Bed Extender ideas for '17 RAM Limited with mounted LEER Canopy

[Eric Stewartson]

Good day, all!

Thinking about adding a Bed Extender to my 2017 Limited which has a LEER 100XQ Canopy/Cap attached (sloped sides). I'm assuming a "Sport" shape ("V") would be better to clear the "J" mounting clamps of the LEER, but am curious if a "U"-shape would work just as well?

I assume Extenders come with attachment fittings that allow them to be clipped in, flipped forward and backward without physical removal and can be fully - and easily - removed if required. (I had an OEM Extender on my Honda Ridgeline which worked this way. Brilliant!)

Any recommendations / suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

Eric S.

 

[gofish101]

Good day, all!

Thinking about adding a Bed Extender to my 2017 Limited which has a LEER 100XQ Canopy/Cap attached (sloped sides). I'm assuming a "Sport" shape ("V") would be better to clear the "J" mounting clamps of the LEER, but am curious if a "U"-shape would work just as well?

I assume Extenders come with attachment fittings that allow them to be clipped in, flipped forward and backward without physical removal and can be fully - and easily - removed if required. (I had an OEM Extender on my Honda Ridgeline which worked this way. Brilliant!)

Any recommendations / suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

Eric S.

Here a couple of pics for you.

 

[gofish101]

I prefer the V shape as it allows a spot for you to put your foot climbing in and out of the bed. A couple of more pictures for you.

 

[Yaple57]

Not sure if this is what your looking for but I just picked up a bed extender from harbor freight. It fits in the hitch receiver and is t shaped. Holds up to 350 lbs. Allowing me to carry foot lumber in my short bed.

 

[Yaple57]

Here's a picture

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Eric Stewartson]

Morning!

"gofish101" and "Yaples57": many thanks for your suggestions and photographs.

Concerning what I'm looking for, the second-to-last and final photos from "gofish101" show what I'm after vs. the receiver hitch extender style for long loads (though that could be a second, complementary option for me in the future).

My challenge is how tall the extender is when it's rotated 90 degrees vertically. With my Canopy hatch open, the unit has to clear the inner edges of the cap and the bottom part of glass opening (allowing for the hinges). After doing a set of measurements, I think the "Sport" style unit shown in the photos would work quite well. I'm looking at a couple of other Extenders that would do the job better, but their installation is complicated; a base component has to be permanently mounted on the tailgate.

Anyway, a couple of other things to check and then I'll make the call. Once I have the Extender in place I'll post photos to illustrate everything I discussed here.

Cheers!

EAS

 

[gofish101]

Not the greatest pictures but gives you an idea. There's about 2 1/2" of clearance.

At it's highest point about 36".

The bed extender I used by Amp was 3 screws in on either side where the dimples were. The hardest part was drilling the holes as she was a virgin.

 

[Eric Stewartson]

"gofish101":

These are great photos and VERY helpful! Thank you! I'll shoot down to the garage momentarily and apply these measurements against my canopy and see what the results are. I suspect the stock AMP Research Extender may yield a too-tight fit, but luckily a spacer kit is available to bring in the sides in a little. That might just do the trick.

Back to you shortly, and thanks for your continuing help. (The "mischief" I get myself into is never by-the-book! )

Cheers,

Eric S.

 

[Eric Stewartson]

"gofish101":

"Oh so close but no Cigar."

I checked your measurements against the bottom of my canopy's upper seal. The lip sits 35" as measured from the "Bedrug." So the Extender would fit (with a bit of a nudge) at its full upright position. However, I won't be able to pivot it backwards and forwards (in-the-bed to on-the tailgate) because the upper bar of the Extender sits higher than the pivot point and has a taller arc-of-swing (as you rotate the Extender to the rear) than the center and lower bars. (The lower rail becomes the problem when flipping the unit forward). This means it will strike the Canopy at a much higher point than 35."

So "no go." I could simply mount and remove the Extender when needed, but this eliminates the option to use it as cargo "cage" in the box.

Oh well, it was worth a shot. (Another great idea "bites the dust.")

Thanks much.

Eric S.

 

[Eric Stewartson]

Morning!

Here's a shot of my LEER Canopy from the back of the truck. As you can see, the bottom part of the canopy frame extends into the box area a fair bit and would prevent an Extender from being flipped forward and backward ("arms" of the Extender collide with the frame). No way to resolve the situation, not that I can see.



So no Bed Extender in my future, I regret to say.

Thanks to those who sent in suggestions and photos!

Eric S.