Up next Why the 80 Series Land Cruiser Remains an Overland Legend Published on May 13, 2026 Author John Mata Jr. Photo Credit JOHN MATA JR. Share article Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Mail 0 Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack Upgrade for a 2022 Tacoma AS SEEN IN OUR Tread May/June 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now! Installing A Front Runner Outfitters’ Slimline II Roof Rack System You can never have enough cargo space, and to help increase the hauling abilities of a 2022 Tacoma double cab pickup, we selected a Front Runner Slimline II roof rack system. Not only would the Slimline II be a great visual match to the SmartCap Drop Rack system that was previously installed on the truck, but it would also expand the number of items we could carry at any given time. The installation process is straightforward and requires no drilling. The foot rail system goes on with only minimal modifications to the ditch moldings on top of the cab, and the Slimline II tray is rather easy to assemble. Installation can be wrapped up by lunchtime, and you can be packed up and on the road well before dinner. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Follow along as we equip our Tacoma with a handy roof rack system in the backyard using simple hand tools. We also installed a Wolf Pack Pro storage box from Front Runner, which shows just how quick and easy adding extra storage solutions to your truck can be. Our third-gen Tacoma needed an additional storage solution, and to help with that, we ordered a Slimline II roof rack kit from Front Runner Outfitters. This kit will also balance out the height and increase the utility of the SmartCap bed topper. Luckily, we were able to take advantage of a promotion that included a Wolf Pack Pro storage box. Score! To start the install, we grabbed a flathead screwdriver to lift the two ditch moldings that run along each side of the roof. Starting from the front of the cab, the moldings were carefully removed from both sides. Don’t throw these away—they will be reused soon! Underneath the ditch moldings are taped areas. Each piece of tape covers two threaded holes that we will need to access. We just cleared the holes out with a Phillips screwdriver, but the tape pieces can be completely removed if desired. The kit includes 10 risers that need to be positioned over the holes. A liberal amount of silicone was applied over the holes to help keep moisture out. The risers were then put in their proper place, with the shorter ones in the middle and the longer ones at the front and rear positions. The moldings were then placed alongside each ditch and marked where they needed to be cut to accommodate the width of the risers. With the risers in place, it was time to install the foot rails, which simply bolted down. The Slimline tray was next to be assembled. For this step, it’s best to refer to the instructions provided by Front Runner for guidance. This process goes together rather quickly and feels like a simple puzzle more than anything else. We laid out all the parts on the ground and began piecing the tray together. Ensuring that the tray is square is important. To do so, the bolts on the tray were left loose enough to make the necessary adjustments. Once the measurements were to our liking, all the bolts were fully tightened, and the wind deflector panels were secured to the front of the tray (seen in the next photo). The tray was ready to place onto the foot rails. Here you can see where the wind deflectors were mounted to the front, which must be done before the tray is lifted up and mounted to the foot rails. Once all the mounting holes were aligned, the tray was then secured to the foot rails. Now for the last part of the install, which was to secure the two lower mounting brackets for the Wolf Pack Pro storage box to the Front Runner tray. We simply chose where on the tray we wanted the box to go and secured the brackets down accordingly. Source Front Runner Outfitters / Dometic 866-840-0321 www.dometic.com
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