Check out my rack!

[FF LC FREAK]

Okay, get your minds out of the gutter! I just finished my roof rack. I looked around on line for one, but I couldn't find one that I liked that was a decent price. I like the SOR and Man-a-fre ones, but they were way out of my price range. So, I welded this one up. I think it turned out pretty good (at least for my amateur welding/fab skills). I made it out of 3/4" square tube and expanded metal for the floor. I used Thule gutter mounts that I bought used for a good price and Thule cross bars. I'm using some small u-bolts to mount it to the cross bars. All told, I'm into for less than $200, which was far less than anything I could find on line with shipping.

My biggest problem is weight. Since I used steel instead of aluminum, the weight of the rack is 55 lbs. So, here's my question. What is the max weight I should put in this thing without distorting or ripping off the gutters? I'm not worried about the rack. It is stout enough to hold as much weight as I can put in it. For the commercial ones, I've seen quotes of 200 lbs max, but that seems like a lot for those gutters? What do you all recommend. I was thinking somewhere around 150 lbs total weight, so maybe 100 lbs of gear. Does that sound reasonable?

Anyway, here's the pictures. Thanks for your help.

 

[Colorado Boy-74-FJ40]

Nice gub safe!

 

[Poser]

What do you all recommend. I was thinking somewhere around 150 lbs total weight, so maybe 100 lbs of gear. Does that sound reasonable?

Guess I would start with that and watch things closely over a period of time, develop a baseline, and verify the condition of the gutter after a few months of use with 100#’s in it continuously.

 

[camcruiser13]

i would not over do it
like steve said, keep an eye on it

 

[highgravity]

Get another crossbar and gutter mount to help distribute the weight. I have a full length rack with four conferr bulldog mounts on each side. I have had myself (a little less than 200) and a couple hundred pounds on it a few times with no gutter deformation. I used aluminum to fab mine. Does anyone know how to shrink picture sizes to the acceptable 800x800 size? If so, I will post pics.

 

[672FJ40]

You could add pedistal-type feet along the centerline that would put some of the weight on the fiberglass and less on the gutter.

 

[Coolerman]

Get another crossbar and gutter mount to help distribute the weight. I have a full length rack with four conferr bulldog mounts on each side. I have had myself (a little less than 200) and a couple hundred pounds on it a few times with no gutter deformation. I used aluminum to fab mine. Does anyone know how to shrink picture sizes to the acceptable 800x800 size? If so, I will post pics.

Download the free graphics viewer/manipulator IrfanView. It will do it easily. www.irfanview.com I would like to see the pics myself.

 

[JohnnyC]

x2 more support bars...with that size i would get atleast one more and evenly space them out...this will distribute the weight nicely

you should be able to get the thule to clamp on even though its slightly inward front channel ...if not a silght bend of the cross bar will work

nice work

 

[Mr. Toad]

Does anyone know how to shrink picture sizes to the acceptable 800x800 size? If so, I will post pics.

• Open the pic in Paint.
• Select "Image"
• Then "Stretch/Skew"
• Enter values in the boxes to shrink the pic to a certain % of its present size.
• Save

Then post 'em up.

 

[highgravity]

This is the best picture I have of the rack. I tried to crop the pic and expand the crop, but I am still working on that....I will learn in good time, but gotta get back to work right now. Thanks for the Irfanview link, that is a nice little program.

PS Since this pic I have had the body completely restored.

 

[arndog]

not related to the gutter but I was surprised at how you could feel the weight when it was up high like that. Felt much more tippy, 100lbs and youll know.

arndog

 

[hammerhead]

You could add pedistal-type feet along the centerline that would put some of the weight on the fiberglass and less on the gutter.

Very bad idea. I have a top in my boneyard that was destroyed by it's PO using this type of mounting. Stay in the rails, the fiberglass cannot handle the stress.

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Like Poser said, I will start off light and watch it for wear. I figured I would check here before I loaded it up with too much weight. I have enough other things to fix/upgrade besides the gutter rails! The comment about adding another crossbar was something I considered, but I didn't know how much that would affect things. My point is that distributing the weight is great, but at some point, those gutters can only hold so much. I guess I'll see how it does and then add the crossbar if I need it.

Thanks again!

 

[Adventure Teq]

I like the basket.

From my experience, those gutters are tough as hell. Mine is set up with only 2 loadbars and I've had it loaded with about 400 pounds or more of me and my gear on it before without any issues. My clamps are pretty thick 1/4" steel though, I'd be more worried that those clamps you have can take the weight rather than the gutters.

I did however manage to hang up one of my load bars on a tree and do a little damage to one part of the gutter before the clamp popped off under the full weight of the truck's forward momentum. It held on strong though and with a little hammering and paint she's good as new.

I would say your gutters will handle whatever you could think to put up there.

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Thanks Hawk,

That makes me feel better. What I didn't want to do was go out wheeling with a bunch of weight in the rack and come back and post a thread on how to fix rain gutters. And then have someone say, "well dumba$$, you shouldn't put more than X amount of weight on the rain gutters!".

Thanks again! By the way, are you still in Iraq? If so, stay safe! I work with a few AF PJs that have been over there and have heard plenty of stories. Thanks for all you do!

 

[llih]

You might want to check out the Thule site. I believe there is a weight limit on the Thule mounts and bars. I have a conferr port hole 1/2 rack. I had about 70lbs in it with the Thule arms.

Just a quick hijack. Highgravity is there any padding on those bull dog clamps? I have a used set of 4 I bought a few years back and they didn't have any. They look like they would damage the top.
Thanks hjack over

 

[FishNinJay]

This is the best picture I have of the rack. I tried to crop the pic and expand the crop, but I am still working on that....I will learn in good time, but gotta get back to work right now. Thanks for the Irfanview link, that is a nice little program.

PS Since this pic I have had the body completely restored.

holy smokes, this site rocks!!

This is exactly what I want! (I just searched "aluminum rack")
I don't weld, and can barely fab a turkey sandwich. Any tips or tutorials for the newb? Where can I get the Thule cross and mount hardware?

ALSO, a big related issue.. my rig has fiberglass raingutters (CCOT, I think?), so I am particularly concerned about this type of rack, and load. I only do weekend camping, so wouldn't load heavy stuff on top anyways. But, concerned about wrecking my fiberglass raingutters. Hence, my interest in aluminum. Otherwise, I would need to mount to the body like the SOR Expedition ($$$)

ALSO, I'd be concerned about loading too much up there, even if the rack and hardtop could handle it. Seems like a high center-of-gravity already, and if you load it too much, seems top-heavy?

Highgravity, I'll PM ya...

 

[bsevans]

I've done camping trips to the White Mountains with approximately 200 pounds. I've stood in this rack and I weigh 285 pounds.

 

[Icantdive55]

Cool Rack. It's very similar to one a friend built for my 40 and later modified for my 55. My cross members that went from gutter to gutter were square tube so I cut down a 2x4 so that it would slide inside the full length then cut it in half. Inserted it into the tube and drilled a hole through each tube and piece of 2x4. I used a pin to keep it from vibrating out while I was driving. Once I got to my destination I could pull the pin and slide out a place to hang things like a lantern or in my case dive gear. It was a very useful easy modification. Oh and remember to keep a good coat of paint on the wood. If the wood gets wet and swells you'll have a heck of a time getting it out.

Rod