It appears that Ford will require customers of the 2024 Ford Ranger pickup truck (that aren’t Ranger Raptors) to install a bed reinforcement kit if they plan to haul a truck roof rack, truck topper, or truck camping bed liner on the roof. Here are all the details. Let’s dive deeper.

Again, this does not apply to 2024 Ranger Raptor customers. All other 2024 Ford Ranger pickup trucks must use bed reinforcement brackets to support weights over 40 kg on the bed rails. Here’s what these brackets look like and here’s how much they cost.

These two mounts are priced at $169.00 (before taxes, shipping or installation costs). As of this writing (August 12, 2024), these reinforcement mounts are “Sold Out.”

We don’t have exact installation instructions, but it seems the job isn’t very difficult. You may need to remove the rear wheels and inner fender panels to access the bottom of the bed. Attach the brackets and reinstall the panels and wheels.

We own a 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor as one of our long-term test vehicles. We recently installed a new 2024 GFC Pro V2 camper on the back of our Ranger Raptor. We drove the truck with the GFC camper on a rugged Kington Peak Trail in Colorado, which was rated 6 out of 10 by onX Offroad. This included long journeys on bumpy dirt roads and over rocky outcrops. The loading area and the trailer were stable. We heard no squeaking or rattling.

The Ranger Raptor comes with an additional bed reinforcement. The question is: why doesn’t Ford equip all new Ranger pickups with this reinforcement?