Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Upgrades and modifications to Trims, Seats, Carpets, Roof Racks, Panels, Dashboard, Bumpers, Rocksliders, Paint, Decals...

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elpeede
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:56 am

Postby elpeede » Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:37 am

I've made a short video which gives a closer look and a little more description as to how I went about the build. Also revealed I need to get the paint out again :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkxAYcmaex4&feature=plcp


Wearethesound
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Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 10:28 am
Location: United Kingdom

Postby Wearethesound » Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:03 am

Resurrecting old thread. I also live in the U.K. And just bought a 2007 pathy and looking to do something like this to mine as well as I haven't been able to find a system that completely replaces the OEM rails as I'm not a fan of the racks that sit on top of them. Anything you would do different or have changed? Do you happen to remember the wall thickness of the tubing?

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elpeede
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Postby elpeede » Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:25 pm

Don't recall. I bought the tubing from our local B&Q.

Where abouts are you? I ask as I've sold the Path finder earlier this year so the Rack is available for sale if you are interested. Would need collecting and needs a repaint. Otherwise it's as the video.

I also made some roof bars for my large Canoe that fit with the rack as well.. real good combo if you have bike racks to add. There's an additional bracket that slots on to the roof rack bars allows a set of telescopic ladders to be propped against the roof rack system. Ideal for getting bikes up and not damaging the side of the car.

I'm in North Staffs.

Wearethesound
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Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 10:28 am
Location: United Kingdom

Postby Wearethesound » Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:41 am

I'm near Cambridge and am making a family trip up to Nottingham this weekend. Im not sure where north staffs is exaclty. Have to break out the sat nav, but I would be interested in taking it off your hands.

Jmo1982
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Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:19 am

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby Jmo1982 » Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:22 pm

@elpeede - I realize this post is old, but thanks for this thread and your youtube video. It inspired me to build my own low profile roof rack after having a lot of difficulty finding a factory replacement I was comfortable with. Your posts saved me some $ and time :D . I went with a no weld solution using aluminum Unistrut. Sharing here in case it is helpful for others.

- Cut the unistrut to size with carbide recip saw. Note that the length between the front and back of the rails are different! I almost made this mistake.
- Mapped the bolt-hole positions by marking them on a piece of clear poly-carb sheeting then drilled through the poly-carb and into the unistrut to get a match. This is tricky because the factory rails are curved across the roof line. My results were not exact so I needed to increase the hole size to properly thread the bolts. Ultimately I was able to secure 6 of the 7 factory bolts with this design.
- Painted the strut with Dupli-color Bed Spray liner. I do not recommend this product. Despite adhering to every instruction and all the prep work, the bond to the aluminum is poor. It took multiple coats to get acceptable coverage. Even with all that, is is starting to peel off with any contact to equipment.
- Cut some angled aluminum to attach a few Quick Fits for my shovel and axe.

My guess is that this at least will support 200 dynamic pounds which I read was the limit of the OEM rack. Heaviest I have tested so far is a 70lb canoe. No issues.

Again, thanks elpeede!
Attachments
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Roof Rack Reduced.PNG
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palmerwmd
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Location: Mid Atlantic

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:40 pm

Good job Jmo! :D

(I also wish elpeede would drop by sometime again)

myself
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:05 pm

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby myself » Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:23 pm

long time observer, 1st time contributor...
here's a diy roof rack i put together Dec.2020.

Superstrut, some hardware, commercial black coated steel grid, flat bar, 32" slim led bar.

No welding. Just a drill, jigsaw & hacksaw, and hand tools.

I'd have to double-check receipts, but I'm pretty sure the total investment was less than $175.

Just wanted to add to the gallery of possibilities for anyone looking to do something creative...
20201231_154357-01.jpeg
before paint and light bar
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-27-09.png
after paint and light
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-27-03.png
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-26-57.png

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palmerwmd
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Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:27 pm

myself wrote:
Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:23 pm
long time observer, 1st time contributor...
here's a diy roof rack i put together Dec.2020.

Superstrut, some hardware, commercial black coated steel grid, flat bar, 32" slim led bar.

No welding. Just a drill, jigsaw & hacksaw, and hand tools.

I'd have to double-check receipts, but I'm pretty sure the total investment was less than $175.

Just wanted to add to the gallery of possibilities for anyone looking to do something creative...

20201231_154357-01.jpeg
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-27-09.png
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-27-03.png
Screenshot_2021-04-12-21-26-57.png
Great post!

this thread is really coming together as a valuable tool for membership. :D

myself
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:05 pm

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby myself » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:47 pm

Added a small 12" single row bar to the rear of the rack (you know- to see where i've been), wired thru an aftermarket master switch in the factory blank position by the shifter, and added a 3way toggle switch to send power from the master switch to the relay for the top bar when switched forward, and the rear bar when switched to the rear position. The toggle is installed out of sight, but easily reachable, on the tiny flat spot where the center stack trim meets the steering column / driver area trim.

Wasn't sure whether it was most appropriate to add to this section, or the electrical section- but it goes along with the roof rack so here it is...
Screenshot_2021-04-27-20-40-12.png
rear mini bar
Screenshot_2021-04-27-20-40-08.png
rear mini bar side
Screenshot_2021-04-27-20-40-05.png
oem style master switch
Screenshot_2021-04-27-20-41-32.png
hidden toggle switch

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palmerwmd
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Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:38 am

Myself:
This has turned into such a great thread with the help of the membership such as yourself, I will promote it to sticky. :D

donaldpath
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Location: California

Re: Low profile roof rack - Homebrew :o)

Postby donaldpath » Thu Jan 12, 2023 3:20 pm

Jmo1982 wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:22 pm
...snip...

- Cut the unistrut to size with carbide recip saw. Note that the length between the front and back of the rails are different! I almost made this mistake.

...snip
How much of a difference in length is it between front and rear crossbars? I did just a rough measurement, and both from and rear crossbars measured the same length.


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