What Is an Off Road Bed Rack & Why Should I Buy One?

If you’re new to the off-roading and camping world you may not know what an off-road bed rack offers. You might think it’s something you sleep on, but despite sounding like something that might be used for that purpose, it’s actually something very different.

In truth, a bed rack is typically either made from aluminum or steel and is attached to your truck’s bed – hence the name – and because the legs normally result in the bed rack being higher than the bed, it adds to the storage and load capacity of your truck. So, whether you’re transporting kayaks, tools, surfboards, or lots of luggage, you get the extra room you need.

Essentially why they’re manufactured is to allow your truck to transport things that are bigger than your trunk. They’ve been popular since the mid-60s on trucks made by the likes of Toyota, Ford, Jeep, and others.

An Off-Road Bed Rack for Camping

Most often people buy bed racks to run a tent, but we’ll warn you now that if you’re above 5ft tall and you’ve got a short-bed Tacoma truck, you’re not going to have the soundest sleep ever underneath one, as things can get quite uncomfortable. An off-roadbed rack can be used as a sleeping shelter at a push, but they’re best used for a rooftop tent, especially as this option gives you room to stretch your legs while you slumber.

It is important to get the right bed rack for your needs and not to overload things too much. Sure, the racks themselves will likely have no issue in providing adequate support, but they can adversely affect your truck bed e.g. start to push your truck bedsides further apart. That can be solved with some bed stiffeners, but prevention is always better than a cure, so buying the right rack for your purposes will mean that this doesn’t happen.

Like Everything Bed Racks Have Pros AND Cons

It’s worth reiterating that you need to have the right bed racks for your purposes because if you’re after dust-free storage, there are better options out there like fiberglass shells. As with any product in any market, truck bed racks have both pros and cons, so let’s see what they are:

The Pros

• It’s an affordable option
• They’re typically lightweight, so better on fuel economy
• They’re simple to install and remove
• They offer lots of scope for customization

The Cons

• They offer no security against theft
• Things can get wet and dusty inside

So again, it comes back to what you’re wanting to use your truck bed for. If you’re simply adding to the capacity and you’re not that bothered if it gets dusty and a little wet inside, then an off road bed rack is probably your best option. That said, if water, dust and security is a worry, then there are better – likely more expensive – options available.

An Affordable Option that Offers a Lot

So, when it comes down to it, whether you go for an off-roadbed rack or not will depend on what you intend to use them for. If you’re on the lookout for a low-cost option for extra storage to mount a rooftop tent onto your truck, then you could do an awful lot worse.

Of course, there are more expensive options out there that will make your life out on the road quite a bit more comfortable, but you do get what you pay for in this world. We’ve only spent a little time talking about these popular products, but we hope we’ve gotten over who they’re intended for and who will get the most out of their use.

That’s it from us for this time. We’ll be back again with more camping and truck equipment advice again soon.