Get more from your factory roof rack with t-slotted aluminum (8020) (7 Viewers)

[trinydex]

has anyone retrofitted their aftermarket rack that runs 1020 cross bars with 15 series cross bars? it seems on certain racks like the Victory 4x4, the 15 series might make the crossbars flush with the side brackets.

 

[reddog90]

I'm trying to decide how to run a RTT for a short trip next month on my factory rack. Could I get by with just two 8020/tnutz crossbars or do I need to go all in on 6 crossbars? Also, has anyone used the prinsu RTT mounts on their 8020 rack setup?

 

[BigMF]

I'm trying to decide how to run a RTT for a short trip next month on my factory rack. Could I get by with just two 8020/tnutz crossbars or do I need to go all in on 6 crossbars? Also, has anyone used the prinsu RTT mounts on their 8020 rack setup?

If it's a one-off thing for this one time, you might want to consider the Super Strut option I came up with last summer. Look on page 9 of this thread, June 10'ish. It's not very elegant but you can get the parts from Lowes for under $50 probably. The nuts that you use to bolt the brackets to the OEM rack fit right into the channel.

Benefits of this option include:

• The crossbars can be wider than the rails because they sit above them
• You can add as many as you want
• They have numerous, easy attachment points that do NOT require specialized hardware like Prinsu or Frontrunner.
• Just a very flexible, low-cost solution

TIP: remove the covers at the back of the roof to slide the nuts in.

TIP 2: Mine was loud as heck until I added a fairing purchased from Amazon. The fairing cost more than the parts of the rack but it was worth it to keep the noise down. All in, you are still in for less than $150 including the fairing. However, I consider the cost of the fairing a "wash" since you'd probably also need to get one if you go with the 8020.

With all that said, I DID eventually get a Prinsu rack because I wanted a more streamlined, powder-coated option.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

I'm trying to decide how to run a RTT for a short trip next month on my factory rack. Could I get by with just two 8020/tnutz crossbars or do I need to go all in on 6 crossbars? Also, has anyone used the prinsu RTT mounts on their 8020 rack setup?

I’d recommend more than two. I don’t have data on the tensile strength or anything quantitative like that, but I run my ROAM RTT on top of the LX rails with 6 crossbars. The interior crossbars (highest relative to the plane created by the furthest forwar and furthest aft crossbars) have a little bowing in them. I imagine that the total weight of the system being supported by just two extrusions might be a somewhat marginal case as far as capacity goes. The extrusions are so cheap, that I feel like a strong case can be made for at least going to 4 extrusions, arranged as two fore and two aft. Perhaps the $30 can act as cheap insurance for a short adventure. Wouldn’t do much true off-roading even with my setup though. I figure steel and full aluminum roof racks were probably built for a reason.

The above is entirely anecdotal. Run what you’re comfortable with. Do your due diligence and have a great trip!

 

[elcajon]

I have 4 roof rails for sale with hardware. Willing to ship on buyer's dime!

What are you putting on your roof now? Thanks ..

 

[TomCruis]

Just looked at the adapters, they look like a good option but i really love how easy the claw feet are. I pull the box off after a ski day, so usually 30-40 times a winter I'm taking it off and hanging it up in the garage.

@HustleHard I'm in your camp w/r/t the Thule Box with the claws. I love em. I'm trying to justify in my head, building a rack I don't need at the moment, and then making it harder for me to attach an already easy claw system - i just really like the slotted capability of the 80/20 and i've already spent way too much time thinking about it. Curious if you went down the path and found an elegant solution here. The other complication, at least for my Thule Motion XT XL box, is that the claw feet sit recessed in the box, so mounting on a flat rack regardless of claw or bolt on adapters will be an issue.

 

[tbisaacs]

What are you putting on your roof now? Thanks ..

Prinsu

 

[HustleHard]

@HustleHard I'm in your camp w/r/t the Thule Box with the claws. I love em. I'm trying to justify in my head, building a rack I don't need at the moment, and then making it harder for me to attach an already easy claw system - i just really like the slotted capability of the 80/20 and i've already spent way too much time thinking about it. Curious if you went down the path and found an elegant solution here. The other complication, at least for my Thule Motion XT XL box, is that the claw feet sit recessed in the box, so mounting on a flat rack regardless of claw or bolt on adapters will be an issue.

I haven't done anything yet. My cousin has a GX with a Rhino Rack setup with the Backbone system. Honestly that's probably the direction I'll go since I can get 40% off Rhino Racks

 

[Patassa]

I haven't done anything yet. My cousin has a GX with a Rhino Rack setup with the Backbone system. Honestly that's probably the direction I'll go since I can get 40% off Rhino Racks

Can I be his cousin too? 40% off is legit.

 

[PabloTX]

Prinsu

Just curious why you decided to change direction on here? Limitations from the 8020? Any quality issues after you started using Loctite? Thanks.

 

[tbisaacs]

Just curious why you decided to change direction on here? Limitations from the 8020? Any quality issues after you started using Loctite? Thanks.

Nope - just square footage. The prinsu is significantly longer and goes edge-to-edge. In fact I moved all of my old accessories for the 8020 rails right to the prinsu.

 

[TomCruis]

Nope - just square footage. The prinsu is significantly longer and goes edge-to-edge. In fact I moved all of my old accessories for the 8020 rails right to the prinsu.

TBH, once i saw @tbisaacs switch over to the prinsu on this thread, i immediately went from the 8020 website to CBI and put in an order....

 

[PabloTX]

Nope - just square footage. The prinsu is significantly longer and goes edge-to-edge. In fact I moved all of my old accessories for the 8020 rails right to the prinsu.

Thank you!

 

[Cruisin911]

Nope - just square footage. The prinsu is significantly longer and goes edge-to-edge. In fact I moved all of my old accessories for the 8020 rails right to the prinsu.

This. 100%. With the prinsu rack, my 200 has been more useful than my tundra was. I can put whole 4x8 sheets of plywood on the roof and strap them down. Carries things way better than the 5.5ft bed did. I absolutely love it.

 

[Zhifeng]

I'm trying to decide how to run a RTT for a short trip next month on my factory rack. Could I get by with just two 8020/tnutz crossbars or do I need to go all in on 6 crossbars? Also, has anyone used the prinsu RTT mounts on their 8020 rack setup?

Have you figured out if the prinsu rtt mounts work with this 8020 setup yet? I am looking for the same setup which seems to be perfect for my use. It seems can solve the mounting space limitation issue.

 

[reddog90]

Have you figured out if the prinsu rtt mounts work with this 8020 setup yet? I am looking for the same setup which seems to be perfect for my use. It seems can solve the mounting space limitation issue.

No sorry. I borrowed a RTT for a trip a few weeks ago and just ran it on 4 factory crossbars instead.

 

[RyanR]

Anybody that's looking into this, you can source the extrusion with counterbores etc from www.tnutz.com for ~30% less than the OP's price. I'm thinking of ordering 4 crossbars for mine soon. I'd been thinking of building a whole rack from 8020, but I like the way the OP did this.

Thank you! Just ordered two 1020 cross bars, L-Brackets and T-Nuts from there. $79.92 shipped to ID.

 

[ATwoZ]

Nope - just square footage. The prinsu is significantly longer and goes edge-to-edge. In fact I moved all of my old accessories for the 8020 rails right to the prinsu.

Are you noticing any noise difference? Do you mind sharing why Prinsu vs any of the others? Dissent, Gamiviti, ARB etc?

 

[tbisaacs]

Are you noticing any noise difference? Do you mind sharing why Prinsu vs any of the others? Dissent, Gamiviti, ARB etc?

No noise difference. Mainly came down to value and availability. The prinsu is in stock and comes with a really nice wind fairing.

 

[RyanR]

No noise difference. Mainly came down to value and availability. The prinsu is in stock and comes with a really nice wind fairing.

This isn't the exact listing below, (So I would check the measurements) I actually got mine with my rack when I purchased it from a local off craigslist. But I had L-Track tie downs like this and the hole spacing was exactly the same as the 2 bolts for the cross bars. (On the outside of the side rails where the through bolts attach each cross bar. So these sat like washers on the outside of the side rails) Having these attachment points and loops I could pop on in 2 seconds at the end of each rail really made my Prinsu rack incredible easy and flexible when it came to securing all the random crap I tied down up there over the years.

Amazon product ASIN B07V1J1971