Hi all, first time 4R owner of a 2011 Trail.

I'm hoping to design and build a traversable aluminum roof deck that sits between and beneath my OEM roof rack and extends out around the sunroof, supporting a hinged hatch over the sunroof and a light bar up front. The idea is to keep its profile stealthy - the deck frame would essentially rest on the roof using rubber footings/pads/vibration isolators. The rack will be secured into the factory rack itself, or at least those anchor points, and have two more front fixtures as well. My hope is that strong rubber footings between the deck frame and the car roof would make for a stronger deck and keep my rack stealth and maybe even a little lighter.

My basic question is what would be the downsides to using rubber footings/vibration isolation screw-ins that rest directly on the roof itself?

Can anyone point out any drawbacks to rubber footings being on the roof?

Thanks, from a first time poster - Ethan

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1st thing that comes to mind is the contact points will get scratched/worn out over time as the rack and body flex independently.

The rack and body shouldn't flex independently. What you have drawn out is basically a Baja Stealth or Gobi Stealth rack. I can speak from my experience with the Gobi that what you speak of is exactly how it mounts. Uses the factory anchor points and has two feet that rest on the body up front. I would suggest maybe using a dense foam instead of rubber. I think it would have less of a tendency to scratch. Or you could just put clear 3m underneath. By the time you make this you'll prolly just wish you would have bought a rack.

Good points. Probably worth clarifying that I intend to use 6 brackets to attach the thing, but then use footings elsewhere to give extra strength to the rack.

I'll have to experiment with foam - hadn't thought of that yet.

I'm itching for a bit of a project, so the effort is I hope its own reward, and the key things I want to add vs. the commercial stealth racks are a traversable deck while retaining the factory rails and crossbars. So sort of a hybrid rack

thanks for the cautionary advice

Perhaps a sacrificial material affixed to the roof could mitigate this... good point though, don't want to rip open my finish.... thx

I have to second ThreeMikeB's comment on the wear of the contact points. Even my sunroof deflector damages the paint on the roof. Even if the rack doesn't shift the rubber will and any grit that gets trapped on and under the rubber will just sand away the finish. The best thing I can think of is to do away with the factory rack and arc the new one enough so it wont contact the roof. You can make the rack so the factory one can be integrated somehow to hide it.

The sacrificial material may do the trick so just account for easy replacement options when you make the rack.

Good to know, and yes, will definitely have to consider a way to replace the stuck on material easily.... might not be easy!!!