roof racks

[highdesertranger]

I got my E-Trailer news letter and it's for roof racks.  thought I would share.  they have had some really good subjects lately.

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-roof-r...campaign=etrailer&utm_content=170610-RooR-edu

highdesertranger

 

[user 37446]

Thanks for the post, there was a lot more product information and videos than I ever would have expected.  

One thing I've wondered about is how to put solar panels onto the round bars (it seems from the manufacturers comments that the better quality round bars have less wind drag and noise as opposed to square), since it would be difficult to drill through a round bar accurately.  A couple YouTube videos have square stock pieces mounted under the roof rack crossbars in order to keep the panels lower, figuring out just how to attach that square stock tubing to a round bar has me scratching my head some...  Not that it is an issue now, but may be later.
:huh:

 

[highdesertranger]

U-bolts. you can get small size u-bolts at almost any hardware store then you don't have to drill through the round bar. highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

Yes and with U-bolts you dont have to drill and weaken the existing round bar, which is actually a tube.

Plus, if its a steel tube, rain will find a way in and rust will start.

Once you install the solar panels, the noise will be there, no matter what shape the bars are.

I made my own crossbars from 1" square aluminum tubing and then used corner braces to form the clamps that attach to my roof rack. I didn't like the normal off-the-shelf adjustable bars with all the sliding sections and the plastic knobs.

 

[wayne49]

The roof racks recommended by Bob Wells are adjustable and without plastic or knobs.

The tube on one side is slightly smaller and slides snugly into the tube from the other side. A hefty 3/8" hex bolt into a welded nut wedges the the tubes together. Never had an issue if the bolt is torqued properly.

The nuts and bolts on the panel mounts, the U bolts, and the rack bolts should to be checked periodically.

I used PT 2x4x12s to mount four 100W panels. U-bolts to the rack tubes. They have been up there for almost two years and over forty thousand miles. No issues even at 92mph. Or in crosswinds that shoved the van across the lane from the white line to the yellow line.

Today I moved the rear rack to be more forward under the rear solar panel pair for better support. After all this time everything unbolted easily, drilled new holes for the U bolts, tightened back up, and done.