Roof rack install ?

[Scadwell]

Bought the highland roof rack from Amazon and having issues installing. Anyone put anything similar on a chevy express? There is what looks like a fat bead of factory caulk along the roof gutters so you can't get the bracket flat and close to the actual gutter on the inside. Anyone experience this and have a way to make it work? Or a different brand of roof rack that works with this? Trying to attach pics to show what I'm talking about. Thanks for any help!!

 

[Scadwell]

Pics

 

[tradesman]

I have a chevy express and have a Vantech roof rack.
https://vantech.us/product/aluminum-h3-system-with-acc-for-a-chevy-express-1996-on/Although the bead of adhesive is very thick and the attachment seems less than ideal, it does hold very securely but the Vantech risers are angled unlike the Highland ones.
It is also aluminum so it won't ever get that rusty look that so many racks make. It's hard to tell from your photo how far the bracket sets into the gutter but once the bolt is tight I don't think there's anyway for it to come loose.

 

[jasper]

I installed Highlands seven years ago, for a solar panel, and I had the same worries. Still going strong, holding one tiltable 160 watt panel, and later a 100 watt removable panel slung underneath.

Torque that vertical pinch bolt tightly.

U-bolts, hose clamps, along with straight, L, T, and Z flat metal pieces to mount and provide for tiltling.

 

[wayne49]

To be sure, use two nuts with antiseize on the gutter clamps.

 

[Scadwell]

I installed Highlands seven years ago, for a solar panel, and I had the same worries. Still going strong, holding one tiltable 160 watt panel, and later a 100 watt removable panel slung underneath.

Torque that vertical pinch bolt tightly.

U-bolts, hose clamps, along with straight, L, T, and Z flat metal pieces to mount and provide for tiltling.

View attachment 32257View attachment 32258

That's great to hear! Did you get yours to clamp onto to caulk or the little space above it?