Roof Rack Options

[firefighteremt]

The concept I have been thinking about is bending some flat stock metal as the anchor point. This will be hard to paint yall a picture but I'll try.  Start off with flat stock under the tonneau cover bolted to the bottom of the bed. Put a 90* bend in it to go down towards the ground in between the trailer wall and tonneau cover.  With the snaps several inches apart it should allow for the flat stock to go between while still being able to snap all snaps.  Once you have cleared the bottom of the tonneau cover put another 90* bend outward going away from trailer an inch or two.  Lastly another 90* bend going straight up to a height a couple inches above the trailer.  Do this on all four corners. Then get some square tubing or round bar and join the 2 sides. Put a pin in the tubing to where you can remove the cross pieces for set up. Hopefully that makes sense...? 

[subaruwx]

I think this is a winning idea.
I think a 3rd top rail more in the middle would work to provide support for any bike trays or fork mounts. It could go over or under the cross bar.  How to locate the wall studs? Will a stud finder work just like it does on drywall?



[quote source="/post/14649/thread" timestamp="1440720920" author="@rob"]Alright.  Here's the quick draft plan for a roof rack.

Mandatory Requirements

1.  Easily removable (measured in seconds, not minutes) to allow the trailer to open and close.
2.  Support 150 lbs (one canoe plus 2 bikes?)

Optional Requirements

1.  Have a secondary use/function.
2.  Be able to use "standard" roof rack accessories.

[a href="http://s94.photobucket.com/user/rwgill/media/roof%20rack%201.jpg.html"]

[admin]

[quote timestamp="1441120981" source="/post/14758/thread" author="@firefighteremt"]I have been researching bike carrying options ever since I bought my qs6 and it baffles me that there has not been a solution thus far.  We do not have the extended rear deck and my idea was to put a bumper style receiver hitch that mounts onto bumper with U bolts, but when I called Livin Lite questioning the capacity or weight the bumper could hold my response was Don't do it!  The rear bumper does not have the strength to withstand the torque the rack will place on it. There has to be somebody somewhere that has a solution! [/quote]

Use this idea at your own risk, but a few of us have done this and it seems to work well: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5rdWiw
Essentially I took the bumper of my 10.0 and added another piece of 2x4 tubing. If I recall it was 60" long and I ordered it off Amazon. I assume your bumper is the same as mine which means its a 2x4 bumper attached to a 2x3 frame rail. I had my new reinforcing piece notched so it indexed off the frame to help with any torsional load. So far I'm fully confident that it can handle a load of bikes with no problem.

-Sean

[rob]

How to locate the wall studs? Will a stud finder work just like it does on drywall?

It may be really easy.........look for screws on the Azdel board?!?

I tried with my stud finder last night (trailer closed and loaded).  I am not 100% sure that I was locating studs...........or the benches or something else.  As a last resort, I could simply remove the Azdel board.  Removing the Azdel board is not something that my wife wants to see because we both know that other mods will follow..........like wiring for some interior LED lights

Tonight or tomorrow, I will open up the trailer. 

[rob]

Opened up the trailer and had a look.  From the rear corner (road side) there is a stud at 4.5", then every 16".  From the rear post (curb side), studs match until the door.

The plan so far:

Attach the rack at the corner studs (yellow).

There is a stud at approx 36" from the rear.  Placing another rack here (blue) should allow easy use of standard commercial roof rack accessories.

 *Not a picture of my camper.

[a href="http://s94.photobucket.com/user/rwgill/media/roof%20rack%203.jpg.html"]
The new, 3rd "top rail" will be adjustable in length and be used in place of the "cross bar" for the awning.

[admin]

This seems to be on the right track...I assume the front and rear supports would take the majority of the load? I dont know if I could count on the studs on the door side of the camper to handle much weight, especially in terms of any lateral movement that may occur. For example I have seen my wall near the door bow in and out if someone leans on it getting in or out of the camper. So my concern would be about wind gusts hitting a load and pushing it side to side while strapped down. I assume a couple of little gussets would resolve that, but then it adds to the complexity of the system.

I might just be overly concerned over nothing though...