Delta Vehicle Systems Roof Rack

[SNLC]

I didn’t tell you to trash the paint, I think I said get some paint protection film to protect it, then enjoy the cruiser. Enjoying a cruiser doesn’t mean trashing the paint. If increasing the gap is the solution you want and have experience with it working for you, seems like a good solution you’ll be happy with.

I personally don’t see this is a design flaw on Delta’s part. Their product photos show that it rests on the roof which is one of the reasons it is quiet. The owner maybe needs to decide how he intends to use the truck.

Well done on the restoration. Looks like a beautiful paint job. I don’t even like red, but I do on that rig. Looks awesome.

I am not even saying that it’s a design flaw. It works as intended by their design.

This is our first install of this rack. I am reporting on what our issues are. I explained what is cool about it, ie weight (lightest by far we have installed), modular and fairly easy to assemble + install.

There are other things I could criticize comparing to other racks on the market but I am simply focusing on our main issue. I also said Delta is willing to work with us and who knows maybe they will modify their design (?) from feedback like this, or not.

From my many years of Land Cruiser experience “noise” from a RR is overstated and certainly not worth beating up a top tier paint job over. Any weather stripping even the rear of this rack which has a good gap and a cushy bit of rubber between rack and roof is still designed to touch the roof here. Dust alone is going to scratch up paint here, not as bad as the front where it is a more solid connection of roof rack to roof but my Cruiser gets 1/4” of dust on the back running gravel roads in the desert. Imagine what sand dune running will put up there! My 80 I paid to have the clear peel fixed and repainted on the roof. It didn’t cost me $$$$$ but I wouldn’t want it to get trashed before it’s time either from what we consider normal use in my shop.

They live here (Delta) and can go run the same 100 miles of gravel roads down to the Nevada border to test the rack. I suggest they do, at 50+mph. Would the average user consider 100 miles at 50-60+mph on gravel roads “extreme use”? Maybe, you tell me. In the desert around here it’s pretty normal. And even at 20mph in a dust fest minus the small rocks being flung you got sand paper now between the roof rack front and rear contact points. We build to this standard though regardless of if the Cruiser gets used to that “extreme”. Can’t put an expensive paint job on a Cruiser and then the “bolt ons” trash it. That would be on us then for recommending products or if we for some reason installed incorrectly, or from lack of experience aka also on us. Old school ethics I know but that is the ship I run in my shop.

So again it (this rack) has its good and bad points. Now that we have fitted this rack in my shop we can advise future customers better. Simply trying to share that same feedback with you guys here on the forum.

I also think with a few small mods it will work out sweet for our customer and the build.

Cheers

 

[Nad Aitch]

Maybe get some heavy paint protection film and run with it.

Yeah I think film or one of the thicker vinyl products would totally alleviate any concerns for 99% of us.

OTOH, Ian's building 100k trucks where attention to detail and expectations are extreme, and custom fab is the norm, so I get his perspective and feedback as well. Context.

Personally I'd run it raw

Having delta and snlc as neighbors is too cool- Y'all are pulling at my heart strings that keep telling me to move to ID.

 

[DLane4469]

Wow, thanks for the great write up! I’m sure others will find it quite helpful.

I’m interested in those flush mount solar panels. I just bought a rack from you guys. I got rid of my old rack which had a solar panel so I have a house battery and an isolator ready to go. Trying to figure out some way to get solar going again.

 

[JoeCova]

Maybe re-read my post there - I didn’t tell you to trash the paint. I think I said get some paint protection film to protect it, then enjoy the cruiser. Enjoying a cruiser doesn’t mean trashing the paint. If increasing the gap is the solution you want and have experience with it working for you, seems like a good solution you’ll be happy with.

I personally don’t see this is a design flaw on Delta’s part. Their product photos show that it rests on the roof which is one of the reasons it’s quiet. The owner maybe needs to decide how he intends to use the truck.

Well done on the restoration. Looks like a beautiful paint job. I don’t even like red, but I suddenly do on an 80. Looks awesome.

Reading this thread late but I’ll call a spade a spade.

Any roof rack that requires a panel to touch anything other than the pinch is a design flaw period. If a gap in the leading edge of a rack creates excessive noise in which that gap must sit flush then it’s designed poorly and needs to increase the fairing angle.

I run a 5/8 gap on my Sherpa rack and it has zero noise. The body shifts and flexes and any panel touching the roof is going to rub paint.

 

[residualboulders]

I’ve never tested a roof rack in a wind tunnel or anything like that. I just have experience with several racks that I’ve tried over the last 34 years of owning a bunch of cruisers. The Delta rack is quieter than others I have had. But yes, it makes contact with my roof surface. It sounds like you have a lot more experience than I do with the nuances of rack, clearances, wind flow patterns, and different brands. Awesome we have a forum where experts can share with the rest of us.

I shouldn’t have commented here with my limited experience. I was just trying to defend @deltavs a little because I appreciate that he makes great stuff for our classic cruisers. Pictures on his website show the rubber gasket making contact with the roof so it wasn’t a surprise to me when I installed mine and it touched the roof. But I now understand the original poster is wanting to protect the paint for his buyer, makes sense. Easier to understand someone’s concerns when you know the backstory, which I didn’t. Cool of Dave to work with him on what he thinks is best.

 

[Delta VS]

I’m interested in those flush mount solar panels. I just bought a rack from you guys. I got rid of my old rack which had a solar panel so I have a house battery and an isolator ready to go. Trying to figure out some way to get solar going again.

send me an email please, info@deltavs

 

[SNLC]

I guess I forgot to revisit this thread.

Delta did do a custom front wind deflector for us, this cleared the body better up front. These pics show that more or less. The owner @ohsix
Has done a PPF now that should help protect the roof too.

Cheers