Quick feeler since I’m certainly not the first to think of this:
I want to be able to use channel strut (aka Super Strut or Unistrut) with the stock roof rack rails.
This stuff:
Why?
- The factory rails are decent but the cross bars are poor design. They’re flimsy and aggressively crowned. Hard to keep things flat.
- Aftermarket roof platform systems are expensive and overkill for me. I’m not doing a full gear loadout with every trip, mostly likely I’m using it for a Home Depot run or 2-3x/yr with my rooftop tent
- I want something flexible and adaptable that I can modify with off-the-shelf hardware.
- Factory-rail crossbars are one option. They range from $80 to $200 each. They’re ok if you’re using two, but anything more and you start to deal with the crown on the factory rails.
- The channel strut universe is huge and relatively cheap. It’s a commodity product, available in different sizes, materials, and finishes. With the right combination of hardware, you can get a pretty professional-looking outcome.
- Channel strut cost-per-foot is around the same as the lower end of commercial crossbars, but with added flexibility.
So one problem to consider is interface to the factory roof rails: somewhere along the way you have to adapt a curved rail to a flat plane. How do you securely and aesthetically join the two?
Has anyone seen this done successfully, with great fit and finish? My goal is a mostly DIY 3 or 4 crossbar, factory rail-installed system, perfectly flat, for under $300.
I want to be able to use channel strut (aka Super Strut or Unistrut) with the stock roof rack rails.
This stuff:
Why?
- The factory rails are decent but the cross bars are poor design. They’re flimsy and aggressively crowned. Hard to keep things flat.
- Aftermarket roof platform systems are expensive and overkill for me. I’m not doing a full gear loadout with every trip, mostly likely I’m using it for a Home Depot run or 2-3x/yr with my rooftop tent
- I want something flexible and adaptable that I can modify with off-the-shelf hardware.
- Factory-rail crossbars are one option. They range from $80 to $200 each. They’re ok if you’re using two, but anything more and you start to deal with the crown on the factory rails.
- The channel strut universe is huge and relatively cheap. It’s a commodity product, available in different sizes, materials, and finishes. With the right combination of hardware, you can get a pretty professional-looking outcome.
- Channel strut cost-per-foot is around the same as the lower end of commercial crossbars, but with added flexibility.
So one problem to consider is interface to the factory roof rails: somewhere along the way you have to adapt a curved rail to a flat plane. How do you securely and aesthetically join the two?
Has anyone seen this done successfully, with great fit and finish? My goal is a mostly DIY 3 or 4 crossbar, factory rail-installed system, perfectly flat, for under $300.
