Leitner Designs

Leitner Designs Review & History 

Leitner Designs was established in 2007 by Bernhard Leitner, a man with vast experience in engineering, product development, and a passion for the outdoors.

Leitner creates high-quality, robust, adaptable, and modular bed racks that are perfect for everyday usage, travel, and off-roading. These bed racks are sturdy and have a static weight capacity of more than 1000lbs, which is way above average!

It was not until 2014 that Bernhard Leitner decided to pursue his passion for the great outdoors even more. He consequently decided to change the company's emphasis from being a design studio to producing its exclusive line of truck accessories. The "Active Cargo System," the company's initial product, was created as a result of his passion for nature.

Leitner Rack Systems

Currently, the strongest modular truck bed rack cargo system available is the 100% USA-made Leitner Active Cargo System. The ACS is designed to suit a wide range of pickup trucks, including those made by GMC, Jeep, Nissan, Chevrolet, RAM, Toyota, and Ford.

Your setup will undoubtedly get an incredible variation from it, and your outdoor excursions will reach a higher degree of professionalism. As ACS accessories develop, we consider the demands of our customers and give them the option to purchase straightforward but stylish ways to mount and store gear.

The two most prominent ACS are the Classic & Forged Rack Systems. Let’s take a deeper look at them.

 Leitner Active Cargo System Classic

The first "Leitner Active Cargo System (ACS)," a ground-breaking modular truck bed rack system with a unique sliding back bar that allows the user to maintain full use of the truck bed, was created by Bernhard in 2014. Numerous combinations of third-party mounts and all Leitner Accessories were possible thanks to the rack's modular design.

The basic concept that got everything launched is the Leitner Designs Active Cargo System Classic. This model features an impressive  1000 lbs. static weight rating, 500 lbs. on-road dynamic rating, and 250 lb. off-road dynamic rating. Seeing as this rack has an exceptional static weight limit, it is ideal for a roof top tent.

The discrepancy between the on-road and off-road weight ratings is due to the uneven terrain and risks you may face when not on paved asphalt. The military-quality aluminum used in the tig welding process gives the rack its outstanding weight rating and permits it to weigh just a little bit more than 80 lbs.

This Leitner Designs bed rack has a sleek-looking, aerodynamic design and it is constructed out of powder-coated aluminum construction for increased durability. It features rubber wind diffusers to prevent your cargo from shifting, quad-rail load beam design for endless mounting options, and is compatible with a variety of ever-growing accessories.

This is a no drill Leitner Designs rack that uses clamps to secure itself to your truck bed and sits at a height of 23" giving you the ability to haul longer loads and gear.

Leitner ACS Forged

Based on the aforementioned design, Leitner Designs decided to develop the ACS Forged Truck Bed Rack, the successor cargo system that is fully compatible with all Leitner historical mounting systems and accessories.

The outstanding 1400 lbs. static weight rating of the Forged system is combined with an off-road dynamic weight rating of 400 lbs. and an on-road dynamic weight rating of 800 lbs. Leitner accomplishes this with an entirely forged aluminum design that weighs barely 85 lbs in total! To keep your stuff from rolling around, both versions have a load pad and a rubber wind diffuser.

To go even further, Leitner Racks have a ground-breaking design that enables the rear crossbar's complete mobility, enabling full utilization of your truck bed! Making the most of your room is further ensured by the uprights along both sides of the bed, which don't extend very far into the bed.

Like the aforementioned rack, this Leitner Designs bed rack is also made of powder-coated aluminum for greater durability and features a modern, aerodynamic appearance. It has rubber wind diffusers to keep your cargo from shifting, a quad-rail load beam for countless mounting choices, and it is compatible with a wide range of steadily expanding attachments.

You can handle longer goods and equipment such as ladders, kayaks, planks, etc. with the help of this no-drill Leitner Designs rack, which sits at a height of 23" and is secured to your truck bed using clamps.

Leitner ACS Forged Tonneau Rack

Leitner now provides a top-of-the-line bed rack that works with T-Slot rail tonneau covers such as Retrax XR and Pace Edwards Ultra Groove, it’s called the ACS Forged Tonneau. It is an excellent truck bed storage option since it can allow you to carry & secure more cargo, allowing you to have an even more convenient and longer stay in the great outdoors. It is a complete bolt-on design with no drilling required.

However, the convenience of having more storage space for your overlanding equipment comes at a cost. This model features a static weight rating of 800lbs and an on-road weight rating of 400lbs, which is excellent; however, it is significantly less than the Forged System and slightly less than the Classic System.

Except the lower weight rating, it still preserves all of the other revolutionary features of the ACS Forged such as a forged aluminum design that weighs only 85 lbs, and is an excellent choice to consider before setting off on a long adventure in the great outdoors as it allows you to use the full potential of your truck’s bed.

This Leitner Designs bed rack is similar to the aforementioned rack in that it is powder-coated aluminum for increased durability and has a contemporary, aerodynamic design. It features a quad-rail load beam for infinite mounting options, rubber wind diffusers to prevent your goods from shifting, and compatibility with a large range of steadily expanding accessories.

With the aid of this no-drill Leitner Designs rack, which stands at a height of 23" and is fastened to your truck bed using bolts, you can handle longer items and equipment such as ladders, kayaks, boards, etc.

Leitner Rack Accessories

Apart from the signature Active Cargo Systems, Leitner Designs offers a variety of accessories that exclusively fit the ACS Classic and Forged models. Let’s take a look at a couple of the best accessories that you can get.

Leitner Gear Pod

Leitner boxes may even be considered a necessity by overlanding enthusiasts that prefer a longer stay in the great outdoors as they are very secure and offer a lot of space for storing equipment and other gear. We offer you the Gear Pod and the Gear Pod XL.

These Leitner boxes are constructed out of roto-molted high-density polyethylene which is the same material used to make kayaks. That just gives you an idea of how strong and durable these boxes are. They have a simple T-slot installation and they even come with a locking mechanism and a key for it to safely lock up your belongings.

Each of the Leitner boxes or Gear pods has dual-stage black powder-coated steel brackets for increased resilience against weather conditions and even features an automotive-grade silicon seal which makes them waterproof and all-around weatherproof.

It is an amazing piece of Leitner Designs equipment to have especially if you own a Leitner Designs bed rack as it increases the storage capabilities of your vehicle and your rack and lets you store away some of the more important pieces of gear or even personal belonging it there without the fear of them getting stolen or even ruined by outside weather conditions.

Leitner HydroPod

If there isn't a water tank that meets your preferences, how are you supposed to cool yourself after a sweaty ride or refuel yourself in the middle of an adventure? Leitner has a solution. Leitner Design's HydroPOD Shower Kit is unquestionably the solution you're looking for. Up to 4.8 gallons of potable water can be stored in the HydroPOD tank for all of your showering needs.

So, with HydroPOD, taking a fast shower in the middle of a desert or wild area won't be a problem anymore. You can also take a shower after a long day of hiking, surfing, riding your dirt bike, or just about any other outdoor activity, and feel clean and ready for your campfire session.

It features a 20ft long hose which is more than enough to operate with even if you attach the HydroPOD onto your roof rack or bed rack. It has a durable, long-lasting black powder-coated construction for increased durability.

Now the great thing about this Leitner HydroPOD is that you don't need to keep it somewhere high up so that the water could run down the hose, instead it uses an integrated custom-engineered high-efficiency hand pump to do so.

Apart from providing you with a piece of equipment that you can use to cool yourself off, Leitner HydroPod can also be used for cleaning out your camping equipment and even some dirty clothes.

Leitner Gear Bag

Now we did mention the Leitner Gear Pods and you might be wondering what is the difference between the two. Well, this is a gear bag that can be put inside the gear pod and used for better sorting of your gear or personal belongings.

It is constructed out of molded EVA foam and has a water-resistant coating. It comes with a convenient top and front handle that you can use to carry the gear bar or even to help you take it out of the gear pod.

Inside you will find 2 main inner compartments as well as some side pockets that can be zipped up. That lets you organize your gear even better. It has a 30-liter capacity, and you can even use it without the gear pod.

It is a great piece of organizational equipment that is reasonably priced and can be used either in your day-to-day life or even for your next overlanding adventure.

Leitner Designs FAQS

What is the Leitner system weight rating?

The weight rating varies among the three Active Cargo Systems. The ACS Classic has an impressive static weight rating of 1000lbs, while the ACS Forged has 1400lbs, and lastly, the ACS Forged Tonneau features an 800lbs static weight rating.

What vehicles does the Leitner rack work with?

The ACS Classic fits most trucks, including full-size trucks with 8' beds and midsize trucks with short beds measuring 5'. The 8-0" option for the ACS Forged is not available. Numerous pickup trucks, including the Jeep Gladiator, Chevrolet, Dodge RAM, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra, and Ford F150 can be fitted with the ACS.

Is the Leitner Active Cargo System compatible with a tonneau cover?

Yes, it is! The Leitner ACS Forged comes with a tonneau cover. However, there is a difference between the ACS Forged with and without the cover included. One of the most notable differences is the weight capacity of the rack.

What is the best Leitner Designs bed rack?

Well, that all depends on your needs. However, if you are looking for the strongest and most durable system from Leitner Designs that would be the Leitner ACS Forged rack as it can withstand up to 1400lbs of weight capacity.

Can I put other liquids in a Leitner HydroPod?

It is not recommended that you put anything other than water inside the HydroPOD.

Is Leitner Rack compatible with Yakima, Thule, or Rhino Rack accessories?

Yes, it is! Thanks to the T-slot design that is used both for the ACS Classic and the ACS Forged you can mount a wide variety of accessories.

Is Leitner Gear Pod waterproof?

They are! All of the Leitner gear pods have a tight silicon seal that does not let water in. They are also constructed out of roto-molted high-density polyethylene which is already waterproof.

All Leitner Designs Racks