Yakima-Style Towers?

Bad Voodoo · 07-23-2007, 05:50 PM

Joel, here's a radical idea for you based on my very selfish need to install a "low-profile" rooftop tent. Well, relatively low-profile when compared with how high the install would be when installed directly to the factory rack (add 12-14" to the existing rack height - not ideal)!

Can you give some thought to the possibility of machining some bolt-down Yakima-style towers to completely replace the factory rack? Ideally these towers provide a *level* platform (i.e., each pair of towers would likely be different heights for a *level* load platform), to install Yakima load bars so a rooftop tent (or any number of other available Yakima/Thule accouterments) could be installed with roughly 1-3" of space between the tent floor and FJs roof.

Is this something anyone else besides me might be interested in? Thoughts?

-voodoo

**SanFrantastico** · 07-23-2007, 11:32 PM

Hey man...

**SanFrantastico** · 07-23-2007, 11:33 PM

Strangely, I just joined this forum...

**SanFrantastico** · 07-23-2007, 11:33 PM

So I could post this exact same idea...

**SanFrantastico** · 07-23-2007, 11:34 PM

Only I have to do four posts before the site will let me post up any links...

**SanFrantastico** · 07-23-2007, 11:48 PM

Okay. Here it is...

And here's the preview...

**FJoel** · 07-24-2007, 10:24 AM

Wow. Nice job. Only thing I can say is that I strongly discourage cutting those plastic bits. I accidentally damaged mine and found out those are what secure the hardware to the underside of the roof. A little counterbore accomodates those bits in the Dom mounts...

I had one rattling inside the body for weeks. Had to remove the liner and back wall. Not pretty

Bad Voodoo · 07-24-2007, 03:28 PM

SF, that is BAD-ASS! Exactly what I was envisioning when I started this thread. Now the question is "can you fab a third pair of spacers up for the rear, to round out that third set of crossbars?" It will definitely require a taller spacer to be sure... are you interested in running those measurements for me to see just how tall a spacer it would require to completely level a third cross-bar with the front two? How strong is that aluminum stock anyway? Strong enough to hold a Maggiolina rooftop tent?

Joel, what do you suggest regarding the plastic bits? If they're not needed, you can be sure you dig them all out of there to prevent "losing" them in the roof, and use some sort of silicone between the factory attachment points and SF's spacers... no harm no foul??

-voodoo

**FJoel** · 07-24-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Bad Voodoo previously said:

SF, that is BAD-ASS! Exactly what I was envisioning when I started this thread. Now the question is "can you fab a third pair of spacers up for the rear, to round out that third set of crossbars?" It will definitely require a taller spacer to be sure... are you interested in running those measurements for me to see just how tall a spacer it would require to completely level a third cross-bar with the front two? How strong is that aluminum stock anyway? Strong enough to hold a Maggiolina rooftop tent?

Joel, what do you suggest regarding the plastic bits? If they're not needed, you can be sure you dig them all out of there to prevent "losing" them in the roof, and use some sort of silicone between the factory attachment points and SF's spacers... no harm no foul??

-voodoo

The plastic bit is definitely necessary. If you remove the plastic, the metal threads on the other side fall into the wall of the truck!

On the bottom of any mounts that go up there I would just add a little recess so that the plastic can just sit inside. Would take hardly any extra effort or machine time to just put them into the design. And the aluminum will hold up just fine, in my opinion.

**SanFrantastico** · 07-24-2007, 11:11 PM

Thanks, FJoel. I was really wondering about those things. I guess I got lucky because at the beginning of this project I tugged on one with needlenose pliers and it cracked and partly broke off. If I had pulled it out, I guess I would have lost the nut! So when the first one broke, I decided I should trim them. I trimmed them flush with the roof for x8 plastic thingys and never lost a nut. I think I would have been a lot more conservative about it if I had known what they were for!

Bad Voodo - I'm glad you like it. I was really happy that it turned out so great. I think your idea for a tent platform could take a fair amount of extra work. The front and rear connection points are lower than the middle connection point, so you'd have to have adaptors in three different heights for the front, middle and rear if you wanted a flat platform for your tent. The top of the middle adaptor would be flush with the roof. You could maybe measure how much extra height you'd need for the front and rear by using a level.

The aluminum is plenty strong. I wouldn't worry about that. But the Yakima Landing Pads are just made out of plastic. I'm not sure if they could take the weight and stress of a person moving around on top of them. Also, I'd be a little worried about the leverage placed on a tall adaptor like the rear one, which could be 6 inches tall or more. You might have to add bracing and stuff... I don't really know. For a tent platform you may be better off with one of those burly steel racks. Sadly, not as minimalist though.

For my car I'm working on a interior sleeping platform with storage underneath for my snowboard and gear and a couple of other features for backcountry snowboarding/camping trips next winter. Are you in Contra Costa County, CA? If so then Techshop is a good resource for you, too.