Steve Sanford
Well-known member
All~
I do not see many people putting their own roof racks on cars much anymore. Growing up, I helped my Dad make one for his 1967 Nissan Patrol. Later, I have put them on a Chevy Vega wagon, a Chevy Blazer (NYS vehicle), Ford Ranger, Ford F-150, Nissan Quest, VW Jetta Wagon - and, in 2004, on my irreplaceable Honda Element.
I bought the Element in October of 2003 when it was brand new. Because the gunning season was already under way, I did not get around to making and installing its roof rack until the following summer. Here it is ready for the '04 season (CLICK any photo to enlarge):
View attachment Rack 01 - Element with Canvasback 3L.jpg
For a long list of boats and frequent trips to the lumber yard, this rack has served me well for many years. I learned early on, though, that Yellow Poplar (actually not a true poplar, but Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera - [correction thanks to Tod Osier]) is a poor choice for any exterior use. I used Philippine Mahogany for the crossbars but 5/4 Yellow Poplar for the rails. Even though everything was sealed with 2 coats of epoxy + graphite - and sprayed with Krylon Semi-flat Black paint, moisture found its way in. I had to fit a Dutchman several years ago on the starboard rail, another on the port mounting block in 2015, and I had to build a whole new rack this year. Dry rot was rampant throughout the rails and I just barely got a few boats and loads home safely in its last days. Its mycoflora - its collection of mushrooms and other fungi - was a rolling biodiversity exhibit. (The original Mahogany, however, was perfect when I removed it.) I resisted the urge to tear it off with my hands until I had a replacement built.
View attachment Rack 02.JPG
View attachment Rack 03.JPG
The new rack is all Mahogany. Every piece got 2 coats of epoxy + graphite (the latter to help keep UV out) before I assembled it. The rail-to-crossbar joints are held with s/s lags and 3M 5200.
Removing the headliner - and about half of the interior panels - is a big job. But, I wanted to screw right through the roof. Until I first removed the headliner back in 2004, I could not complete my design because I could not see the internal steel structure. Re-installing the interior takes even longer - maybe 3 hours for me.
View attachment Rack 04.JPG
The 5200 bedding probably needed no mechanical fasteners - the screws serve as clamps until the 5200 cures. Removing the '04 rack took some doing at each corner - the 5200 was good as new.
View attachment Rack 06.JPG
View attachment Rack 07 - 5200 and cleat.JPG
The padding on the crossbars is fire hose - salvaged from our transfer station a couple of years ago with this application in mind. The fire hose provides just the right combination of padding, grip and slide-ability. Its orange color got sprayed black where I could see the edges from the ground.
View attachment Rack 08 from above.JPG
The new rack now has a total of 8 cleats. The nylon cleats are held with s/s screws but bedded in silicon - because 5200 does not stick to nylon.
The antenna limits the width of the rack - 36.25 inches inside the rails - and requires inletting on the mounting block.
View attachment Rack 05.JPG
Here she is ready for the next 300,000 miles. For most local trips, I use a single length of 1/4-inch nylon to hold my canoes where they belong.
View attachment Rack 09 with Canvasback.JPG
All the best,
SJS
I do not see many people putting their own roof racks on cars much anymore. Growing up, I helped my Dad make one for his 1967 Nissan Patrol. Later, I have put them on a Chevy Vega wagon, a Chevy Blazer (NYS vehicle), Ford Ranger, Ford F-150, Nissan Quest, VW Jetta Wagon - and, in 2004, on my irreplaceable Honda Element.
I bought the Element in October of 2003 when it was brand new. Because the gunning season was already under way, I did not get around to making and installing its roof rack until the following summer. Here it is ready for the '04 season (CLICK any photo to enlarge):
View attachment Rack 01 - Element with Canvasback 3L.jpg
For a long list of boats and frequent trips to the lumber yard, this rack has served me well for many years. I learned early on, though, that Yellow Poplar (actually not a true poplar, but Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera - [correction thanks to Tod Osier]) is a poor choice for any exterior use. I used Philippine Mahogany for the crossbars but 5/4 Yellow Poplar for the rails. Even though everything was sealed with 2 coats of epoxy + graphite - and sprayed with Krylon Semi-flat Black paint, moisture found its way in. I had to fit a Dutchman several years ago on the starboard rail, another on the port mounting block in 2015, and I had to build a whole new rack this year. Dry rot was rampant throughout the rails and I just barely got a few boats and loads home safely in its last days. Its mycoflora - its collection of mushrooms and other fungi - was a rolling biodiversity exhibit. (The original Mahogany, however, was perfect when I removed it.) I resisted the urge to tear it off with my hands until I had a replacement built.
View attachment Rack 02.JPG
View attachment Rack 03.JPG
The new rack is all Mahogany. Every piece got 2 coats of epoxy + graphite (the latter to help keep UV out) before I assembled it. The rail-to-crossbar joints are held with s/s lags and 3M 5200.
Removing the headliner - and about half of the interior panels - is a big job. But, I wanted to screw right through the roof. Until I first removed the headliner back in 2004, I could not complete my design because I could not see the internal steel structure. Re-installing the interior takes even longer - maybe 3 hours for me.
View attachment Rack 04.JPG
The 5200 bedding probably needed no mechanical fasteners - the screws serve as clamps until the 5200 cures. Removing the '04 rack took some doing at each corner - the 5200 was good as new.
View attachment Rack 06.JPG
View attachment Rack 07 - 5200 and cleat.JPG
The padding on the crossbars is fire hose - salvaged from our transfer station a couple of years ago with this application in mind. The fire hose provides just the right combination of padding, grip and slide-ability. Its orange color got sprayed black where I could see the edges from the ground.
View attachment Rack 08 from above.JPG
The new rack now has a total of 8 cleats. The nylon cleats are held with s/s screws but bedded in silicon - because 5200 does not stick to nylon.
The antenna limits the width of the rack - 36.25 inches inside the rails - and requires inletting on the mounting block.
View attachment Rack 05.JPG
Here she is ready for the next 300,000 miles. For most local trips, I use a single length of 1/4-inch nylon to hold my canoes where they belong.
View attachment Rack 09 with Canvasback.JPG
All the best,
SJS
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