Billie Bars Chevy Silverado 1500 Review
Here's our thoughts on the bed rack system we purchased for our roof top tent.
Yesterday, I shared the exciting news that we have become new homeowners of a rooftop tent and our initial review of the Armadillo X2 we purchased from 23 Zero.
But you can’t have an RTT without a rack to attach it to your vehicle. Well, I guess you could throw it on there with some bungee cords or 100mph tape and hope for the best, though it’s probably not the best option.
Anyhow.
I researched several companies for dependable rack systems for rooftop tents and chose Billie Bars.
Besides being built in the USA, they have plenty of five-star reviews and a great understanding of the off-road world. The brackets come with a three-year warranty, and customer support is stellar.
In fact, I talked to Nathan at least five times before my purchase to ask stupid redneck questions. I think I really caught him off guard when I asked if Billie Bars would be strong enough for our wild sexual activities. Apparently, that’s the first time that’s ever been asked! 😂 😂 😂
Out of the box, the crossbars and brackets look sturdy as hell. They are made well and look great. No problems there.
The challenge was my BakFlip MX4 tonneau cover.
While the website states what tonneau covers the Billie Bars work with, you don’t honestly know until you try it. After watching their installation videos and half a dozen other videos on YouTube, I thought it would be easy.
In reality, I quickly had a sheer moment of panic.
My Chevy Silverado 1500 and tonneau cover setup didn’t look anything like the videos, and even with the universal brackets, you either have to:
Cut your railing to make the brackets set flush and fit the MX4.
Place the brackets under the MX4 railing, thus raising everything.
I didn’t want to spend hours cutting and modifying my tonneau cover's rail system, so we decided to install the brackets under the rail. Of course, this raised our tonneau cover by at least 3/16 inch, requiring additional weather stripping on the sides.
Unfortunately, it also meant the end of our BakFlip MX4, which no longer sat flush with the top of the tailgate. We had to install thicker weather stripping to keep water out while hiding the large gap. Plus, we also have to push down on the cover to ensure it’s properly locked now.
I think it took us about an hour to install the Billie Bars. Maybe the beers slowed us down, but that wasn’t bad at all.
After we placed our Armadillo X2 on the crossbeams, they seemed to bow slightly in the center. Because I asked about the weight ratings of everything, I’m not too concerned, but perhaps a third brace wouldn’t be all that bad for added support. Especially on Freaky Fridays. LOL!
I also chose the 8” high brackets so there would be a little more space between my cover and the bottom of the RTT. I could easily make modifications to fit a thinner gear between this space.
I’m very pleased with the quality and craftsmanship of Billie Bars and their service. At the investment price of $715 USD, it was worth it.
Today I’ll be purchasing their Mounting Clamps (the 23 Zero clamps are shit), and down the road, I might even snag a couple of their Molle panels so I can throw on some shovels or other gear.
So there you have it! Let us know what you think.