How to Build the Ultimate Surf Truck

Not long ago, I got a chance to visit the Leitner Designs headquarters in Corona, CA. My goal? To kit my 2021 Jeep Gladiator out for some off-the-beaten-path surf excursions for the upcoming fall/winter “Super El Nino” season.

While there, I got a chance to catch up with owner and founder, Bernhard Leitner—and when I handed Bernhard the latest print issue of SURFER and watched his eyes light up, I knew I was in the right place. As a certified surf junkie in the 70s and 80s, Bernhard worked at Newport Surf & Sport as a youngster and frequented all the best spots along the Orange County coastline way before they all became a zoo. Since then, he’s shifted his focus mostly to motorsports, but still holds the ocean dear to his heart and certainly still understands the lifestyle and culture of a surf rat—particularly the type of surf rat that likes to venture off the beaten path. He’s a true OG, and I had full faith that he’d get me set up with the perfect kit for my dream surf rig.

Let’s break it down.

You could spend hours perusing the Leitner menu, but we’ll focus here on the key staples that every surf rig needs. A good surf truck should do more than get you to your local spot on the daily. It should be ready for whatever happens after you pull off the pavement to peek over another bluff down some dusty coastal road. That’s where the whole Leitner Designs ecosystem really starts to make sense.

The ACS Forged no-drill bed rack is the foundation of my setup, giving me a solid, organized way to carry all the stuff that tends to pile up in and around my truck. And because it’s a no-drill system, I can get everything mounted without permanently modifying my truck. For surfers who are constantly changing their setup, that’s a pretty nice bonus.

One of the biggest upsides with the Leitner ACS Forged rack is how simple the installation is. You might expect a heavy-duty bed rack to involve drilling, cutting or a garage full of specialized tools, but that’s not the case here. The no-drill design makes the whole process surprisingly easy. Minimal tools, a couple hours, a couple beers, and voila… ready for whatever you want to throw at it.

The rack is engineered to work with the existing mounting points on the truck, so there’s no need to modify the bed (although mine did require the simple Trail Rail system which I bought from Amazon for $100, and requires a quick 10-minute install). Once the components are laid out and you get the look and feel for how everything fits together, the installation is amazingly intuitive. The instructions have crystal clear graphics that illustrate each step, walking you through the whole process with very minimal reading required (another very thoughtful detail from the fine folks at Leitner). While it can certainly be done solo—as was the case for me—having a second set of hands would definitely make things like positioning the rack much easier.

What I really like is that the finished product feels incredibly solid despite how easy it was to install. It looks like something that should have taken an entire weekend to put together, but only took me roughly two hours. This was a huge win for me.

As for the accessory list—which are all even easier to install than the rack system, if you can believe that—the GearBox HD was something I made sure to add to my kit. This badboy adds secure, lockable, weather-resistant storage, which is especially useful when you’re heading somewhere remote. There’s plenty of room for camping gear, tools, recovery equipment, food and all the other essentials that come along when you’re planning to stay off the grid for a while. And did I mention how good the black diamond plating looks on the back of my Jeep?—Just sayin’.

Next on our list is a must-have for any coastal excursion: The Leitner Hydropod. This might just be one of the best additions for anyone who spends a lot of time in the water, or anywhere off-pavement for that matter. After a long session, having an onboard shower waiting in the truck is a game changer. It’s perfect for rinsing salt and sand off yourself, cleaning muddy feet before getting back in the cab, or simply washing off your gear. The analog pump pressure system is simple and easy, requires no batteries or charging, and simply fires out a high-pressure stream with multiple shower head options built right into the handle—I love this thing.

The Universal Mounts add even more flexibility to the setup. Surf trips aren’t always predictable, and neither is the gear you need. One day you might be carrying a couple of boards and suits for a quick morning session. The next, you could be loading up camping equipment, additional gas cans, extra water and food, and everything else needed for a few nights somewhere far from the nearest parking meter—or even the nearest town. This universal mounting system opens up just about every option in the overlanding realm, it’s just a matter of what you decide to hitch to it.

Another accessory that makes a lot of sense for a surf-focused truck is the Leitner Gatekeeper. It adds another layer of security to the back of the truck, making it safer to store gear while you’re in the water, while still keeping it quite easy to access all your stuff when you’re parked at the beach or setting up camp. For any surfer, that quick access is huge. The Gatekeeper helps make loading, unloading and grabbing equipment a much simpler process. Not to mention that it really ties the whole setup together in a very handsome way. The Leitner team is good like that—They not only know how make highly functional products, they also know how to make them look good.

But the real beauty of this setup is that it doesn’t have to be reserved for some epic, once-a-year surf expedition. It works just as well as a daily driver. Everything is organized, easy to access and ready to go, so grabbing your boards and heading to the water doesn’t turn into a 20-minute scavenger hunt through the truck. Its low-profile fits just as well through car washes, drive-throughs, and parking garages, so no need to worry about the hassle of navigating an oversized rig through daily chores. This is yet another huge bonus for me.

And when a promising swell forecast shows up somewhere remote, the setup can seamlessly transition into adventure mode. Load up the camping gear, grab your provisions, throw in the boards, and hit the road. The rack and storage system give you a place for everything, the Hydropod keeps everything clean, the Gatekeeper keeps it all secure, and the mounting plates give you the options to load up just about anything else you can think of.

For surfers, having an organized truck makes getting in the water easier. Wet wetsuits, sandy towels, tools, boards, camping gear and random pieces of equipment can quickly turn the back of a truck into a disaster zone. A setup like this keeps everything under control while giving you the freedom to bring along the gear you actually want (and need).

If the Leitner setup turns the truck into the ultimate adventure machine, then the Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires are what help get it there. Built for serious off-road use, the G003 is a natural match for a truck that’s going to spend plenty of time bouncing between pavement, sand, dirt roads and rocky coastal trails.

The aggressive tread is designed to provide plenty of traction when the road disappears, while the tough construction is made to handle the abuse that comes with off-road exploring. That’s especially important when chasing waves into remote areas where a sharp rock, muddy trail or loose terrain can quickly turn an epic surf mission into a serious problem.

At the same time, these tires aren’t just for weekend adventures. They work perfectly for everyday driving and regular trips to the beach, giving the truck a rugged look without making it a dedicated off-road-only vehicle. These tires are noticeably quieter driving around town and on highways than many other off-road tires we’ve used—This was a really nice perk, especially paired with our already noisy Jeep. We’ve driven the most aggressive tires in the Firestone, Falken, and Goodyear lineups, and these by far emit the least amount of road noise for an ultra-aggressive tire.

For a surf truck built around getting farther, exploring more and finding waves far away from the crowds, the Geolandar M/T G003 is a fitting final piece to the package.

Ultimately, the Leitner Designs system easily turns any regular truck into a mobile surf base camp. Whether you’re squeezing in a dawn patrol before work or disappearing down the coast for several days (or even weeks), it’s a setup built around one simple idea—spend less time worrying about your gear and more time in the water.