Is This Possible?

[goodcat]

im looking at getting a roof rack done on the surf but as you all know, the availabilty of roof racks for the surf are non existant.
so im going to fit some rails to my truck very soon. BUT i dont want to do it unless i can get something up there that will allow me to carry full lengths sheets of plaster board and ply board etc and my fishing rods in their rod bag.

so my question is this......can i fit something like http://www.trekoverland.com/survivor_roof_racks.htm....onto the same sort of rails that Maveric put on his surf....


any help and ideas would be great guys as im off fishing for a week in France in 5 weeks and i REALLY dont want to take the Transit!

(im taking the transit as there are 3 of us going and im taking all 3 peoples gear in my transits as it wont all fit in the surf........well i think it will but my mate is being a girl and saying no because we have to book the Euro tunnel this week and if it turns out we cant get all of out gear in the surf we are all fcuked because we have a surf booked on the train and not a Van! lol)

[Apache]

Just bolt a rack up there. All options mean drilling the roof, so the world is your lobster.

[goodcat]

thats what i thought but i was worried that it may look sh1t and out of place if i did that? i was thinking/hoping that someone on here (perhaps stein?) coud fad up some mounting brackets for the rack to attach onto the rail for me??

my other concern was some of the racks on that site were longer (i think) than the rails i'll be using.
are there longer rails i can get to fiton the surf because all the ones ive seen people do on here all have 3 mounting points and dont go all the way up to the front of the surf? is there a reason for this?

[MattF]

because all the ones ive seen people do on here all have 3 mounting points and dont go all the way up to the front of the surf? is there a reason for this?

Probably 'cos no-one has found any full length rails at the scrappers yet.

[goodcat]

im surprised Stein isnt pumping them out yet then!? or anyone else who can do that kinda thing.
i'd pay a few quid for a full length rail!

[Apache]

Mine was about £150 brand new and is abut 6ft long. If you're that worried about supporting 8ft sheets along their full length, just strap on some 8ft lengths of 2x2 onto it.

[goodcat]

thats a good idea about the 2x2 for the plaster boards....but i dont think it will be up for the job of holding my 12/13ft rod bag.
are there decent points to drill into up near the front of the surf?
i know the back and middle are fine at the edge of the ribs....but was unsure about the front?

[Apache]

Dont remember TBH. My rack is about 3/4 length from the back of the roof so I didn't take much notice of whats at the front of the roof. Four fixing points through the roof ribs using M12 bolts threaded into 1.5" ally blocks, then the rack bolted into those.

Has survived various loads from camping gear to wooden garden furiture with no problems at all, and you can climb up there and stand around with no problems.

With the 12ft rod bag, why not strap it to a 12ft piece of 2x2 and use the same method. It aint going anywhere. Attache a guy line to the front down to the bumper of you're concerned.

[wishbone]

Just use a thule bar at the front, and the rails at the back. Use U bolts to attatch some 25mm square tube across the rails in a couple of places, and strap your stuff to the 3 cross rails.

I put swb frontera bars on the rear end of my surf roof as I intended to just fit a spare wheel up there. They are a pain to fit btw.

Rob.

[Maverick]

my other concern was some of the racks on that site were longer (i think) than the rails i'll be using.
are there longer rails i can get to fiton the surf because all the ones ive seen people do on here all have 3 mounting points and dont go all the way up to the front of the surf? is there a reason for this?

The sunroof can foul things up a bit.
I've had 12 sheets of plasterboard on mine, but I put one of my old thule bars at the front to support it.

I'd just like to add

OOOOHHHHHHH that's my truck, that is. Dosen't she look clean. Ahh the good old days, last person to wash her was my brother in law, whilst I was servising his. She's still wearing the scars from the last time Bio Hazzard tried to break her (Last December).

[goodcat]

The sunroof can foul things up a bit.
I've had 12 sheets of plasterboard on mine, but I put one of my old thule bars at the front to support it.

sorry to sound dumb because i am (lol) but can you explain how the Thule Bar fits on the front? is it on feet or is that also drilled onto the roof?

and i may sound like im being fussy (im a tart) but i dont want to bost bits of bars up here and there....i want a factory look to it all once its done.
i REALLY want one off the roof racks that was in the link i posted. i can screw it down fine to the bars at the back and middle but cant see how i can support the front yet. hopefully i can screw the front down to an additional Bar like Maverick said at the front.

[Maverick]

Thule do a gutterless roof bar feet.
These have a rubber molded foot that rests on the roof, and a clamp that clamps over the rubber seal of the door (I'm probably not describing this very well)


Here's a very old picture showing the two Thule bars in place, hopefully you can see what I'm on about.


This is her fully loaded.

Forgot to say I tend to only put the extra bar on when it's needed.

[Apache]

This is her fully loaded.

Thats a proper saggy ar$e you've got there mate!

[goodcat]

cheers for that Maverick. ive just literally got back from Halfords and saw them for myself so i now have a clue as to how they axactly work. shame you didnt post those pics before i left to go to halfords! lol

EDIT:
ok so if i put one of the Thule bars on the front, will i be able to get it level with the rails on the back so i can bolt on a roof rack from that link?
Jay.

[Maverick]

Thats a proper saggy ar$e you've got there mate!

No, it returned to normal height when unloaded.