Leitner Designs’ ACS Receives ‘Editor’s Choice’ Award from Overland Journal
Intro
There are many pickup truck bed racks available on the market. But knowing which one is right for the buyer can be tough. Although a big market with many players, there are few outlets who actually evaluate bed racks. The lack of subjective testing makes selecting the right rack even harder.
Luckily for us and overland pickup-truck bed rack shoppers, Brady and his cadre of expert overland editors stepped in and put six of the most popular bed racks to the test. Their testing lasted many months and included precision instrumentation — this was no gut-driven test, they utilized subjective, scientific measurements. Scoring categories included load ratings, both static and dynamic, as well as deflection. Brady wisely posited that the stiffest rack isn’t always the best one — keen engineering can allow for bed flexibility.
The Results
Brady bolted a Leitner Designs ACS Forged to the bed of a rough-and-tumble RAM 1500 TRX, perhaps the harshest rig in the testing. Other racks were mounted to much tamer machines, including Toyota Tacomas, a Chevrolet Bison, and GMC Sierra AT4.
Despite being fastened to a brute of a pickup, the ACS came out on top. Brady praised the relatively lightweight 85-pound superstructure, made from forged and extruded aluminum, and the unique (and patented) sliding top rear load bar, which enables truck owners to use their truck like a truck — carrying a motorcycle and other tall items — without removing the rack.
Brady measured very little deflection in the ACS, both on- and off-road. Side-to-side deflection never exceeded 0.044 of an inch even under dynamic loads. Fore and aft deflection neared 0.052 of an inch under dynamic load. However, the truck was used in a rally competition and never rattled. So, obviously, it passed their extensive testing with flying colors.
Ultimately, the Leitner Designs ACS Forged came out on top of Overland Journal’s testing. Concluding his test, Brady wrote: “This rack is one of the review’s most comprehensive solutions … The structure is impressively sturdy, including additional bed supports (which require drilling) and heavy-duty cast uprights. Leitner is intentionally designed for overlanding, with storage boxes, rooftop tents mounts, fluids mounts, and even a new shower module. With all that capability, Leitner wins our Editor’s Choice.“
We couldn’t agree more, Brady. And thank you for the honor.
You can read the entire rack comparison story here with the Overland Journal story PDF
We couldn’t agree more, Brady. And thank you for the honor.
The Rack
If you’d like to shop for Overland Journal’s favorite pickup truck bed rack, you can do so over at the Leitner Designs SHOP
There you’ll find ACS Classic, ACS Forged that Brady tested, and ACS Tonneau. No matter which rack is right for you, you can outfit it to suit your hobbies and lifestyle with our ever-growing ecosystem of rack accessories: ACCESSORIES SHOP
In addition to the rack’s sturdiness and great-looking design, the racks can be fully outfitted right at the first moment of purchase or slowly upfitted over time, as your lifestyle and needs change. That’s one of the reasons our customers — and Scott Brady — choose Leitner ACS: for its customization and accessorization.
