The biggest MISTAKE I made ordering my pop-up camper - would love to hear your suggestions! 

Thanks for watching! This was back in January and I have since come up with a solution that has worked out well for me: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wdpHosf09g.html

Mount them over the dents on the passenger side and then paint the MaxTrax to look like a giant band-aid.

Good Video... How about installing another set of "Awning Brackets" on the "Port" side of the camper and installing them to allow the proper spacing for the MaxxTraxx bolts. They can be above your window and have a clean looking appearance. ... Just a thought.

Heavy duty garbage bags for keeping any mud or dirt out of the back seat area. Not a bad idea to mount over your sunroof.

If you want them on the roof, reach out to Topo Toppers and see if they would retro fit the rails for you. Then they would be “factory” installed.

What about buying an extra set of awning brackets for the passenger side of the camper and fabricating something off of them. I am with you, I don’t like drilling holes in the roof.

could you use 270 awning type brackets to side mount above arctic window? mounting to the roof may pose a weight issue when opening topper.

Hi, I am building out my truck camper now. I have a lot of experience. My suggestion to you would be to make your own custom max trax and put the ones you have on Marketplace. They are easy to fabricate from wood covered fiberglass. Forget about the orange color. Me, I have a Harbor Freight 12V 5,000 pull winch ($199) (with a snatch block, I can pull 10,000 pounds).

A simple solution would be to create longer pins or extensions for the ones you have to clear the fender. It wouldn't be as flush looking but solves the side mount problem.

Yep. Hood. Do it

What about mounting them on triangular brackets mounted on the back of your topper above the door? They would look like a little roof overhang above your box and gas can swingouts.

I think next to gas cans easy access when you need them

custom water proof bag. keep in that in the back seat. done

Bite the bullet and install full length racks. You know you may want to install a solar panel up there at some point might as well have rails that fit them.

I think a rack above the cab using existing holes could work fairly easily. I live in Tualatin Oregon if ya want some help. Could fab it up in a day. 👍🏻 @softroadingthewest

What about just keeping them in the bed of the truck while you drive (bungee cord so they dont fly around) and put them in the back seat when you camp?

Take peyote and go on vision quest

Donald, why not chop down the factory roof rack into a 1/3 rack, connect them together so they’re a single unit and reinstall in the original mounting points?

I would suggest you contact Topo Toppers and ask them about retro fitting roof rack/rails. For all the excellent advertising you give them with your channel, they should be able to cut you a deal.

Maybe consider a zip up vinyl bag to put the Max-Trax in and store them in the back. At the end of your trip you could simply hose the bag out.

Wow, I am ASTONISHED by the volume of comments and SO MANY great ideas I didn't think of. I was trying to reply to every comment but I'm unable to keep up today, I have some deadlined work to finish and getting ready to head out of town. But here are a few clarifications regarding some of the most frequent suggestions: MOUNT THEM ON THE HOOD I completely forgot to cover this in the video, but that actually was one of my first ideas months and months ago. It IS do-able, but when I mocked it up with my Maxtrax on there, I reeeeally did not like how much of my view they blocked. Fine on the highway, but on tricky trails, it really seems like a hindrance to picking lines, so I ruled it out very early on. I may need to revisit this however, it's a solid idea and may ultimately prove preferable to any other solution. SEA SUCKER SUCTION CUP MOUNTS I also forgot to mention these in the video...this is definitely a good idea, so much so that I actually came *very very* close to doing this a few months ago. I literally had their traction board kit in my shopping cart, credit card in hand and ready to proceed with checkout, but changed my mind at the last minute. I have a buddy who uses them to carry his traction boards on the hood of his Xterra and he's happy with it, they hold just fine. As noted above, I don't want mine on my hood, but I was thinking about using the Sea Sucker to mount to the camper roof without drilling holes. I could still do that, but they really stick up kind of high, and are vulnerable to theft. Ultimately I felt like if I am going to carry them on the camper roof, I'd rather take my chances with drilling through the roof for a lower-profile and theft-proof installation. Sea Sucker seems like a really good product though. HAVE TOPO TOPPERS RETROFIT THEIR RAILS This isn't impossible, but they are in Ventura CA and I am in Eugene OR. This would require multiple days and $600+ of gasoline, so if I do end up putting rails on the roof, I will take my chances with doing it myself. 🙂 MOUNT THEM BETWEEN THE TRUCK ROOF AND THE CABOVER (similar to Alu-Cab's slide-out table storage) There is not room. The camper cabover is so close to the roof of the truck that I cannot even slide a single Maxtrax into that space, with no hardware at all. This would be an elegant solution, but it is not possible. ANY SOLUTION THAT INVOLVES THE KITCHEN CARGO DOOR IN ANY WAY Offsetting the pins, center-mounting, anything at all here will not work. The Maxtrax block access to the door latches & locks, and if I move them upwards to clear the latches, they will run into the awning and prevent the door from opening properly. I wanted so bad to make this work, but it is physically impossible. ANY SOLUTION THAT INVOLVES THE REAR HATCH/WINDOW I do not want to block this window. One of the things I love about my build is that I can sit inside on a blustery day and enjoy a panoramic(ish) view. I will drill holes in the roof before giving up that rear window. 😄 Thanks again for watching and commenting. I'll keep trying to catch up with replies but it's probably gonna take me some days at this point. 🙂

Cut and adjust the factory Nissan roof rack so that only the front bolts are used and build a platform off of that.

Hi Donald so just a thought it looks like the Max track would fit in a snowboard bag so at least it would keep the mud and slime contained and most bags are pretty durable.. again just a thought .. good luck on this endeavor 😎

Just cut new holes in the maxtrax where you need them.

Take it back to topo and them retrofit the rails.

Build a false-floor inside the camper. Either slide them in from outside, or drop them in with a hinged/lifting door-floor.

Why can’t Topo Toppers install the racks now?

Chop the rails off the old roof rack, so you can still use the mounting sections. Then just build your mounting system off of them.

Have you contacted Topo to see if they can do a rail install? Or just send you the components to DIY? Seems like a fairly simple upgrade if you have the necessary rails/fasteners. I put racks on my GFC and have been so happy that I did. Have used them now on half a dozen trips carrying surfboards/Kayaks. Roof racks will mean you need some type of collapsible ladder.

If it was me, I'd fabricate a rack to go on the (front) roof of your cab (using preexisting holes) using the pins you have to secure the boards. The rack would be sloped so that it would act as a fairing that would direct wind just over the top of you pop-up camper. What you gain is access (standing in the open doors of the truck and maybe a bit of improved fuel efficiency. What you lose is at least some use of your sunroof.

Mount 2 rails horizontally on the kitchen/driver side door with the proper spacing and wherever the mounting bolt placement is appropriate, then attach the Maxtrax mounting bolts to the rails.

In the short term I would probably just bag them and put them in the backseat. Long term I would get topo topper to add the roof rails

Use the hood? Kinda like how you see the Jeep guys putting a hi-lift on their hoods.

Have you contacted the manufacturer to see if they could do it after the fact?

Go back to manufacturer of topper and have them retrofit.

Check out how alucab does the stow away table. You can put them between the roof and the bottom of your camper over hang

I would look at your rear, swing out and move the gas cans forward and mount them behind them vertical And your friend Jason has a brand new plasma table so I would say he could make you a couple of mounts really quick on that table looking forward to what you come up with but if you end up putting a mountain rack on top of your tent, check out a product called bugle tape they used it on Rv s it’s a good way to keep sealant on the roof😊

I think the simplest option would be to weld a mounting attachment to the passenger side of your gas canister rack. If it were me, I'd have the tracks/rails installed on the roof. This would allow you to not only carry the traction boards but also allow for future items, such as a kayak.

Check out those magnetic MaxTrax mounts sold by Owl Vans and put them on the roof of the cab.

My humble suggestion: 2 L shaped brackets, between bed and topper, on passenger side. Build stand off panel that secures to them, and fender of truck. Mount tracks to that panel. Ensure tracks come up to JUST UNDER the still functional window. Still have access to tire. I hope this helps.

Use Sea sucker suction cups for the roof . No need drilling holes they are great and can be used other places if you change your mind .

Passenger rear fender. As you said, it already has some "trail experience". Drill 4 holes. Insert some RivNuts and then build a simple rack/rail system to bolt into the RivNuts (probably need to use some spacers on the upper bolts to account for the curve of the fender so that the upper and lower rack/rails are even). Then mount the MaxTrax mounts onto the new rack ail system.

I think your original idea on the side would be the most convienent for use, but clearly not feasible now. My vote is to put them on the roof with a proper mounting system. Just bite the bullet.

is there a way to mount another set of awning mounts to the non-driver side of the camper, above the window? Maybe with some retrofitting you could have the maxtrax mounted horizontally above the window.

I'm guessing having TOPO install the rails isn't possible?

Back canopy door, it'll block your window, but if you design it with a hinge point, you should be able to lift it up, (and secure it) and see out the window when you're out camping. Or down, because you do have the awning...

Hi Donald, great little video as always. If it were me I would look at th original roof bars to see if they could be cut down and modified into a mini version. The front mounting points on the roof could be utilised with the original frame and then fabricate a rear support on the roof in front of the camper. Maybe even shortening the fram and re-using the rear mounts. This should give enough height to continue using the Sunroof. I'm looking forward to seeing your solution.

I would go with something on the roof. Don't create an eyesore along the sides or back of your good looking vehicle. I'd mount them on the roof towards the front of the truck so not to create too much weight on the end of the camper that lifts up.

Use your old factory roof rack. Just cut the original rack where it would come into contact with your tent. Make a bracket that screws in under your roof tent base. It’ll look custom

Sell the Max Tracks. There are other tread-like tracks that fold onto themselves. They work great and pack down.

If somebody else has already mentioned this, I apologize. I've only read thru a few of the comments. Your awning has a couple of nice stand-off's that it attaches to. What about either getting a couple more of those mounts or fabricating similar and then add a mounting plate to them, and the boards to it? That would give you the clearance above your window and to the topper releases. Edit: the reason I suggested the awning standoffs are twofold: 1. they are already built, 2: they are more stable in the window while driving 50-80+ MPH down the highway/freeway, etc. - especially seeing how they are going to catch the wind die to their profile.

Why can't you just take it where you bought it and have the rails you didn't get installed. Seems like the only solution. Or you buy aftermarket rails and install yourself. I'm not sure why you tried every spot on your rig except where you actually wanted them. And why isn't putting them on the roof no longer an option, not like it can't be done, the factory does it.

Contact the manufacturer and ask for their installation plan ... maybe they will actually do the work but at a minimum get their info so it is a appropriate install.

Can you mount another set of those factory awning mounts on the other side above the window. Build something coming off those? Just an idea, dunno if it’s possible.

Do yourself a huge favor - DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN YOUR ROOF..! You'll thank yourself in the future. Having lived in the PNW for 20 years, I learned that water will find a way in. Not a question of if, but when.

Get another set of Awning Risers and mount above the passenger side window on the camper

I also have a topo topper, but we travel with 2 ppl and 2 dogs. In order to save space in the truck bed we got a martin off road camper rack that is only the front part of the roof, and got the rack installed by topo toppers. Although we haven't used the topper rack yet I did get it as a just in case option. Sorry to hear you're regretting getting that installed.

Owl vans makes magnetic traction board mounts

another set of awning mounts for passenger side, will need material to span the two mounts as the awning points are wider than the boards. Mount them just above the window as if it was an awning.

Just build a mount that is held on with VHB tape and then mount the boards to the mount. VHB tape is strong enough to hold big solar panels onto a roof so it should hold those boards easily. This would be a super cheap and quick install. If you are unfamiliar with VHB tape do some research.... it will solve all your problems with this issue and I know it sounds crazy having a mount held on with just tape but it is more than strong enough and no holes in the roof.

Not sure if it was mentioned. I'd consider a bracket similar to the awning brackets on the other side of the camper above the side window.

Check out the RECOVERY BOARD QUICK MOUNT (MAXTRAX MOUNT) FOR MAXTRAX MKII from Expedition Essentials. Also, I live in the same area as you, have a very similar truck build to you, am a Maintenance Technician and would be happy to meet up with you and brainstorm a mounting solution with you.

have to talked to the manufacturer to see if a post install would be avaibble or ideas on how to do te roof?

Could you take it back to Topo to have them install the rack?

use the front mounting points of old roof rack. Cut the old rack and weld in a cross member or two...... or just cut off the bars and weld something low profile to the feet so you can still use the old mounting points

What about making a slide out system that attaches to the underside of the topper, in between the truck cab. It can be something as simple as C channel. Front runner makes a version for their tables that bolt to the under side of their roof racks. There’s also countless diy videos making something similar. The only downside I see is added wind noise but they would be out of the way and you wouldn’t have to climb to the top of the truck to access them.

Would the max tracs fit in the gap between your cab roof and the undercarriage of the topper?

YES! SeaSucker Traction Board Mount passenger side bed or roof. No Drilling! Plus a cable lock. We have GFC on a Ford Ranger. We had been waiting for the Expedition Essentials Extream MaxTrax Mounts. Got tired of waiting. In the meantime, we had been running 4 in our Thule Canyon Basket with the extension on the roof. Yes, getting to them when you need them not the first thing you're going to grab. Inspired by the DirtBox wedge camper. I reversed engineered the side mouth with cargo / L tracks, with the boomerang mount and MaxTrax pins. To the drivers side wing. Since our 270 FSR awning is passenger side. My vote would be to keep them OFF THE ROOF! I was ready to suggest the truck roof, but no way. I wish we had a sunroof! We run Thule Roof Rack with a custom aluminum air spoiler and 2 Milwaukee PackOuts . Sadly, Ford doesn't have any factory roof mounts. Our rig set up can be seen on any of out social platforms. Mark (& Teresa) Hampstead Maryland • Purpose Built Adventure Rig © • Ford Ranger FX4 - GFC Camper V2 #1919 • Kia Soulverlander •

Use Sea Sucker suction cups to attach to rear camper window.

I understand your frustration. I engineer specialized products for off-roaders and van lifers. I see several options to think about. 1. Take the roof mount that you removed and cut them down to the width of your max tracks . You should be fine with just the 4 front bolts holding it down the rails. Then you can go back to mounting them over your sun roof. 2. Mount flat under your cargo box. They may stick out a few inches if your bumper is in the way. If you want to up this mod. Custom build a slide so the you can use them as a sliding table that extends beyond the storage box. 3rd, 4th & 5th option are for your left, right and rear windows. You need to modify your hardware my moving your mount door mounts in for the left side and hinge the hardware so the you can swing them up to get to the hatch levers and then use a rubber T- handle like the ones you see Jeeps for holding their hoods down, to secure the bottom of the max trays to your door. (Think TV wall mount how it attaches to the walls 16" studs but extends out wider to connect to the tv. ) You may even be able to modify a tv wall mount for that purpose. You can do a variations off this over your right and rear window. Except add a hydraulic lift to hold them up over the window (like the ones on your rear window now). So these would cover the windows when you're driving but flip up protecting your windows from sun and rain when parked. They would look like little awnings over your window allowing you to enjoy the view but hinge down protecting your windows while driving. Good Luck.

AluCab has a table that slides in under the front of the topper, maybe something similar could be don there? or front bumper, spare tire carrier? Or trade in for the mini max trax and the small ones should fit where you originally wanted to put them on the utility door. good luck!

Possible to make brackets to install on front bumper ? Leave space between grill for air space.

I'd drill some holes in your max trax - more towards the center. Then you will be able to avoid the hardware on that side cargo access door.

Rivnut. Caulk. Flashing tape if you're scared. Put anywhere. Hood. Underneath the shell on the roof. Side of the bed. Factory spare tire location.

Maxtrax on rear hatch (blocks rear view but I only use side mirrors) or maxtrax minis on topper side door.

Not sure what you decided, but have you looked into the sea sucker suction mounts? They’ve developed a whole line of over landing mounts.

Well, Matt over at Matts off Road Recovery says if you get recovered by Max Trax...you weren't really stuck. 😁

Could you add them to your hood. Kinda like a hi-lift jack

Is the roof steel? Could some really heavy duty magnets hold the pins to hold the orange things? That way no holes need be drilled.

Maybe cut the factory roof rails shorter to fit in front of the camper. This will still allow the sunroof to open (maybe not fully) and give you a place to mount the traction boards. For a bit of support (if required) to the back end of the shorter cut side pieces, you could attach a "bump stop joust" (Jeep part) that will prevent any bounce between the cab roof and the rails. Mounting the traction boards on the top of a camper, becomes a big chore to use them, so you'll probably use less or try to find other solutions than the task of getting them down. Getting up there in bad weather, removing ice/snow, etc, needing to make steps or a ladder, just all a PIA!! Good luck, you'll figure it out! Cheers, from Ontario, Canada

Does your awning have C channels where you could add a bracket on the backside of the awning. Or, maybe rig up something between the front and rear brackets that attach to the side of the Topo Topper. I personally would not drill through the top of your topper - cough that one up to a bad choice and live with it and learn from it for your next build. Another option might be to reduce one Jerry Can size to a slimmer one like the Rotopax thus making just enough room to fit the MaxTrax.

QM PARTS recovery board mounting brkts by jerry cans. Good idea and not on roof . Simple 2 pieces of metal and using your pins.

A lot of great comments on here Donald, If it were me I would do a new clean sheet design on the rear rack you built. I'm sure there are some changes you would to incorporate after some use. And just make sure on the new design you make it where you can get to your max tracks easily.

Turn the Maxtrax into a fairing across the roof in front of the camper using the factory roof rail holes, somehow. Make it even cooler by adding off-road lights in front of the Maxtrax. 👍🤠👍 I know you can do it!

Did you mention the back hatch? It would block the window but do you use it when you're driving? I'm looking at the hinges on the rear door thinking you could mount through those already drilled holes. Maybe make it so you can flip them up when you're camped out so you can see out the rear window.

this might be crazy but is there space between the roof and the topper over hang? maybe enough where you can shove the max tracks between some heavy duty foam? if you get the right foam it should be able to hold the tracks and not scratch your paint or you can lay some clear vinal to protect as well

Can you get rid of one 5 gallon Jerry can and mount them in place of that and get a rotopax that you can mount on top of your toolbox? I understand you may not like Rotopax or use one of the armidillo gas bags and fill it only when you need it and mount it on top of your truck toolbox. Just some thoughts. If you do decide to mount them on your roof look into the small metal steps that mount to your car door jams to get up on your roof. I use one and it’s surprisingly solid and small and easy to pack away.

Use the tailgate swing out. Or put it on the fender on thet passenger side. But not on the roof. Im in Canada. Rain or snow and cold. Keep the roof sealed

Can they send you the rails and you put them on ?

Have you considered the hood a possibility? kind of like some folks mount a hi-lift jack on the hood. I don't like the roof of your camper because ease of use is out the window.

What about building a "box" under the tool box that goes across the area where your propane tank sits. Then you could slide the tracks in, they would be out of the way but easily accessible when you need them. It would raise the level of the top of the box that you use for prep and all kinds of stuff (based on what I have seen in your videos), but it seems it would be a better compromise than roof mounting them. There are ways to keep the roof from leaking but once they are up there and you need them, are you going to use a ladder or stool to reach them? Seems awkward in a recovery situation. Lots of ideas on here! Can't wait to see what your solution is!

Get a loose sort of cordura bag, stuff the 2x Max tracks in, and toss it inside the shell.

There are many glues out there that should easily be able to glue some rails on top without any holes. I have used 3M 081115 and a cheap gun from amazon for all sorts of things. Heck all the skins on my DIY camp trailer are held on with nothing more than the adhesive mentioned above. Google the directions for the advesive which generally just means some cleaning, some scuffing and another cleaning. Get some L track and glue it on the roof where ever you would like it. If done correctly it will never come off. Generally with L track it opens up a bunch of options for mounting just about anything.

Imagine mud or debri drooling off your roofline, to your windshield and side doors...no. Either custom weld your rear swingout, passenger side, mounting so they don't hang low. Or as another comment, retrofit your roof. Inside your topper, with a garbage bag or tarp to catch your mud or debri?? Nice thinking about all possibilities.

Too to right of the gas cans. Out of way door quick to deploy accessible to clean. Not climbing up

Use a piece of flat bar attached to the top of the bed rail & it’ll give you a mounting point to fabricate a attachment that will hang out from the side of the truck bed. Rather than drilling holes into the side of the bed. It could even be hinged to allow for a table top, or access to your fuel door if mounted on the driver side. You could also use a piece of 1/4”x4”x3” angle on the top of the bed rail & bolt the pieces together rather than welding. The flange of the angle would provide place for the vertical mounting brackets of the traction boards.

I would just ask Topo toppers about instructions and mount the same rails that they use.

Im of the opinion that the roof is the best option. Id go ahead and put rails up there so you have options later if you find you need more room for storage

I agree with you on the need for traction boards to be easily accessible. Having them on the roof of the camper is going to be a pain for access. I don't like things hanging off the side of the vehicle either. I just feel it is a place for something to catch and tear things off going through brush. I think you are on track with making them work on the back carrier. Might think of doing L brackets that come up behind your tool box high enough to clear the lid when open. Then mount them flat, horizontally, or make the brackets just straight up behind the tool box and mount them on end horizontally. You could mount them just high enough so you can get the lid of the tool box open all the way, or mount them a bit lower and deal with the lid of the tool box not opening quite all the way with the traction boards in place. Not sure how much room you got behind the tool box, but you could offset the brackets closer to the tailgate to allow some extra room for this. Also, you could look at seeing if you could attach some unistrut to the bottom side of the cab overhang and extended it far enough forward to put the traction boards in front of the cab over, above the sunroof. I think it would look pretty good and would still allow easy access to the boards and use of the sun roof. Attaching the unistrut to the floor of the cap over you wouldn't have to worry about water getting in. Hope that makes sense. You know how to contact me if you need some clearing up on any of this. George.

Get a prinsu roof rack. it looks like you’ve got plenty of clearance to just fit the roof rack on your roof underneath the overhang of your camper. Obviously that will be unusable and if there is a clearance issue, you can use a Dremel with a small cut off wheel to trim away. The vertical side panels were necessary to gain clearance or trim them off completely and put a folding table up there or some kind of storage for a table and then you attach the max tracks boards to the exposed portion of the Princi rack that will be above the driver and passenger front compartment