GM, Dodge, etc.) are getting a little thin in the skin. Its not like the old days when you could depend upon the sheet steel to hold something for you.

If I end up finding the right basket set-up, I'll only be looking at about a 100-150 lbs. max. worth of "stuff".

My primary goal for such a set-up is to put the folded up dog fence on top (maybe 75-80 lbs.) so we can take the "children" with us more often. Don't have room for it in the bed of truck or on/in CAT, so its gotta go someplace... the roof!!

TC

TC wrote:
dog fence on top (maybe 75-80 lbs.) so we can take the "children" with us more often.
TC

YOU PUT YOUR KIDS IN A DOG FENCE.

What an idea.

TC