RSI Smart Cap vs TRUKD Bed Rack: A Showdown
When outfitting your truck for overland adventures, one of the most important decisions you'll make is whether to invest in a truck bed topper or a bed rack. While most fiberglass toppers aren’t quite made to handle things like offroad terrain and roof top tent mounting, RSI SmartCap is an exception being one of the strongest and most durable toppers on the market. Many people that intend to camp out of their truck find themselves deciding between a topper like the SmartCap or a bed rack like ours. Let’s dive into the differences!
RSI SmartCap: A Well Rounded Solution
A truck bed topper is a closed-top enclosure that sits on your truck bed rails, providing a secure and weatherproof space to store gear and equipment. The SmartCap is a type of topper built for extreme use. Here are some features that set it apart from most other truck bed toppers:
- Metal Construction: The SmartCap is incredibly strong allowing the user to mount roof top tents and other heavy gear.
- Versatile: RSI supports the SmartCap with a whole array of accessories to build out your topper.
- Security: Toppers can offer security compared to an open bed. However, many toppers have windows that can easily be broken into.
- Accessibility: With gull wing doors and a large upper liftgate the SmatCap provides better bed access than most toppers.
However, the RSI SmartCap does share some of the same drawbacks as other truck bed toppers:
- Limited Height Options: The SmartCap is only available in one fixed height.
- Cost: The SmartCap is a premium product at a premium price that doesn’t fit everyone’s budget.
- Fixed Solution: While the RSI SmartCap has a well rounded lineup of accessories, it still has limited areas for growth. It is also not something you would want to remove and install often.
- Weight: The SmartCap Tacoma topper comes in around 300 lbs.
TRUKD Bed Racks: A Modular Solution
Truck bed racks are open-frame structures that attach to your truck bed rails, providing a platform for mounting various accessories, such as rooftop tents, awnings, and storage boxes. Here are some advantages that TRUKD bed racks offer that most other bed racks don’t:
- Versatility: TRUKD racks offer a high degree of customization, allowing you to tailor your setup to your specific needs and preferences. Our racks are adjustable in every direction without changing any parts
- Accessibility: Racks provide easy access to your gear, making it convenient to load and unload items, even with accessory panels thanks to our hinge kits.
- Bed Cover Compatibility: TRUKD bed racks are compatible with most bed covers and even retain full functionality thanks to the vertical uprights. You can now have a bed rack and dry storage in the truck bed.
However, TRUKD bed racks do have a few disadvantages comapred to the SmartCap:
- Dry Storage: Bed racks do not offer the same level of dry storage headroom as toppers. Thankfully this is easy to overcome with a TRUKD rack as we are compatible with soft toppers and Flated toppers.
- Security: Bed Racks do not offer very secure storage solutions, which is why we made our racks compatible with incredibly secure covers like the Diamondback.
Our intentional design philosophy overcomes most of the disadvantages that come with traditional bed racks. Our vertical uprights make our racks compatible AND FUNCTIONAL with most bed covers, keeping your gear safe and dry. Our rack paired with something like a Diamondback cover offers the most secure solution you can put on your truck bed. TRUKD racks offer limitless mounting options and multiple height configurations.
When to Choose the SmartCap
If you are looking for a contained truck bed to sleep in or store specific gear and you have the budget to suit, then the SmartCap may be for you.
