How should I upgrade my Leer canopy?

I wanted to add a ladder/roof rack to my Leer canopy. I would like to be able to haul anything from kayaks to 2x4s up there. I would also use it for a base for emergency lights. Lot's of fog and blizzards on my daily commute to work in the winter, so always have LED strobe lights mounted for low visibility and recovery work.

My first instinct was to just get a basic ladder rack and bolt it to the roof of the canopy...

Amazon.com: StarONE Adjustable Camper Shell Ladder Rack Cap & Topper Roof Rack Universal for Pickup Truck Van,2 Bar,Steel : Automotive

But, I thought maybe installing rails that accept different racks might be better.

Amazon.com: Rhino-Rack Cap/Topper/Canopy Complete Roof Rack Kit with Quick Release Legs, Bars, Some Kits Included 65" Tracks : Everything Else

But that seems like I could go to a junkyard and re-purpose a set of factory 4Runner racks or similar.

Curious as to what others have done to make their roof racks more modular and capable.

 

Maybe this is old news to you but I’m told that Leer makes basically two grades of shell thickness - one capable of supporting weight, and one not. Do you know if yours is?

I have not added anything to my shell, but I’ve thought about it several times. Unfortunately, mine is the base grade and would require some extra work to support more than some lights and maybe a duffel bag, so I’m no help in the “look what I did” department. But give the options you listed, I’d go for the adjustable set or repurpose a junkyard set (depending on your own mechanical inclination and how clean of an install you want). The few times I’ve used rooftop storage on my other vehicles, I’ve ALWAYS had to adjust the bars to fit my need at the moment - whether it was carrying a canoe, installing a rooftop cargo box, or other miscellaneous rooftop endeavors.

 

I have Yakima tracks for cross bars on my ARE, they work just fine for hauling kayaks, roof box, RTT, etc.

I've had 2 ARE fiberglass toppers now, both with the Yakima rails/cross bars. No HD topper needed, never had an issue.

 

Just fyi, if you're going to carry a long kayak or canoe, having a bar up front makes it a lot easier, or else it will be on your cab roof or hanging far off the back.