In this post, we will review some of the best Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack systems and also explain the installation steps you will need to know to install the Jeep Gladiator bed racks highlighted in this post.
We measured the Jeep Gladiator bed size to make sure the Jeep Gladiator bed rack system fits perfectly and we will be able to fit the Jeep Gladiator bed racks, the measurements on the Jeep Gladiator bed are 60.3″ long and 56.8″ wide, except for the wheelbases which are 44.8” wide, the depth of the Gladiator bed is 33.9” and fits most of your cargo, this information is helpful to make sure you buy the right Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack.
In order to attach kayak racks, mountain bikes, and rooftop tents for camping, we needed to install a Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack with functional bed rack parts. The bed rack had to have access panels, multiple access slots, Strong heavy-duty towers, crossbars, and a sleek design that makes it look good as we have shown in our infographic image above.
Here are the Best Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks on the market.
The market has also hybrid adjustable bed racks such as the YAKIMA Adjustable, heavy duty, high quality & rugged Truck Bed Rack on sale on Amazon with a lot of good positive reviews. Unfortunately, you will need to buy additional Yakima HD cross bars for the adjustable bed rack as Yakima only sells the uprights.
Check out our installation tips on this Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack we specifically installed on our Jeep Wrangler, since you will need to remove the factory rails installed on your factory Jeep Gladiator, and they might block the Yakima rail mounts.
Here is a video of the YAKIMA Adjustable, heavy-duty, high-quality & rugged Truck Bed Rack installation on a Jeep Gladiator (More instructions are available at the end of this article on installation and accessories you will need to mount the bed rack on your Jeep Gladiator).
Types of Bed Racks you Can install on your Jeep Gladiator.
Jeep Gladiator Full-Size Bed Racks.
Most Jeepers with a Jeep Gladiator prefer the full-size bed rack because of the additional room they can have under the rack, this includes fitting taller objects on the bed of the Jeep Gladiator, when not in use most Jeepers have expressed their preference for the full-size Bed rack because it doesn’t have blind spots since they have a full view of the rear window.
If you are looking for a bed rack that will allow you to transport longer items such as canoes and ladders, we recommend buying the full-sized best Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack systems.
However, there are disadvantages to buying a full-sized best Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack and one of them is that because the bed rack and its cargo might be exposed above the Jeep Gladiator, they might affect the fuel economy, the full-size bed rack is also heavy compared to other types of bed racks, they full-size bed strain on support, and also Jeepers have complained that they don’t like mounting their accessories too high especially heavy items.
3/4 Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks
If you are looking for a Jeep Gladiator Full Size Bed Rack that can also fit a tonneau cover, we would recommend the 3/4 Bed Rack (14-16”), this roof rack allows you to fit items inside and outside the rack. we installed the 3/4 Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack and we can proudly say they don’t have any blind spots since you will have a full view of the rear window.
However, just like the full-size Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack, the bed rack has a higher center of gravity, which might affect your handling of the Jeep when loaded on the top of the rack, and also affect your fuel economy. Items might sit partially above your Jeeps cab height if they are longer items and the sticking out also affects your fuel economy.
Mid Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks
With a mid-sized Jeep Gladiator bed rack, you will be able to mount your accessories on the inside and outside of your Jeep Gladiator, this includes taller items such as tires, and gas tanks will be able to be mounted on the inside of the bed rack if you have a tonneau cover you can easily roll it up under the Mid Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack.
Mid Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack might push some of your accessories over the height of your Jeep Gladiator such as tires making the Jeep less aerodynamic if you are transporting taller items on your Jeep Gladiator, Mid Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks block the rear-view window, you cannot also center longer objects such as Kayaks or surfboards, and might not properly secure them on your Jeep Gladiator, the remaining room cannot fit most items such as bikes on the bed.
We recommend mid-sized Jeep Gladiator bed racks if you are not carrying longer objects and taller objects on your Jeep Gladiator.
Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks
Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks are good for aerodynamics when transporting cargo on your Jeep, keeping the cargo lower also lowers the center of gravity, meaning less body roll and fewer chances of your Jeep Gladiator rolling while on high speed.
We also recommend low bed racks because its easier to access items when mounted, as they are most likely to be around the height of your head, they also offer more mounting options for other accessories such as traction pads and fuel tanks without them protruding the height of your Jeep Gladiator.
Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks are not ideal for long objects such as Kayaks, and they will be protruding over the edge or have trouble mounting them securely, after mounting objects on your Jeep Gladiator you will find out that you are more likely to block the rear view of your Jeep Gladiator window.
They are the cheapest bed racks you can get; however, they offer limited access to the bed when used, you will rather use the rail and tie-down system provided by Jeep from the factory.
We don’t recommend Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks if you have Tonneau covers (unless retractable system) as they are unlikely to roll or fold up with Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks installed.
We also don’t recommend Low Jeep Gladiator Bed Racks for campers and off-roaders, since they offer limited options for mounting additional resources such as recovery gear, traction pads, and fuel tanks.
Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack Installation (Full Size).
The purpose of a bed rack is to allow additional items to be mounted on your Jeep Gladiator, for this reason, you will need a secure bed rack, and this guide is for Jeepers who have bought full-sized bed racks for their Jeep Gladiator.
Remove the trail rail system
The first step when installing the Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack is to remove the trail rail system with a 10mm socket, you will need to remove the five bolts that connect the trail rail system to the bed. The rail and tie-down system may not be available in your Jeep Gladiator; this is because Jeep included the rail and tie-down system and left some Jeep Gladiator packages without them. In case your Jeep has them, they are located on the driver’s side, passenger side, and the front side of the bed.
After removing the bolts of the rail and tie-down system, they will still be attached to the bed of the Jeep Gladiator and you will need a pry bar (crowbars or pinch bars) and ply them off the rest of the way.
We mostly use the rail and tie-down system on our Jeep Gladiator, and it’s very unfortunate we have to remove it to install the Jeep Gladiator bed rack system, so you have to make sure the upgrade to a bed rack system is worth the sacrifice of the rail and tie down system based on how you use you Jeep Gladiator
Tip #1: After upgrading to a bed rack system, we found that we cannot install back the rail and tie down system, and we had to look for a market to sell them, we ended up selling the Mopar rail and tie down system at $400 which was in great shape to recover the costs of buying an expensive Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack.
Installing Jeep Gladiator bed rack.
You will need the Jeep Gladiator bed rack accessories that came with the new bed rack to mount the Gladiator bed rack, the most important Jeep Gladiator bed rack accessories are the rail system, they could be of different shapes and sizes, but should fit the bed channels attached to the bed. The toughest part of installing the channels was the corners, we had the challenge of making sure the bed rack rail system fits perfectly on the corners, and it was difficult reaching our hands to fit them in perfectly on the channels.
Tip #2: When installing the new rail rack, you don’t have to tighten the rail system before installing the bed rack, this is because you will need the rail system a bit loose to adjust it when securing the bed rack on the rail system.
To secure the Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack you will need to use lock bolts with washers, we recommend having a bed rack system that has as many secure slots as possible, in our case we used five lock bolts on each side of the bed to secure Jeep Gladiator Bed Rack.
About the Author: James Ndungu
James Ndungu is a seasoned automotive professional with a deep passion for Jeeps. With 40 years of experience in owning, testing, and reviewing various Jeep models, James has gained extensive first-hand knowledge and expertise. He shares his insights, tips, and advice through his engaging writing, helping fellow Jeep enthusiasts navigate the exciting world of Jeeps.
Last update on 2024-10-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
