DIY Roof Rack? (1 Viewer)

[ekolpack]

I know, the title alone is cringy. But I'm talking a well designed, properly built rack, possibly using 6-8 professionally made feet (Gamiviti?) since that seems to be the most important part for structural integrity. Has anyone tried something like this?

I know it's easier to just buy a rack....for $1000+.....but I really don't mind building stuff, in fact I enjoy it. And I love the fact that I could customize it exactly how I want....and saving $700+ I can put into something else is a pretty nice cherry on top.

I'm thinking a design like this (parts list and PDF blueprints in description) yet closer to his original design (in his previous video) that used flat bar "Prinsu style" rails cut to the contour of the roof instead of flat angled stock.



This guy has a pretty cool design....very similar to above but perhaps a bit more elegant looking.

What say you hivemind? Thanks!

 

[TeCKis300]

While I don't know your skill level, I believe for the majority of people, it'll take more time and effort, and possibly money to make a solid and good looking rack compared to what can be had in the aftermarket. The aesthetics of it can a tricky thing, and could do much worse than stock.

There is an opportunity with the stock rack. Keep the nice, validated, and robust side rails. Then DIY your own crossrails to make a platform. Could use more stock rails, 80/20, DIY, lots of options.

I suspect you're partially looking for the expo look of it all?

 

[ekolpack]

While I don't know your skill level, I believe for the majority of people, it'll take more time and effort, and possibly money to make a solid and good looking rack compared to what can be had in the aftermarket. The aesthetics of it can a tricky thing, and could do much worse than stock.

There is an opportunity with the stock rack. Keep the nice, validated, and robust side rails. Then DIY your own crossrails to make a platform. Could use more stock rails, 80/20, DIY, lots of options.

I suspect you're partially looking for the expo look of it all?

Check out the videos. Aesthetics aren't an issue. If done right they look beautiful. Also, expo style would work, but I don't want to get into tube bending and welding, also would prefer aluminum over steel (mainly due to rust and weight). Most of the DIY ones I've seen use 8020....some unistrut, which I'm less stoked about. Cost is far less than equivalent stuff in the aftermarket.

Adding 8020 crossbeams to the existing stock rails is an interesting idea, and I like the idea of not getting rid of the stock setup, simply amending it, but 1. the stock rack is curved, not ideal and 2. it's short, only about 4' vs. almost 8' max potential length for a custom rack.

Since I'd like the option of doing an RTT at some point, the stock mod idea probably wouldn't work for me. Not a bad idea though. I'll definitely keep it in mind.

 

[tincan45]

Save yourself the time and money and buy an aftermarket rack that meets your needs. Unless you are just looking for a project, you are going to have a lot more time and money in a DIY solution that invariably needs "improvements". I'm speaking from experience. I went through a couple versions of 80/20 DIY solutions and went retail in the end anyway. It really does make you appreciate the R&D that goes into even simple items like a roof rack.

 

[TeCKis300]

@tincan45 hits the nail on the head. Just saying there's more that goes into design than is often recognized.

Still, I do encourage you to DIY. Just go in eyes wide open. I've certainly done enough projects in my time where it's more the experience than the end result. It's not half bad, but doesn't have the refinement that a commercial product has had with development, tooling, and iteration.

FYI, the stock rack is wholly capable of RTTs with additional rails. I've run an RTT on my 100-series. And have another RTT on the way that I'll again run with the stock rack with 3-4 stock cross bars.

 

[ekolpack]

Save yourself the time and money and buy an aftermarket rack that meets your needs. Unless you are just looking for a project, you are going to have a lot more time and money in a DIY solution that invariably needs "improvements". I'm speaking from experience. I went through a couple versions of 80/20 DIY solutions and went retail in the end anyway. It really does make you appreciate the R&D that goes into even simple items like a roof rack.

See though, I am an idiot and I like wasting time and money on stuff

 

[joyRidaz]

@ekolpack - u and I are on the same wavelength and have been binging on the same videos!

I agree if it’s fun and a hobby, u should do it. I’m sure it’ll be reallly fulfilling saying “ I built that” when someone compliments it and asks what kind it is.

I love many racks, but the look of the prinsu looks amazing, but there’s a few aesthetic tweaks I would do if making a diy one.

Until finding the Buddha build video I was wracking my brain (pun intended) about how to mimic the roofline but he makes it so simple.

I say do it if u got the time and motivation, take the money saved and buy some fun stuff to attach to it!

 

[joyRidaz]

Btw, I’ve not worked with aluminum before, but doing some poking around on the interwebs, leads me to believe we can possibly use wood tools with aluminum specific blades... saws, routers etc...

 

[ekolpack]

I've certainly done enough projects in my time where it's more the experience than the end result.

Absolutely!

It's not half bad, but doesn't have the refinement that a commercial product has had with development, tooling, and iteration.

True, but a commercial product doesn't have the character and customization. Also, I'll know exactly how the rack works, exactly how to fix or mod or disassemble it. The Gamiviti rack still looks very interesting (mostly since it can be customized) but it's well over $1000 after tax and shipping. I just don't have that kind of money to spend on something like that, so unfortunately, it's just not an option. Even if building a custom rack takes me a whole 40 hour work week (that'd be insane, but worst case scenario), I'm still "making" about $20-$30/hr building it myself. Not terrible.....and again, personal satisfaction, customization and knowledge. Plus I have a decent shop, metal cutting blades for bandsaw, even a Miller MIG welder if needed.

FYI, the stock rack is wholly capable of RTTs with additional rails. I've run an RTT on my 100-series. And have another RTT on the way that I'll again run with the stock rack with 3-4 stock cross bars.

How does that work? On my 200, bars are curved upwards, which is horrible since stuff will tend to slide outwards towards the edges.....and of course something flat like an RTT or walkable surface (like on Gamivitti's) gets far more complex. Even if I replaced the curved crossmembers with 8020, there's still only about 49" of total length, hardly enough to serve as a solid platform for an entire RTT (usually around 84"-96" length. Am I missing something? Maybe 100 series has longer stock rails?

 

[ekolpack]

@ekolpack - u and I are on the same wavelength and have been binging on the same videos!

I agree if it’s fun and a hobby, u should do it. I’m sure it’ll be reallly fulfilling saying “ I built that” when someone compliments it and Alaska what kind it is.

I love many racks, the look of the prinsu looks amazing, but there’s a few aesthetic tweaks I would do if making a diy one.

Until finding the Buddha build video I was wracking my brain (pun intended) about how to mimic the roofline but he makes it so simple.

I say do it if u got the time and motivation, take the money saved and buy some fun stuff to attach to it!

Absolutely my thinking on all that. And yep, I'll probably spend the $700-$1000 I save on rock sliders and/or bumper and/or other stuff. $1000 saved is $1000 earned. And yeah, it'd be rad to have a great looking, functional rack I can say I built myself. I've definitely seen some ghetto jobs out there. I don't intend to do anything like that. Yep, the Buddha Builds version is awesome! I think that the way I'm gunna go, obviously adapted for a Cruiser, and probably with more rails + one behind wind faring for mounting an LED bar. Wind faring will probably be plexi or polycarb with the LED bar behind it to reduce drag and wind noise. Not sure why nobody is doing this? Maybe cause black looks cool? Or heat issues?

 

[ekolpack]

Btw, I’ve not worked with aluminum before, but doing some poking around on the interwebs, leads me to believe we can possibly use wood tools with aluminum specific blades... saws, routers etc...

Generally speaking, that's correct. A wood cutting bandsaw, drill press, even chop saw can all be used with aluminum IF (and it's a big IF) you use the correct blades, understand the relationship between speed of saw vs. speed of feed to compensate for the generally higher RPM's in wood tools (ie. either slow RPM's if possible, or feed stock much slower), use cutting oil if possible, and on a chop saw, orient the metal such that you have as many teeth touching the stock at all times as possible (ie. if only one tooth is engaged with the material at any given time, you're more likely to rip off teeth and/or damage stock).

So short answer, yep, you can usually use wood tools on aluminum. But the long answer is, it's complicated, not ideal, and you should research how to do it properly for the specific cut(s) you're making.

Also keep in mind, a wire feed MIG welder can technically be used to weld aluminum. Again, it's not ideal, and you'll probably want to hire a professional. I've got a Miller 140 with spool gun, but I know I'm not good enough to weld aluminum. But keep in mind, it's an option.

 

[TeCKis300]

Absolutely!


True, but a commercial product doesn't have the character and customization. Also, I'll know exactly how the rack works, exactly how to fix or mod or disassemble it. The Gamiviti rack still looks very interesting (mostly since it can be customized) but it's well over $1000 after tax and shipping. I just don't have that kind of money to spend on something like that, so unfortunately, it's just not an option. Even if building a custom rack takes me a whole 40 hour work week (that'd be insane, but worst case scenario), I'm still "making" about $20-$30/hr building it myself. Not terrible.....and again, personal satisfaction, customization and knowledge. Plus I have a decent shop, metal cutting blades for bandsaw, even a Miller MIG welder if needed.



How does that work? On my 200, bars are curved upwards, which is horrible since stuff will tend to slide outwards towards the edges.....and of course something flat like an RTT or walkable surface (like on Gamivitti's) gets far more complex. Even if I replaced the curved crossmembers with 8020, there's still only about 49" of total length, hardly enough to serve as a solid platform for an entire RTT (usually around 84"-96" length. Am I missing something? Maybe 100 series has longer stock rails?

Good points. Sounds to me like you're up to the task. More power to you, and definitely hope you share the progress and how things turn out here. For the next guy that may take your inspiration and lead.

Regarding fitment on the stock rack. I had a bi-fold type that opened up beyond the footprint of the car. Worked well with the stock cross bars but needs more than the 2 bars as they tend to be flexy with too much movement on the freeway for a heavy tent of this type. They also have bad aero being a large brick through the air and impacted handling. It being difficult to setup and teardown ultimately made it a no go for me.

This time around, I'm going for a wedge type, GFC Superlite. To your point, this type is longer at 90". Shouldn't be an issue with the stock LC rack based on their guide. I will be using 3 or 4 cross bars which should give it descent freeway stability. IMO the curved bars aren't an issue so much as they are an advantage. So is the flexibility. In engineering, curved structures are stronger, and flexibility can benefit long term durability against failure. There's more to the stock rack than most give credit to.

 

[TrekboxX]

I build my own roof racks- not necessarily to save $$, but to get exactly what I want. I think the Prinsu style racks look good, but I prefer open sides for lashing gear, etc. I also make them super low profile and customized to attach my specific gear.

If you do it right you won't save much, but you'll get the pride of building it. Just remember that aluminum stress fatigues much faster/easier than steel, especially if welded and not heat treated. The roof racks get a lot of twisting with the body.

Off the top of my head my racks run about:

- $500 for laser cut/bent stainless feet, corners, and fairing brackets
- $500 for 80/20 (more than half is hardware/brackets- you need way more than you think)
- maybe another $100 for fairing material and powder coating small parts
- a good amount of time

 

[Nooooooooob1]

Here's mine. Went with the 6 Gamiviti feet and DIY'd the rest. Just super strut and aluminum angle.

I want to DIY a roof rack, but I want to purchase pre-made mounts/gaskets. Any ideas?

I want to buy a set of pre made mounts/gaskets/hardware and then build my roof rack to those mounts, which would really just be drilling holes in the main bars to match the mounts. Anyone know of a roof rack manufacturer that sells like extra or replacement mounts for their roof racks that might...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[ekolpack]

Okay Gamiviti charges About $35 per foot / tower (ie $275 for a set of 8). I know he has to make money, but man, that's pretty damn expensive for someone bothering to go the DIY route....kinda defeats the purpose (at least the monetary part of it).

Also, for a Prinsu style design, they don't seem to be any better than plain old angle stock (as used in the YouTube video designs)....in fact thick angle stock may be better as it's solid....I mean, literally solid, one piece....and more conducive to mounting vertical side beams (Prinsu style). The Gamivitis have a horizontal flat portion for mounting an expo style rack, which is just not needed to secure the curved Prinsu style side bars in a vertical orientation.

So, at this point in the design (early stages) I think I'll be using solid 3/16" (possibly 1/4") aluminum angled stock with one side trimmed to fit down in the roof track and make solid contact with the roof (after gasket/sealant of course). If that isn't heavy duty enough, I don't know what is.

 

[Nooooooooob1]

Okay Gamiviti charges About $35 per foot / tower (ie $275 for a set of 8). I know he has to make money, but man, that's pretty damn expensive for someone bothering to go the DIY route....kinda defeats the purpose (at least the monetary part of it).

Also, for a Prinsu style design, they don't seem to be any better than plain old angle stock (as used in the YouTube video designs)....in fact thick angle stock may be better as it's solid....I mean, literally solid, one piece....and more conducive to mounting vertical side beams (Prinsu style). The Gamivitis have a horizontal flat portion for mounting an expo style rack, which is just not needed to secure the curved Prinsu style side bars in a vertical orientation.

So, at this point in the design (early stages) I think I'll be using solid 3/16" (possibly 1/4") aluminum angled stock with one side trimmed to fit down in the roof track and make solid contact with the roof (after gasket/sealant of course). If that isn't heavy duty enough, I don't know what is.

I would for sure use some kind of mounting feet under your rack. You're going to want at least a little bit of space there when bath time comes or it will get nasty.

The Gamivti feet are 1000000000000000000000000000000000000% worth it and you only need 6(same amount the factory rack uses). It gives good peace of mind knowing that the part that could potentially leak and let water in the cabin has R&D behind it. I just really didn't want to half ass that part, so I thought it was worth the couple hundred bucks.

Also I used 2x2" 1/8" aluminum angle.

 

[grinchy]

1/4” for sure. I think it’s very possible to diy the feet, just requires a Chalk line to set level so the rails are even. Sealing shouldn’t be a problem. I like the idea of rubber rings or combining rubber rings with the permeated gasket layer. My local ace has rubber sheets in the plumbing aisle, could be used to cut perfect feet gasket things.

 

[Nooooooooob1]

1/4” for sure. I think it’s very possible to diy the feet, just requires a Chalk line to set level so the rails are even. Sealing shouldn’t be a problem. I like the idea of rubber rings or combining rubber rings with the permeated gasket layer. My local ace has rubber sheets in the plumbing aisle, could be used to cut perfect feet gasket things.

Sounds pretty solid to me!

The Gamiviti mounts come with these to plug the holes. They have you put sealant on the bolts and then this goes on top.

 

[ekolpack]

I would for sure use some kind of mounting feet under your rack. You're going to want at least a little bit of space there when bath time comes or it will get nasty.

The Gamivti feet are 1000000000000000000000000000000000000% worth it and you only need 6(same amount the factory rack uses). It gives good peace of mind knowing that the part that could potentially leak and let water in the cabin has R&D behind it. I just really didn't want to half ass that part, so I thought it was worth the couple hundred bucks.

Also I used 2x2" 1/8" aluminum angle.

I'm just going off his install video showing tower/feet install:

Also worth noting there are 4 mounting points per side on an LC200. You can see he's using all 4 in the above video, which is what I would do. But yeah, many folks go with 3, which I'm sure is perfectly fine too.

Also pics off website

From these pics you can see, there's nothing special about the angled bracket where it attaches to the roof. It's effectively just angle stock itself with an extra bend to form a U channel (I'm guessing for added rigidity). I don't even see extra feet for bath time....looks like he's just bolting the angle stock direct to the roof.

Other than that, it's just an additional adjustable bracket piece to tweak height and mount the Gamiviti expo style rack on a horizontal plane....which again, for a Prinsu style design is not only unnecessary, but undesirable. You'd either want to bend it into a 90 deg angle, or mount the horizontal brackets to your crossbeams, which would mean roughly half of your beams would need to be stationary in relation to the roof, greatly limiting the ability to reposition beams.

Anyway, I'm glad they worked for you. They really do look well built and I'm sure they're worth every penny for the correct use application. But I think for my design, angle stock will be cheaper, lighter, more sturdy, less complex, less restrictive and less expensive. I may use some of the $ I save to hire someone with a press brake to make the extra bend for a U channel. I definitely like that aspect of his design!

 

[ekolpack]

Sounds pretty solid to me!

The Gamiviti mounts come with these to plug the holes. They have you put sealant on the bolts and then this goes on top.View attachment 2688658

Yup, I'd do at least this......probably put gasket material between the tower and roof track too. If nothing else it'd protect the paint from scratches. Maybe overkill, but easy enough to cut out a little gasket and I can't imagine it'd hurt anything. @grinchy good call on that rubber sheet stuff at hardware stores. Heavy shower pan liner might work too (40 mil = about 1mm thick).