Single cab roof rack/cargo basket, anyone done it?

[Been a while]

Howdy, looking for a little more space and was thunking about a roof rack!

I have a cheap secondhand steel one that's in good order and was going to fab it to fit mine...

Anyone done one?

The single cab has no means for a rack, no gutters, no roof track etc

I'll need to fab and fix my own brackets I guess...

 

[Been a while]

Some thoughts on the brakets...

I don't know if this will work untill i get the head lining out and tale a look but this is whata ima thunkun....

Cut one section like this then weld that to a strip/strap that will follow the roof line contour .


That strap and mounting plate can then be pop riveted to the roof..
Most of the plate will be cut away leaving 3 sections i can weld captive nuts to the back of.
The braket from the basket/cage/rack will cover this bracket. .. well thats the plan...
Its just that at the moment too, a plan..

 

[Been a while]

I'll have to give the angles some thought but i was thinking something like this for the cover mounting plate...

 

[Been a while]

This is the basket / cage i got for her, $100 of a mate, so its worth cutting into and making fit. .

Size is 1200x960mm x 100mm with the bevel front leaning back to 1100mm at the top rail.
1200mm is to long without bracing from the front bar, sooo, I'm thinking of turning it sideways, remove the bevel that is now too the side and bring that bottom rail back to 1100mm also.. That way it sits back from the door jams by 50mm, basically to where the top of the template is now, at that angle too...
1200mm takes up door jam edge to door jam edge..

Now the length will be 960mm.... Those brakets are roughly 700mm, from the back of the cab to windscreen roughly 800mm, that will leave roughly 150 mm overhang past the screen. It also means fabricating that corner section where the snorkel sits, i want the cage to sit as low as i can get it to the roof and that means fabing that corner...

Do you think it will look silly? Even more so with that corner fabricated around the snorkle?

Juuuust a thought. ..

My thought is not to use the front section but place any weight that goes up there towards the back and use the over hang as a sun visor... i am thinking of putting x2 20lt Jerry's up there, or water....thoughts gents???

 

[Been a while]

I like these, one of these, "maybe two" up there would be ok??? 60lts to much you think?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30L-Jer...f-aecb-40b7-8880-8e72011c8c53&redirect=mobile
That way I can get the Jerry cans out of the back on long hauls..

 

[Been a while]

Well this is the cut and shut job on that secondhand rack.

It's very thin walled pipe they've used, we'll see how it goes with welding..

I did use some "pipe off cuts" and sleaved them inside of the pipe on the cut sections so it may be ok..

I'll weld in some brace plates from the top rail to the bottom rail "here and there" and that will give it its strenth... i hope....

 

[Been a while]

To wet for working outside so I started playing with mounts..

Thinking of going separate mounts now, these are just a prototype..

They need more angle to them so they lean back towards the center of the cab, and once I do that it becomes tricky getting the pop rivets gun in there! Unless I bolt them down??. Nutserts be good enough ?? Thoughts?

Or I make the bases to the brackets longer so I can pop rivit either end of the bracket ...

Hmmm thinking thinking...... bolts or pop rivits with longer bases plates on the mounts??

I'm liking 3 offset m6 bolts per bracket with big panel washers on the internals... thoughts? Even two per bracket would be good enough....
Have you seen what hold these roof racks and roof tents on,,,, lol.... danmmm, I'm amazed you're not picking them up off the side of the road for free...

 

[Been a while]

Something like this maybe! Separate brackets follows the roof line easier, and maybe better than having one continuous bracket, it may prevent it ripping off like a can opener in a "front on "....
Pop rivet holes?? Orrrrrr

 

[Been a while]

M6 or m8 nut and bolt with panel washers on the internals???

 

[Been a while]

Needs more pitch eh.... about another 5° to 10°, that should give it extra support and rigidity with the side to side movement on the tracks..

 

[Been a while]

A big M10 M12 captive nut... x3 M10 either side plus the x9 M6 or x6 M8 with panel washers holding the brackets should be fiiine... Thoughts?

 

[Been a while]

That's a better angle, follows the door angle a bit better...

 

[Old.Tony]

I prefer the idea of a captive nut (especially if you can use a replaceable nylock nut). Rivets suffer from fatigue - my side steps are a prime example. Steel bars, aluminium chequerplate and aluminium rivets and most of them snapped off. I don't drive it harsh, but I do live in an area where the local council holds the original patent for designing potholes, and holds the world record for the most number of teeth removed in a 1,000m drive due to patching of the roads. I'm pretty sure the local council members all have majority shareholding in Monroe, Dobinson and Tough Dog.

Anyway, stainless bolts would be my pick. H8.8 if you want to afford some degree of strength to it but take the usual corrosion precautions. Bunnings sell a range of high tensile bolts and nuts, as do Blackwoods. I have a bunch of M6 8.8 bolts, I was in Dubbo for the Dubbo Motorcycle Rally in 2019 and my number plate started to fall off (lost one bolt, other became loose). I needed one bolt and they sold them in packs of 20 ... ok, spares!

 

[Been a while]

I like the nut and bolt idea too! Big panel washers on the internals... All depends on how much room there is between the headlining and roof, surely there would be at least a 10mm gap!
Here's hoping eh

A big pile of Sicaflex under the mounts and round the bolt heads to seal it off should do the trick. Be a s*%$ if it leaked...

 

[Scott52]

I read your posts with interest as I also have a single cab and have thought about a roof rack. Have you considered rivnuts on the roof?

I have a Mercedes W639 Vito van. That comes from the factory with 8 x threaded holes on each side for roof racks. There are four pairs roughly equidistant down each side in the channel as that's stronger. When I had a closer look they're just standard steel M6 rivnuts and nothing fancy. The rivnuts had a black rubber plug in them for weather sealing. The racks I bought came with brackets for the Vito. I removed the plugs and bolted them on. It was quick and simple.

In your case three M8 rivnuts on each side would probably do the trick or three pairs of M6 (requires 9mm holes). If they're installed in the channel that's the strongest section and may well have extra thickness for strength. You drill a 14mm hole and paint the bare edge with zinc primer then install the M8 rivnut. It's a very neat installation. If you want to remove the rack it's easy. Then stick a rubber grommet/plug into the rivnut. It would look like a factory installation as per my Mercedes Vito.

 

[Been a while]

Howdy man, glad you chimed in, i though Tony and I where the last inhabitants here

Yes but no on the nutserts -I think... they won't sit flush with the panel and I don't trust them t.b.h, different story if they went into a fish plate also ...
That was my first thought but I want to sandwich the roof panel as much as I can and nutserts sit too proud from the panel for that..

Regarding the chanel section, your right it would be the strongest part of the panel BUT it would be a p.t.a to work with- channels to narrow for sideways support and getting bolts into them would be impossible. Also, any bolt rivet etc would sit lower again and would definitely hit the head lining...
And then there's the issue "and a major one" of water pooling! So no, wont be going near the chanel..


I'm thinking where I have them is the go! Good run off and plenty of footprint as they say... It scares the "poosnwees" out of me drilling into the roof, imagine if the danm thing leaks!

It should still get some support from that chanel section and the nuts won't be an issue on the internal... I won't really know "how to go about it" untill I get the headlining out.. lots of thinking before that happens bloke
I'm thinking nut and bolt and "not using panel washers" but a full length fish plates, "IF" i can get them into where they need to be...

I'm re thinking the mounts now lol front ones ok but the rear two I'm thinking of making one! Bigger foorptprint onto the roof!
Then again, it's only going to be carrying 100kg tops, what's 60lt of water weigh?

 

[Been a while]

I read your posts with interest as I also have a single cab and have thought about a roof rack. Have you considered rivnuts on the roof?

I have a Mercedes W639 Vito van. That comes from the factory with 8 x threaded holes on each side for roof racks. There are four pairs roughly equidistant down each side in the channel as that's stronger. When I had a closer look they're just standard steel M6 rivnuts and nothing fancy. The rivnuts had a black rubber plug in them for weather sealing. The racks I bought came with brackets for the Vito. I removed the plugs and bolted them on. It was quick and simple.

In your case three M8 rivnuts on each side would probably do the trick or three pairs of M6 (requires 9mm holes). If they're installed in the channel that's the strongest section and may well have extra thickness for strength. You drill a 14mm hole and paint the bare edge with zinc primer then install the M8 rivnut. It's a very neat installation. If you want to remove the rack it's easy. Then stick a rubber grommet/plug into the rivnut. It would look like a factory installation as per my Mercedes Vito.

Ahhhhh You've got a snorkel too... would you put a small rack on and avoid the snorkel or go round it like I'm doing?

To tell the truth I like the old sun visors they once had on cars, both my HQ's had them, panel van and a wagon... I like' em and I was looking at getting one for the nav but put it off because of the snorkel. Yes, they do make them for the d22 and d40, classic huh..
I think they look good lol plus they keep the sun out of the cab, aaaand I'm going to push this old girl to W.A ...

So the nav gets her sun visor woo hoo let's just hope the rack doesn't whistle her own tune down the freeway huh lol I've seen that happen many a time with mates fitting ladder racks lol
You get up to 60+k's and it starts lol kangaroo deterrent from hell...

So what do you think, top rail on orrrrrrr leave it off and keep it as a flat rack? I'm thinking flat rack lol yup, after I've done all the "cutting and shutting " derrr ....
Flat rack.... hmmmm thinking thinking thinking

We'll see, as I fit it up at different stages I'll post some picks of just the bottom section without the top rail...

I'm thunking just a flat rack now .... That and a tray at the back for those 30lt Jerry cans... mm mm me like !
The only other benefit "other than securing water or fuel" is the top rail protects the top of the snorkel...

I'll do a few rough bolt ups and see... keep ya posted...

 

[Been a while]

I'm wrapped about getting a sun visor lol and I get a roof rack.... win win gents

Hang on, I better say a prayer to the Nissan God's, oh Nissan God's, let not the nav leak nor whistle to her owneth tuneth at a 100klms!

 

[Scott52]

I'd probably make a cut out for the snorkel and having a front overhang as a visor would be a good thing. Single cabs are pain with sun reflecting off the head unit at all times of the day and any direction.

 

[Been a while]

I'd probably make a cut out for the snorkel and having a front overhang as a visor would be a good thing. Single cabs are pain with sun reflecting off the head unit at all times of the day and any direction.

Yeah me too, I liked them when I had them on the Qbirds I owned, they looked good I thought, wagons look trick with them! .. each to thier own I guess huh

My problem is the seat hight, I need to lower the drivers seat... They're such a pain in the arse to do on Navs, but i gotta do it.. I can't use the sun visor with my hight and it's a p.t.a so this should be great . Should be! If it doesn't leak or blow off
It should work out to about a 150mm 'ish overhang, doesn't sound much but when you look down over the rack onto the screen it covers about a 1/4 of the screen..
Cool huh...


Oh, I'll keep the templates for you if you'd like...