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what should I use for my rack?- update w/pics

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I have the OEM roof rails and crossbars (just the gutter rails and top bars, not the ones that screw into the sheet metal) now, but I would like to finish the "rack" soon, so I can mount some lights, and a spare.. maybe a shovel and a come-a-long too...but what material should I use? and where to get it?

 

ideas so far-

 

-PVC pipe.. using 2" pipe, and the 90º fittings and T fittings, I could make a nice 2 layer wrap around "cage" for the top of the imp, and inside the pipe i could run wire for the lights i would mount and the 4 corners (and more in front)

or if I glue it up right, i could use it as an air tank :brow:

and then metal mesh for the "basket" effect...

 

-metal conduit, ive seen it done before, but its kinda ghetto/weak stuff.. not really what I would like to use....

 

-metal- I would like to use this, but where to buy? and I dont have access to a welder as far as I know :confused: unless someone could help me on this one :D

 

-pre made.. like the yakima/subaru basket, or one from a safari jeep-ish setup.....

 

anyone getting rid of their offroadish setup? have metal?

:grin: I've got a yakima basket, but there's a Ski Wagon attached to it :)

 

I have the OEM roof rails and crossbars (just the gutter rails and top bars, not the ones that screw into the sheet metal) now, but I would like to finish the "rack" soon, so I can mount some lights, and a spare.. maybe a shovel and a come-a-long too...but what material should I use? and where to get it?

 

ideas so far-

 

-PVC pipe.. using 2" pipe, and the 90º fittings and T fittings, I could make a nice 2 layer wrap around "cage" for the top of the imp, and inside the pipe i could run wire for the lights i would mount and the 4 corners (and more in front)

or if I glue it up right, i could use it as an air tank :brow:

and then metal mesh for the "basket" effect...

 

-metal conduit, ive seen it done before, but its kinda ghetto/weak stuff.. not really what I would like to use....

 

-metal- I would like to use this, but where to buy? and I dont have access to a welder as far as I know :confused: unless someone could help me on this one :D

 

-pre made.. like the yakima/subaru basket, or one from a safari jeep-ish setup.....

 

anyone getting rid of their offroadish setup? have metal?

You've seen mine, haven't ya' Austin? Yakima towers with iron pipe running through them and across the roof. It was incredibly inexpensive, and while on the heavy side, it's ultra-stable and STRONG with plenty of mounting points.

 

It's a bad pic, but...

275Sunshine_the_Almighy.jpg

  • Author

stage 1 complete.. the base to which I will add stuff to soon :D

 

DSCN1389.jpg

 

 

lights and screen to come next :D

Were's the shower and toilet youv'e got the plumbing? lol spark

 

yup,just add a hose hook-up and drill some holes along the sides of it===shower for the impreza

 

j/k austin,looks good

 

have you taken it up to highway speeds yet?

 

i added a simple bar across the front of the factory rails and first time on the highway(65mph) dang roof vibrated

9465bar_for_beginning_of_roof_rack_build-thumb.JPG (light weight aluminum,90 degree corner piece)

haha looks cool austin..is it pretty sturdy?? it will look great with the lights up there

I was going to suggest a combination of bamboo, aluminum, carbon fiber, and epoxy. Kind of an oldschool/newschool composite theme. But that ABS looks mighty stylin and functional. Compliments the snorkus very nicely too. Austin gets full points for originality and creativity!

you could just cut off the OBS racks and use random parts of thule systems... :drunk:

 

10420currail.jpg

 

edit Oh yeah OBS roof racks make awesome towel hangers for the bathroom :grin:

  • Author

andyjo- you cut that poor thing up! :eek:

 

here is the project so far....

DSCN1391.jpg

 

the lights are not hooked up yet, but that should come tomorrow.

I am still trying to find a cheap alternative for the side and rear lights. harbor freight comes to mind :brow:

Austin, I bought the thule kit, it didn't fit (like they said it would fit)... so i made it fit :brow:

i had to touch up some spots where the sawzall wanted to go through my roof... i still have to search around, or make some plugs for the open ends, because it wistles like a..... a wistle... when i'm driving around, and it's super loud on the highway. I kept the front & back parts of the rails (instead of unscrewing em) because i thought it looked better, and i have my CB-mount on the rear passenger side rail part... i'm going to bolt down the middle part eventually.

I've also got an extra OBS roof rack setup on my trailer if i ever need to swap back :drunk:

I still have to come up with some sort of light back though.... i've been thinging of rigging my own fold down light bar, because i carry alot on the roof... that's usually longer than the car, and lights get in the way.

Andyjo, you could try bolting some lights to the bottom of your roof rack so they're not in the way of stuff.

andyjo- you cut that poor thing up! :eek:

 

here is the project so far....

DSCN1391.jpg

 

the lights are not hooked up yet, but that should come tomorrow.

I am still trying to find a cheap alternative for the side and rear lights. harbor freight comes to mind :brow:

 

 

looks great austin..i can't wait to see them lit up in the dark! i think i might order so hf lights for my car today, so....im me later..

Looks good! Have you added anything to the interior of that ABS pipe to increase it's strength? A can or 2 of expanding foam would do wonders and weigh nothing. Just a thought.

dude that ABS pipe rack is something my dad would build:D

i wonder if the pipe would be strong enough to use for ...say compressed air?

 

maybe,maybe not...what do you all think

If it's schedule 80 it may hold up but not at temps below 32F. Would not trust it below 40F myself.

Schedule 40...don't even try it.

If you have put holes in the pipe...don't try it.

If it's schedule 80 it may hold up but not at temps below 32F. Would not trust it below 40F myself.

Schedule 40...don't even try it.

If you have put holes in the pipe...don't try it.

 

or he could use the pipes for storage of long straight items

long straight items such as your 5 foot long, 1" pipe/breaker bar, for those pesky lug nuts that don't like to come off.

perhaps if they're wide enough you could smuggle things across boreders...beer, fireworks, small canadain families? :drunk:

 

I don't have light mounted on the bottom side of the bars, because the front bar is to far back, i want em right up close to the windshield.... eh

If it's schedule 80 it may hold up but not at temps below 32F. Would not trust it below 40F myself.

Schedule 40...don't even try it.

If you have put holes in the pipe...don't try it.

 

hmmm...this is a good point....I just talked to my dad, who's a mere 10 miles or so from where austin lives now...he said it's 8*F!!!

i wonder if the pipe would be strong enough to use for ...say compressed air?

 

maybe,maybe not...what do you all think

 

VERY interesting idea.

 

no way in hell would it work. if the structural integrity of the walls of pipe actually held up and didn't crack or explode, the joints would separate no matter what you'd do to it.

it's all looking very interesting and very awsome and very awful all at once...

 

 

it's making me feel uneasy and uncomfortable....I LOVE IT!

long straight items such as your 5 foot long, 1" pipe/breaker bar, for those pesky lug nuts that don't like to come off.

perhaps if they're wide enough you could smuggle things across boreders...beer, fireworks, small canadain families? :drunk:

I don't think you'll find many peeps from Canuckistan that need/want smuggling to the US lol.

i wonder if the pipe would be strong enough to use for ...say compressed air?

 

maybe,maybe not...what do you all think

 

 

or maybe a spare fuel storage area, put a T with a cap up high, it could even have a hose hook up for a gravity feed line

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOT:brow:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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