Looking to organize the truck bed of your adventure vehicle? TRUKD’s bed rack options provide all the versatility you’ll ever need
I’ve only ever owned trucks in my life, and ever since my first one when I started driving, I’ve had a vision of what my “dream build” would look like. I’ve always wanted to have an overlanding-style truck with a rooftop tent, an awning, a shower, and everything needed to be self-sustained on the road. With these big accessories in mind, I knew I would need a solid bed rack that could handle the additional weight and still let me use my truck as a truck. That’s when I found the TRUKD bed rack and knew it was exactly what I needed to start building the perfect overlanding rig.
About the Brand
The TRUKD mission is to make the best bed rack there is, bar none. They believe in making a product built to last a lifetime, backed by the best possible customer service. What I love most about TRUKD is that the founders and the team there live the lifestyle and understand the wants and needs of consumers like me who need a product that can keep up. They test their products, use their products, and are adventure seekers just like me and hopefully you, the reader, as well. Everything is made of stainless steel and aluminum and coated to prevent rust. TRUKD makes everything in the USA as well, so you know you’re supporting jobs for Americans who take pride in the product they put out there.
Choosing the Right Bed Rack
The most challenging aspects of choosing the right bed rack are knowing exactly what you plan to use it for and what compatibility you need with other parts. This requires a lot of foresight into how you want to build out your truck. For me, a tonneau cover is non-negotiable, so I needed a bed rack compatible with my RealTruck BAKFLIP MX4 hard folding cover. With the cover folded all the way up, I also needed a tall bed rack that wouldn’t interfere with the folding aspect of my tonneau cover. If you have a soft tonneau cover that rolls up or a retractable one, you might not need as high a bed rack. I also had a second non-negotiable: I needed at least one point of access to my truck bed from the side. That meant I needed some way to reach into my truck bed without a panel being permanently fixed in place. Thankfully, TRUKD had really thought of every problem and designed a solution around both non-negotiables.
TRUKD Bed Rack Series
The TRUKD bed racks are offered in two series: the T-series and the A-series. The T-series of bed racks are compatible with tonneau covers and use vertical uprights that the tonneau cover can clear when being folded up. There are four height options for these bed racks, and they are height-adjustable. The A-series bed rack is a simple yet capable design that uses angled uprights. This series is available in three heights. I chose to install the 24.5-inch T-series rack to maximize compatibility and provide ample height for my future tent, awning, and shower installations.
TRUKD Accessories
After I chose the right bed rack for my needs, I looked at the accessories TRUKD offers. As I mentioned earlier, I needed a way to access my truck bed from at least one side. This was too easy with the accessory panel hinge kit, which lets you have a functional side panel while also giving you access to your truck bed. The hinges are equipped with latches to keep the panel in place when not in use. The gas struts can support up to 80 pounds of gear or accessories on the panel. They also come pre-assembled, so all you have to do is bolt them to your rack upright before installing the accessory panel. The hinge kit works with both the A-Series and T-Series bed racks and comes in 12.5- and 18.5-inch height versions. I chose the 18.5-inch accessory panels for my TRUKD bed rack, so that is the height I needed for the accessory panel hinge kit as well. I went with a passenger-side setup for the hinge kit.
The next accessory I knew I’d need is the TRUKD awning mount. I’ve never seen a simpler or easier design for mounting an awning with zero interference from the truck doors or anything else. The awning mount attaches to the top of the crossbars, and luckily, given how high my bed rack is, I have a super-tall awning for maximum shade. I’m almost 6 feet tall, so the taller the better. I also plan to attach a shower to the driver’s-side panel in the future, so I wanted an awning to sit above it.
A super useful attachment I have my eye on next is the bed rack-mounted ratchet strap. It installs onto your crossbars so you can put whatever load you’re carrying on top, pull the hook to your desired length, and then hit the green button, which automatically tightens the strap before you need to manually work the ratchet. There are so many more accessories available, including traction board mounts, ladder tiedowns, bike mounts, and really anything you could think of to mount what you need to their accessory panels.
My Build and My Background
I own a 2023 Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition, and yes, while it’s a premium trim, it is far from a grocery-getter vehicle. I own property, and on it is a shooting range where I also hunt animals. I maintain the property by myself and am constantly toting around steel targets, 50-pound bags of corn, camera equipment, feeders, and more. I’m also a professional competitive shooter who travels around the country with all my guns, gear, ammunition, and equipment to compete in multi-day competitions, where you drive to each bay to shoot for an hour to two hours or more. I host firearm events and classes and attend trade shows and demo range days. Finally, I am an avid hunter and spend most of my hunting time on a piece of property that doesn’t have running water or a place to sleep unless you bring your own camper or tent.
What I’m getting at is that my truck must be outfitted with everything I need for long weekends in rain, sunshine, and snow, and be able to traverse gravel, mud, grass, inclines, and more. I’ve only had this bed rack on my truck for about a month now, and I can tell you I’m absolutely giddy about the future of this build.
My Initial Review
I consider the TRUKD bed rack the foundation for everything I plan to mount to my truck. I can tell you that after installing it on my truck, it absolutely lives up to the hype. The bed rack is super durable and rugged, and it’s attached in a way that there’s no chance of anything falling off, breaking, or coming undone. The installation process couldn’t have been easier; it only required me to temporarily remove the tonneau cover to get the rack onto the T-slot channel. I use the hinge kit just about every day with my truck, whether to fold up my tonneau cover or to reach into my cooler from the side of the truck. I couldn’t live without the hinge kit. While I haven’t used the accessory panels yet, I promise more is coming, so stay tuned for what’s coming next for my Tundra.
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