Best 6 Overland Bed Rack Models

6 comments Feb 15, 2023

Overland Truck Bed Rack Review

 

Truck bed racks are one of the essential parts of an off-road vehicle. It gives you the ability to store more things over your truck bed and carry things that otherwise wouldn’t fit inside it such as kayaks, skis, and bikes, and you can even mount a roof top tent.

Truck bed racks are designed for vehicles that do not have a camper shell on top of their bed rack and cannot fit a full-length roof but would still like to take full advantage of their vehicle and store as much stuff as possible, especially for those long overlanding trips.

Before we start reviewing each of the bed racks we think are one of the best on the market right now we want to explain a few things about them and mention what you should look for in a bed rack before acquiring one. If you are interested in learning more about bed racks, we have a dedicated bed rack guide.

 

 

What To Look For In An Overland Bed Rack	Leitner ACS Best Overland Bed Rack (With Tonneau Cover)
Overland Vehicle Systems Freedom Bed Rack	Thule TracRac TracOne Overlanding Truck Bed Rack
RCI Universal Overand Bed Rack	Tuff Stuff Adjustable Best Truck Bed Rack For Roof Top Tent
Yakima Overhaul HD	Overland Bed Rack FAQS

 

What To Look For In An Overland Bed Rack

 

Height

There are many different bed rack heights out there and honestly, all of them are great but that doesn’t mean that all of them will fit your lifestyle and your needs. Some of them are below the level of the truck cab and some are on the same level as your truck cab meaning that you can mount things on top of it that are longer that the truck bed itself.

Higher truck bed racks are great when you have a longer load to carry such as planks, kayaks, or even skis that would otherwise stick out from the back of your vehicle. However shorter truck bed racks are also great as the cargo that sits on top of them creates less aerodynamic drag because they are sitting behind the truck cab and not sticking out. They are also great for mounting a roof top tent on top of them.

 

Weight Capacity

Now the weight capacity differs from rack to rack. If a rack has a lower rack capacity it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a bad rack. It just means that it was meant for different purposes. Depending on what your needs are you should take into consideration the weight capacity of your desired truck bed rack.

Racks with a higher capacity are usually used to carry roof top tents and any other cargo that can physically fit on top of them while bed racks with a lower weight capacity can be used for some lighter loads and to carry the majority of your accessories that you might need on your next overlanding adventure.

 

Accessories Available

There are a wide variety of accessories that can fit on your truck bed rack and also a wide variety of mounts for said accessories. You can install a bike mount, Max Trax mounts, Rotopax mounts, axe mounts, shovel mounts, hi-lift mounts and so many more.

You can experiment with the accessory mounts and build it the way that it will hold and carry all of the things you might possibly need on your next off-road or overlanding adventure.

 

Best Overland Truck Bed Racks

 

Leitner ACS Best Overland Bed Rack (With Tonneau Cover)

 

This is a really sleek, durable, and lightweight truck bed rack that comes with a retractable cover. This is a fairly new bed rack system that was tested in some of the harshest environments to make sure that it can handle pretty much anything you put it up to. It has a static weight capacity of 800lbs and a dynamic weight capacity of 400lbs which is more than enough to carry pretty much anything you desire.

Let’s start off by saying that this overland bed rack has an aluminum alloy construction which is both really strong as we already mentioned, and also lightweight, weighing 85 lbs. The rack is 23” tall when measured from the top of the bed caps up to the heavy-duty 2” square load bars. The bars also have a rubber wind diffuser as well as a load pad to keep your cargo from moving.

This Leitner overland truck bed rack has a quad-rail load beam design that is perfect for endless mounting options which makes it a fully upgradable bed rack with an ever-growing line of accessories. The rack is compatible with a wide variety of Thule, Rhino Rack, and even Yakima accessories. Apart from accessories, mounting a roof top tent for those long overlanding trips is a great idea also. It also has a dual-stage powder coating on all the steel brackets.

The tonneau cover that this truck bed rack comes with can be operated with a push of a button and you can even store a variety of items on top of it as well as under it in your bed rack. Another cool thing that you can mount on your bed rack that would allow you to carry more items would be the Leitner gear pods. This is one of the better overland truck bed racks out there and is one of our highly recommended products so feel free to check it out!

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Tonneau cover compatible Compatible with a variety of accessories Sturdy build Compatible with DECKED storage system Integrated rubber wind defuser	Expensive Height is not adjustable	Static: 800 lbs Dynamic: 400 lbs

 

 

Overland Vehicle Systems Freedom Bed Rack

 

OVS overland truck bed rack is a reasonably priced, sturdy, very strong, and lightweight rack which is perfect for any off-road enthusiast out there. This is a pretty high overland bed rack that can be adjusted all the way from 19” to 30” in height for maximum utility, making it the most versatile rack on the market. It is also one of the strongest ones as it has a static weight capacity of up to 1350 lbs and a dynamic weight capacity of 450 lbs!

The rack itself is designed out of high-strength aluminum which is designed to last and also has a black powder coat finish which will prevent it from eroding in muddy environments. This overland truck bed rack has been tested in some of the harshest environments so that you can be sure that it will withstand anything you put it through. As it is one of the strongest racks on the market it is perfect for carrying heavy loads as well as bigger and heavier roof top tents.

As we already said, it can be adjusted to 30” in height which is on the same level as your truck cab maybe even higher. That’s why this rack is also perfect for carrying longer items such as planks, kayaks, skis, or even other construction materials. One of its features is the integrated tie-down points which make carrying loads, and other cargo a piece of cake. Apart from any cargo that you can carry on it it also has T-Slot attachments for adding gear mounts and other accessories.

This overland bed rack features fully modifiable rack bars, side panels, as well as crossbars which you can use to mount even more things to it. This is also a no-drill overland truck bed rack which is very easy to install as it only needs to be clamped down onto your truck bed. As it weighs only 80lbs and is aerodynamically designed it won’t take a toll on your fuel tank.

This is a universal bed rack and will fit most of the vehicles out there but not all. It is 105” wide so if your truck bed has the same dimensions as the rack, it can be installed. This is an amazing overland truck bed rack that will be a perfect addition to your next off-road trip so feel free to check it out!

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Reasonably priced Compatible with a variety of accessories Adjustable height Sturdy build Easy installation	Affecting aerodynamics and fuel efficiency when adjusted to 30" of height	Static: 1350 lbs Dynamic: 450 lbs

 

 

Thule TracRac TracOne Overlanding Truck Bed Rack

 

This is yet another amazing overland truck bed rack which is possibly one of the cheapest on the market right now. It is a sleek-looking, durable, and strong rack that is very easy to assemble and install. Thule TracRac does not require drilling in order to mount onto your truck bed. As with many of the other Thule products this one is no different as it is very reliable and will be a great addition to your next adventure.

The Thule TracOne overland bed rack is very strong as we already said and it has a static weight capacity of 800lbs. It is also 30” tall. Combine the strength and the height of this rack and you get an overland truck bed rack that can carry both long loads as well as heavy ones. The TracRack is perfect for carrying kayaks, planks, ladders, skis, and even mounting a roof top tent on it.

It does also have an aerodynamic build with integrated wind deflectors and only weighs 42 lbs so it will not take a toll on your fuel engine. This is also one of the lightest overland truck bed racks on the market right now. The rack is also powder coated so it could resist scratching, chipping, and even eroding in muddy environments.

Thule TracRac TracOne uses heavy-duty clamps in order to be mounted to your truck bed. This overland truck rack is compatible with many vehicles such as the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, F-250/350, F-450/550, Ranger, Mazda B-Series, GMC Sierra, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, and even Nissan Titan. Feel free to check this one out!

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Very lightweight Compatible with the majority of vehicles Integrated wind deflectors No drilling required One of the cheapest racks on the market Sturdy build	Height is not adjustable Affects truck's fuel efficiency when items are placed on top of the rack	Static: 800 lbs

 

 

RCI Universal Overland Bed Rack

 

RCI has been in the overlanding business for some time now and this overland truck bed rack is as good as the rest of their high-quality products. This universal rack is a reasonably priced, sturdy, lightweight rack that does require drilling in order to install it. Since it is a universal rack, it does fit almost all pickup trucks. It is designed and made in the USA and tested in some of the harshest terrains to ensure that it will withstand anything you put it up to.

This overland truck bed rack is built out of high-quality, long-lasting materials and even has a black powder coat finish to prevent scratches and erosion in muddy environments. It has a static weight capacity of over 750lbs which is more than enough to carry pretty much all of the things that you can think of including heavy cargo. You can even mount a roof top tent on top of it.

This rack comes in different sizes depending on the size of your truck bed. It can also be purchased in various different heights but they are all lower than your truck cab meaning that this rack is better for shorter loads. Thanks to the lower center of gravity because of its height, you won’t have as much aerodynamic drag as you would with the higher racks because the cargo on top of it will not be sticking out. That means that because of this rack, you will have less of a fuel impact.

This is one of the better racks on the market when it comes to mounting accessories and well, mounting points for them. There are so many holes for installing a variety of different mounting points on the legs of the rack as well as on the side rails that connect those legs. You can mount pretty much anything to it such as axes, shovels, Rotopax, hi-lift, fire extinguishers, and so much more. This is one of our top recommendations so feel free to check it out!

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Aerodynamic since the items on the rack would be below the truck cab Compatible with a variety of accessories Lightweight Sturdy build No drill bed rack	Can be a bit expensive Height is not adjustable	Static: 750 lbs

 

 

Tuff Stuff Adjustable Best Truck Bed Rack For Roof Top Tent

 

This is another cheap, reliable, sturdy, and lightweight overland truck bed rack made by Tuff Stuff. It is an adjustable rack meaning that it can fit pretty much any vehicle out there. It is perfect for various widths of truck beds from mid-size to full-size. No drilling is required to install this rack but if you are going to go on some rougher off-road terrains it is recommended that you do it.

This Tuff Stuff overland bed rack is made out of built-to-last premium materials with a black powder coat finish to prevent scratching, chipping, or even eroding in muddy environments. It has a static weight capacity of 800lbs, a dynamic weight capacity of 650lbs, and a 51” cargo carrying rack which can go up to a max width of 68” which is perfect for carrying any heavy cargo that you can think of including bigger roof top tent.

This rack is lower than the truck cab so it might not be good for carrying any longer loads. On the bars of this overland truck bed rack, you will see accessory tabs that are perfect for installing a variety of different mounts such as Rotopax mounts, jack mounts, shovel mounts, axe mounts, and even lamps to illuminate your truck bed. You can even attach an awning to it!

This rack has been tested in harsh conditions and some of the harshest roads and it is safe to say that it can withstand pretty much anything you put it through. It is an easy rack to install and you would need about an hour to do so using the given installation instructions as well as the necessary hardware that comes alongside the rack. There’s no doubt that this will be a great addition to your next overlanding trip so feel free to check it out!

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Adjustable width Compatible with a variety of accessories Sturdy build Very cheap No drilling required	Height is not adjustable Ideal for bigger trucks	Static: 800 lbs Dynamic: 650 lbs

 

 

Yakima Overhaul HD

 

This is a pretty sturdy and sleek-looking overland truck bed rack which is ideal for any off-road or even overlanding adventures. The great thing about this rack is that it can be adjusted to different heights from 19” to 30”. This rack features a QuickChange system which makes it easy to put it on and take it off the truck in just minutes. It is also designed to fit all common truck beds thanks to the BedGrip clamp design. That means that this is a no-drill rack.

The rack is built out of built-to-last aluminum with a durable black powder coat finish to prevent scratches and erosion in muddy environments. It has a static load rating of 500lbs and a dynamic load rating of 300lbs and with the addition of adjustable height, not only can you carry heavy cargo but also long ones as well. You can carry kayaks, planks, ladders, bikes, and many other things on it including a roof top tent.

Apart from being able to carry a wide variety of items and loads, you can also mount a variety of accessories to it thanks to the T-Slot attachments which make adding gear mounts and said accessories fast and simple. You can attach a sidebar, load stop, eye bolt, ladder roller, wear strips, HD hook strap, Rotopax mounting kit, Max Trax mounts and so much more. There are also multiple integrated tie-down points for safely securing your cargo. It even has a built-in bottle opener on it!

As we already mentioned this is a no-drill overland truck bed rack that you can set up and mount in just a matter of minutes. It is not a very budget-friendly rack as some of the previously mentioned ones but is still a very good and reliable one and there’s no doubt that it will satisfy all of your needs on your next overlanding trip.

Pros	Cons	Weight Capacity
Tonneau cover compatible (special kit needed) Adjustable height Compatible with a variety of accessories Sturdy build Easy no drill installation Integrated tie down points	Is a bit pricey HD bar sold separately	Static: 500 lbs Dynamic: 300 lbs

 

Overland Bed Rack FAQS

 

Can you put a bed rack on a tonneau cover?

Yes, you can! Well, at least for some of the. Not all bed racks are designed to work with tonneau covers. Usually, the racks that are compatible with the covers install into your truck’s stake hole pockets thus leaving the bed rails free for the cover. But each rack is different so double-check the exact rack before acquiring it.

 

What is the weight capacity of an overland bed rack?

Each overland truck bed rack has a different static and dynamic weight capacity. Some have 500lbs some 800lbs and some even more than 1000lbs!

 

How long does it take to install a bed rack?

The ones that require drilling usually take more time to install. It could take you up to an hour, maybe two to install them. However, there are also no drill or clamp on bed racks which take significantly less time to assemble and install and for some you would only need 10-15 minutes to do so.

 

What are the best overland bed rack accessories?

That completely depends on you and your needs. But some of the accessories that you should have on you at all times would be a jerry can for extra water or fuel supplies, hi-lift jacks, gear pods for storing extra things, and even some lights. If you are going on a longer overlanding trip, you could even bring an axe or a shovel with you using the appropriate mounts for them.