Cargo Rack Idea, thoughts?

Whitson Metalworks

Whitson Metalworks

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been tossing around building one of these for a while but would really like to know if anyone would use it or not before i do. with a design like this you could carry longer stuff like lumber or a kayak and keep the load a little closer to the roof. excuse the poor quality of the drawing lol, but i hope you get the idea.

drawing.png~original
 
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Baja racks are very similar to your design. Might be easier that way..

3rd gen version, close to what you said.
Baja Rack

5th gen version that is completely flat:
Baja Rack

maybe you can contact them and have them alter one slightly to match your idea.
 
I like that idea. I'm not a fan of roof racks in general (I just would so rarely use one, that the loss in fuel efficiency isn't worth it to me), but this could come in handy for lumber and stuff. Depending on what you come up with, I'd be interested.
 
Here's two inexpensive ways to get something close to what you want.

1) Order prebuilt from this site: ROOF RACK CARGO CARRIER | ROOFTOP CARGO CARRER | CARTOP CARRIERS. I can't speak to the quality of any of this but it would be premade

2) Buy a used ATV bi- or tri-fold aluminum ramp and attach to roof with minimum setup. If it can hold a ATV and can hold whatever you'll put there. A guy did it on his FJ80 here: The J-Rack. I bought a bi-fold for this but haven't built the rack yet. The rack itself is is a bit too wide for a 4Runner so I'm not sure what adjustments I'll do to make it look decent.
 
hmm, i would build mine out of 1" steel tube, and it would be fully welded. not looking for a product to buy, looking to see if this would be a viable design to build, use, and maybe sell.
 
1" steel tube...What is the weight going to be?

As far as selling, there are products on the market for $179 shipped. Rola Vortex is one that I can think of off the top of my head. Plus, a little ingenuity and you can make it flat with the roof as well by removing the cross member bars on the room. And it is painted/powder coated.
 
based on what some other racks ive built weighed, i'd guess this type would be around 30 pounds, maybe less. i think the rola said 38lb. and 2 piece. eh, if i cant compete so be it, i'm not building hundreds of these at one time overseas somewhere. there will always be a market for one-off, custom sized stuff...i hope. i'll see what i can come up with.
 
I like the idea. I have thought about building one myself, similar in design but I have no experience and therefore haven't started anything yet. I say go for it.
 
Man, I like the idea. Yeah bajarack makes one but it's hard for me to spend $7-800 for a roof rack for my $5,000 truck. I also like the idea of it bolting straight into my roof rails and not to the flimsy OEM crossbars. I PM'd you, I'm trying to sell a couple of things and I'll be in touch.

Question, would this be strong enough to support, and to tie-down securely, a spare, 10 gallons of fuel, firewood, high-lift, and shovel?? Not saying I would carry all of these at the same time, but I would like to be able to if needed.
 
I think if you could build one similar to the yakima loadwarrior that would be awesome. You can mount them on the rails, rather then on the cross bars too with an adapter... that way it would sit lower and be sturdier?
 
I think it's a viable idea.

I read the thread you've got in the for sale section yesterday, and I think you're racks look great and are priced right.

My perspective on racks/baskets is this- even in a "basket", the average person, even just taking a highway trip, will need to strap and secure whatever is up there. So what's the point of the 4-6" high side rails? I guess it probably provides some stiffness. But it also creates another windbreak and creates more windnoise.

Your proposed design seems a lot more versatile to me, similar in function to the Bajaracks, except a bit simpler and more affordable. I realize you're not out (at this point) to be a direct competitor for their market share.

It maintains (in my perspective) all the utility of your other designs, with less wind interference. This would also allow for the ability to mount or use Thule/Yakima type bike/kayak/ski/etc mounts to your round crossbars.

I like it :D
 
works for me, im'a build one. if sooner02R1 wants it i'll make sure he posts some pics, otherwise i'll strap it to the test mule. offthebeatenpath, good observations; i think the only other benefit to having a basket up top would be having lights all over it, lol, nothing beefs up a rig like a bunch of lights!
 
yeah man, I'm gonna order one, just need to scrape up some bucks. I think a 40" led on the front of a flat one would be sick :)
 
LED lights kick ass for sure, but you're on your own there lol, i just do the welding. im going to build one as soon as i get some garage space and post a few pics.
 
A rack I'd like to have.

My 96 4R stock racks are very sturdy. They are rated at 100lbs. but I've put at least 150lb. of lumber on them with no problem. As a Carpenter sometimes I need to load plywood sheets on them. I would like a rack that is wide enough to hold the 4' wide plywood, say 48 1/2" inside measure, with 4"-5" high sides to hold them centered and open at the front and rear. It can mount to my existing crossbars and the additional rise will help the wood clear my liftgate spoiler/air deflector which currently is getting lightly scratched when I open the gate. The rack should be long enough to cover the roof but not interfere with the sunroof or open liftgate.
:biggrin2:
 
I just picked up another elevated crossbar for my roof rack for $20. I added it to the center of my rack to add support to the other two bars. I am a Carpenter and sometimes load over 150lbs. of lumber on my factory racks and get on the highway! They flatten out under the weight and now they are supported by three bars instead of two. It's a simple solution to add strength and it still looks factory!
 
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