Low-Profile Roof-Rack mounting rail feet (suitable for rhinorack or compatible rails)

[cnd]

This is my Fusion360 sheet-metal-fab design for the 8x rail mounts on my LC200: Fusion - https://a360.co/44FL9QB
Also inside that design are lots of other useful measurements (all those mount points are not in any straight or even parallel lines!!! I've modelled it all accurately, in case you want to make your own custom rack)

The design allows the rail to "recess" almost to the bottom of the channel, saving you an inch or more in height.

I'm modifying my roof-top-tent by cutting a hatch in the floor above the sunroof, so we can climb in to the tent directly from the car - so - keeping it low makes that easier.

pcbway quotes $192 (including 4-day-shipping) for 8 of these brackets, made from 4mm stainless 304.

I'll post again with pics and comments after the metal ones are installed (right now, I've done test-fit plastic ones which are looking great).

They go with these kind of rails:

 

[grinchy]

Those look sweet. Thanks for keeping it open source!

 

[TomEf]

Looks a lot like the mounts for the ARB Base Rack. Just like the OG Base Rack, don’t forget about clearance with the sharkfin antenna!

 

[cnd]

Worked out perfect!

I bolted on the mounts with loads of silicone onto some aluminum butyl flash tape I put down first - the idea being to toally waterproof the bracket, and to provide some spacing for the rails (see next post).

 

[cnd]

The rail bottoms sit right down inside the gutter of the roof - hence that tape - which provides 1mm or so spacing so the rail itself doesn't actually touch the paint, and protection when I mounted it.

Inside view looking out - you can just make out the bottom of the rail touching the silver tape.

Outside view looking in:

Test fit: ignore the ugly wooden cross-rail - my plan is to remove the lower tent support rails and cut a new aluminum (or steel?) set of cross-bars which will lower the tent another 2 inches or so.

The goal is to cut a sunroof-sized hatch-hole in the tent floor, so we can climb in and out of the tent that way... hence the desire to keep it as low to the roof as possible.

This is the clearance to the roof (about 1.5cm), from a cross-rail placed onto the black rails:

 

[cnd]

The CAD model was perfect first-go. I got the k-value just right (it's the parameter for how bent steel behaves/deforms). The "relief slot" on the steel ones turned out wider than my plastic ones and the CAD design - no doubt something to do with the kerf of the cutter (I don't know if they used waterjet or laser).

Here's my design for all the above: Fusion - https://a360.co/3qg63XB
I do not recommend using the LC200 in that - the tent "in real life" seems to take up more space that it appears it should from the CAD design of the car (which I got off a free CAD model website) so there's something not-so-accurate about the size of the models roof.

Measurements etc in the sketches are OK. I think I will not buy the 270 awning - doesn't work right with the tailgate and spoiler and having the tent so far forwards.