Slate's roof and cab racks build up from a T-rail base: add crossbars, then a platform, basket, or sport carrier. The configurator lists a deep catalog — T-rails at $124.99, crossbars from $199.99, full roof racks at $649.99, and platforms past $1,200 — with kayak, bike, snow, and cargo carriers on top. Watch the roof load limit and your payload budget.
How do Slate roof racks work?
Slate racks are a modular stack built on the truck’s T-rail system: a T-rail base, then crossbars, then whatever you actually carry — a platform, a basket, or a sport-specific carrier. You buy only the layers you need, which keeps a simple crossbar setup cheap and lets a full expedition build scale up from the same foundation.
That T-rail architecture is the through-line of the whole Slate accessory ecosystem — the same rail logic runs the bed and interior. On the roof and cab, it means racks bolt to engineered points instead of clamping to a naked roofline.
The Slate rack landscape
The configurator carries one of the deepest accessory sections on the truck — roughly two dozen roof and cab items. Here’s the structure, base to top:
| Layer | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Squareback / Fastback Roof T-Rail | $124.99 |
| Crossbars | Cab Front Crossbar | $199.99 |
| Crossbars | Roof Crossbars | $249.99 |
| Crossbars | Truck Bed T-Rail Crossbars | $249.99 |
| Full rack | Cab Rack System | $499.99 |
| Full rack | Squareback / Fastback Roof Rack | $649.99 |
| Cab extension | Squareback / Fastback Cab Rack Extension | $349.99 |
| Platform | LockNLoad Roof Platform | $699.00 |
| Platform | Caprock S Roof Platform System | $1,229.90 |
Two rack lines — the Tower Rack (Single) and Truck Tower Racks — are listed as “coming soon” with no price yet [VERIFY]. We track status in the price database.
Sport and cargo carriers
On top of a crossbar or platform base, Slate lists a full range of activity carriers:
| Carrier | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| JayLow Kayak Carrier | Kayak | $249.00 |
| DockGlide Kayak Carrier | Kayak | $379.95 |
| ProRide XT Bike Carrier | Bike (upright) | $349.95 |
| HighRoad Bike Carrier | Bike (upright) | $375.00 |
| SUPDawg / Compass Watersports | SUP / boards | $349.95–$399.00 |
| FatCat EVO 6 / SnowPack | Skis & snowboards | $399.00–$419.95 |
| OffGrid MD / Canyon XT Basket | Cargo basket | $499.95–$649.00 |
| Air-Storage® | Rooftop cargo | $299.00 |
Lockability matters if you leave gear on the truck — the One-Key System (2-pack, $54.94) and SKS Lock Cores (2-pack, $50.00) let you key multiple carriers alike.
Building an adventure rig? Cross-reference the roof rack against the payload budget before you buy. It’s easy to spend $2,000 on a platform and carriers and quietly eat 150+ lb of your 1,550 lb payload.
The load-limit and payload reality
This is where honesty matters more than upsell. Three separate limits are in play, and they interact:
- The rack’s own load rating — every platform and carrier has one [VERIFY per product].
- The truck’s roof load limit — Slate hasn’t published a confirmed dynamic roof rating we can cite [VERIFY]. Roof loads are typically far lower than payload because of the leverage on the roof structure at speed.
- The 1,550 lb payload — the confirmed whole-truck number. Everything on the roof, in the bed, and in the cabin, plus passengers, spends from this single budget.
The practical takeaway: the roof load limit almost always caps you before payload does, and roof weight is the worst kind for an EV because it sits high (handling) and dirty in the wind (range). Load heavy items low — in the bed — and reserve the roof for bulky-but-light gear like boards and empty baskets.
How to choose
- Just need crossbars for occasional gear? Roof T-Rail ($124.99) + Roof Crossbars ($249.99).
- Carrying bikes, boats, or skis? Add the matching sport carrier ($249–$419.95) to a crossbar base.
- Building an overland/expedition setup? A full roof rack ($649.99) or the Caprock S platform ($1,229.90), then plan the payload carefully.
- Leaving gear on the truck? Add lock cores so it’s all one key.
Racks are a Moderate-to-Beginner install per Slate’s ratings, so most owners can add them after delivery when the activity season calls for it — see order now or add later.