DIY Overlanding Pickup Truck Bed Rack for our Ford F 150

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#overlanding #f150rack #bedrack
I’m not going to go into the WHY of a bed rack like this. I think it’s a concept that isn’t super obvious since you can’t really carry lumber or big ladders on it. If you get it, awesome. There are a lot of off-the-shelf options to make a bed rack like this. The best designs I’ve seen are low over the bed, not high like a lumber rack so that what gear you mount up there isn’t sticking up above the cab dragging wind and getting snagged on trees.
I wanted one to make loading gear into and out of our Ford F-150 easier and more efficient for road trips and overlanding. This rack gets the roof boxes up off the deck so I can load things over the side of the bed, which is the most efficient way to get mud all over the front of your puffy jacket. I can also see under them out the rear-view mirror.
We took this from Reno up to Northern California Redwoods National Park for fall break. It performed great both on the road and holding and loading our gear. I really like it. If you’re wondering why we use the roof boxes on a pickup truck, I have a whole video on that:
This build uses No Weld Trailer Rack Towers from Compact Camping Concepts. These are a steel rack upright/tower designed by Scott Chaney of Compact Camping Concepts, who also runs the Dinoot Off-Road Trailer company and the only part that you’ll need to order for this build. The rest you can get at Home Depot.
The build is fairly self-explanitory, so below is an annotated build list.
Total Cost: $262
No Weld Trailer Rack Towers: $79 (4)
Compact Camping Concepts
These come ready to go, they just need to be painted.
10 Foot 14-gage Silver Electro-Galvanized Strut Channel: $19.65
This you can get at Home Depot or any hardware store. It comes in 12-Gage that is deeper that you could also use. I used 3 pieces for this build. The variation I discuss at the end you would want 2 more.
You can cut this with an angle grinder, saws all, or chop saw. I like the chop saw even though mine is a wood saw and cutting metal melts all the plastic...
7/16" x 6” J-Bolts: $14
I lied, I couldn’t find these at Home Depot. I got them at a local commercial parts store called Western Industrial Products Inc. in Reno. You can get something similar from McMaster or Grainger, or just find some place where you live that has them. Be sure to get good washers and nuts. These are the 4 bolts that hold everything onto the truck.
These hook into the stake pockets in your pickup truck. Be sure to measure where the holes are to make sure you get the right J-bolts.
1.5” Steel Angle 1/8 Thick, 48” long: $12
These are the angle brackets that let you mount the towers to the strut channel. You’ll need to cut and drill these. I recommend you cut them a little long and place the mounting bolts outside the towers for easier access to the bolts.
3/8 Spring Nut 5-pack: $4.48
These are the nuts for the strut channel. They are made for the deeper 12-gage strut so you have to cut off half of the spring to make them work. You’ll need 2 packs.
3/8" Bolts & Washers: $6 (ish)
These bolt through the angle bracket to the strut. You’ll need 8, assuming you aren’t stupid and run them in with an impact driver and blow out the threads. If you predicted that from the video, congrats to you.
5/16 Bolts, Nuts, Washers: $6 (ish)
I used Nylocks and Lock Washers. Better safe than sorry. Same thing with the impact. Buy extras. Honestly, you should have these in your parts bins already.
Yakima Bed Rock: $199
I already had one of these. Like I mention in the video, you could use strut for the cross pieces and get around using the Bed Rock entirely. Or you could use a Yakima Control Towers like I used for our Trailer rack. • Off Road Trailer Build...
Flat Black Spray Paint: $5
This really is the most important part of this build. If you mess this up and get GLOSS black you’ll look like a complete newb overlander who eats MREs and sleeps in a hammock.
Wire Rope + Hardware: $15 (ish)
You need the following pieces:
Wire Rope Thimble: 4
Aluminum Ferrule & Stop Set: 2
Turnbuckle: 2
Screw-gate link: 2
I had this just lying around waiting for this project for about 7 years. Don’t ever throw hardware away people. That and trucker hats. You never know when this stuff becomes critical and can save you yet another trip to Home Depot.
BFH
If you don’t know what this is you probably either know what you’re doing or have the proper tools. Either way, you know better and shouldn’t be watching me hack things together.
Blue Locktite
Everything should have blue locktite. Duh.
With everything I do, this is a work-in-progress and/or a first draft. Let me know if you have and ideas!
-Mike

[@hfarms5779]

Enjoy seeing different solutions and builds.

[@tammyholcombe5275]

Put a jam nut on your turnbuckle to keep it from loosening, a lot more secure than locktite

[@ronbaranchik1160]

you would need left and right hand jam nuts.

[@ronblack45]

@@ronbaranchik1160 you only need one, the right hand thread will lock it all down, one cannot turn with out it all turning

[@hfarms5779]

Looks like it might work with a retractable bed cover -- with a little cutting and fitting.

[@greym6436]

Super super nice!!

[@ArcSkywalker]

Holy Loctite! LOL! Great build... gave me some great ideas!

[@davidnunes3738]

Dump the turnbuckle all together add angle iron or aluminum cross brace at the front and middle.

[@littlefarmer32]

Cool rack, can maximize the space. The boxes are cool too My rack is all aluminum, bolted down, and sideways. High enough to maintain the full size spare, and low enough to keep the RTT, low. Safe travels, go offroad

[@explrx4678]

I like the new elements in your video, very entertaining. I am a huge fan of DIY and this is a great example of what a little ingenuity and a lot of motivation can accomplish.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Thanks! Sorry for the delayed response. This comment got sent to moderation.

[@RyanMarcyesOutdoors]

So So Rad!!!! Yes I have thinking and looking for something like this. Thanks Bro!!! Great Clip🤙🏽

[@kings5223]

Really cool build! I might make a variation of this for a bike rack system to go over my roll-up tonneau cover.

[@michaelmathis1961]

You might want to put a plastic cap over the threaded end sticking up at the four ends where the "j" bolts are too long. This will keep you from snagging things on the threads like body parts! Great looking rack!

[@j.kelley1685]

That thing is wobbly as hell

[@nmolinaro62]

Well done, sir.

[@jmrichsonsr]

Great ideas and well done video. Thanks for sharing.

[@johndiaz7240]

Good work , keep up the good work , good luck and best wishes.

[@RonqNroll]

Just did this for my 14 Ram with ramboxes and used the factory rail system. drilled out the holes to 1/2" and did superstrut as cross bars. definitely sturdy! im 237 lbs currently and didnt need bracing/guy lines

[@gandyo001]

Jay let's see your design.

[@wklauer1]

Great idea!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@mauriceaustin3657]

Great build video. I really like your style of videography.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Thanks! I try. Need to think more about how I frame shots so I’m not blocking things.

[@Thegoatt84]

A1 editing, great video, great work. New subscriber.

[@OverlandTrax]

Nice video, keep them coming ✌

[@J0hnnyb0y50]

You could have added a locking nut to your turnbuckle instead of the loctite. Bit I think adding some unistrut crossbars and verticals would stiffen it up quite a bit over those flat plates and just get some angled brackets so you still don't have to weld anything. I like the idea though.

[@osomxl]

If using the strut system for cross bars and connections, you should have just used 90* strut supports to triangulate all the corners. Strut by itself is not very sturdy. We use a ton of it, as I am a Union Electrician that does industrial/commercial. Also, you need to spray all the ends of the strut with galvanized spray paint as it will rust and stain anything it touches.

[@ninjaclone]

Awesome build, I might try it on my 2019 Ranger! Made sure to share as a fellow Reno local. My co-worker is going to try this build on his Colorado later this week! :D Keep up the hard work!

[@low87dawg86]

How do you like your ranger?

[@ninjaclone]

@@low87dawg86 I love it alot. It handles very well in all regards. I got the Ford Performance Tune for it a few months ago which made it alot better in timing/power. I highly suggest purchasing one used or new. The new one in 2023 will have more engine options so it might be best to wait as well.

[@dridzzhuse1]

Take it apart and add a nut on each side so you lock it in place. Then when you remove it and reinstall it your not waiting for locktite to cure. Just my .02

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Yeah. I thought of that. But one of them needs to be reverse thread. I wonder if i can get those at HD.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Because as you can see, I’m out of blue locktite...

[@dridzzhuse1]

@@AllTerrainFamily left hand thread nuts are a little trickier to find. I thought of that after posting comment. Nicely built budget rack.

[@marcusmayhemadventures6479]

@@AllTerrainFamily should be able to find what you need here. www.boltdepot.com/Hex_nuts_Stainless_steel_18-8_-_Left_hand_(reverse)_thread.aspx

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Thanks!

[@Dusther210]

This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m stealing your idea for my bed rack. Do you have any updates, how is it holding up? Have you tried an RTT with it?

[@JONA89023]

Shouldve added nuts to end of turnbuckles

[@bluecollarstudio8513]

You could have built the entire thing out of Superstrut, it would have been way stronger. No need for the Yakima racks or the camping concept brackets which structurally, look like they would cause movement due to no side reinforcement. The turnbuckles just needed some bolts on each side to lock them down.

[@mpbclutch33]

Can you think of any way to strengthen this so you dont have to use the turnbuckles and wire or ratchet straps? I love this idea!

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Use steel square tubing instead of the Yakima setup.

[@OU8Aspark]

Would it be easier to put a pole in the stake pocket?

[@low87dawg86]

Why not put a piece of angle iron across where those bolt holes are?

[@pmcmanis2]

Instead of flat black, I think I'll use black flex seal paint to cut down on potential rough or sharp edges. Great job though. What was the total cost?

[@OldAndGettingOlder]

No Loctite. Jam nuts.

[@WhackyIce1911]

What size roof cargo boxes do you have? I'm looking at the Yakima SkyBox 21, but it's 36" wide, not sure if 2 of those would fit side by side?

[@AllTerrainFamily]

They will. The 16 is what we have and two of those fit. The 21 are huge!

[@jportillo9129]

Where did you got the "no weld trailer rack tower"? Nice video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Compact Camping Concepts. He has a nice solution to do what i did here much more securely.

[@jportillo9129]

@@AllTerrainFamily I ordered already, thanks for the info.

[@gandyo001]

Would it hold kayaks 40 to 50 lbs each? I am planning my build now! This is the best design I seen and it will not cost $ 1000.00

[@AllTerrainFamily]

It will if you use steel rails instead of the yakima racks.

[@jacobduncan8875]

Unistrut cross bar for stability.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

I did think of that. Would have been better.

[@antman361]

im getting those trailer racks for my diy bed rack system of super strut and a cheapo roof rack from amazon for my tacoma. and was wondering. is it possible to just use your existing bed rack if it is high enough as the foundation for a truck bed tent and just throw over a tarp and bungee cord? but very nice video and i prefer to use standard grade 8 washer, lock washer, nuts and bolts combos.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

I’m not sure what you mean.

[@antman361]

@@AllTerrainFamily Say the top portion of the bed rack is level with roof of the cabin. And placing a Tarp and tying down the tarp to your truck over the bed rack once you pull up onto a camping spot kind of like those PVC truck bed tents DIY make. You can utilize the open bed and the bed rack system as a tent depending on how much of the bed rack utilizes the full length of the be.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

I see. This setup isn’t high enough unless you sleep on the floor of the bed.

[@MrBake88]

Curious how it’s holding up now ? Did you have to change the cables for straight metal ?

[@AllTerrainFamily]

The Yakima towers broke...

[@w.drewturner1248]

You need those same types of turnbuckles but with a lock nut on each side. One side is reverse thread I believe. No locktite needed.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Yes. I need to look for those.

[@jimmynicholson4376]

Came here to type this. The turnbuckles on my limb risers have jambnuts on each end and they work wonders.

[@r.c.2144]

I spy PDW PHALANX

[@1FiftyOverland]

To be honest, you made that more complicated then it needed to be.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

The video or the build? In what way?

[@1FiftyOverland]

@@AllTerrainFamily The rack build. But then again, I can weld aluminum which is how I did mine.

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Yes. Welded Aluminum would be preferable. That’s a skill am interested in learning.

[@1FiftyOverland]

Don't get me wrong the build worked, I give you props for that!

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Appreciated! Thanks for checking it out!

[@jefffox9232]

Porta-Band. That's all.

[@ensogm68]

Just weld themon top

[@jcoats5529]

Why not use cross bars and leave it like that? The stut thing is way over complicated. Straps interfere with bed storage

[@AllTerrainFamily]

They do. But to unstable without them.

[@lrlapua8035]

jam nut........nut

[@danmoore9919]

It's called a jam nut lol problem solved

[@AllTerrainFamily]

One of them is reverse thread.

[@darksydxx]

Cool, looks flimsy though. This would be a Cool temporary setup until someone can save their paper route money to buy a real one.

[@guloguloguy]

.....THANKS, BUT, (IMHO)...THIS LOOKS/SEEMS A BIT "SKETCHY/FLIMZY", POORLY ASSEMBLED, AND PROBABLY CREATES A LOT OR WIND-NOISE, AND, COULD'VE BEEN BUILT BETTER...

[@jcoats5529]

Looks like crap

[@lionzilla2173]

Garage floor 😭