Yesterday I shared the exciting news that we have become new home owners of a rooftop tent and shared our initial review of the Armadillo X2 we purchased from 23 Zero.

But you can’t have an RTT without some type of 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 quite a few companies for dependable rack systems designed for rooftop tents and decided on Billie Bars.

Besides their products being built in the USA, they have plenty of five star reviews, as well as having a real understanding of the off-road world. The brackets have a three year warranty and customer support rocks.

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 works with, you don’t truly know until you try it. After watching their installation videos and half 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 set up didn’t look anything like the videos, and even with the universal brackets, you either have to:

1. Cut your railing to make the brackets set flush and fit the MX4.
2. Place the brackets under the MX4 railing thus raising everything up.

I didn’t want to spend hours cutting and modifying my tonneau cover railing system so we decided to put the brackets under the rail. Of course this raised up our tonneau cover by at least 3/16 of an inch, requiring the additional installation of weather stripping on the sides.

Unfortunately it also meant the end of our BakFlip MX4 didn’t set flush with the top of the tailgate anymore. 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 the total time it took us to install the Billie Bars was about an hour. 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 for thinner gear to be set in between this space.

Overall 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.

UPDATE: I purchased the Billie Bars mounting clamps and they are a LOT better than the ones that came with the Armadillo X2. I’m very pleased.