Roof rack modification help

Alternatively, you might consider applying some Starboard - or nylon - strips directly to the cabin top. The PO of the Osprey I used to have did just that, and it was great for storing crab traps, lumber for transport, and so on (though I never tried a dinghy there).
 
Check out the PVC roof rack on Raven Dancer. Photos on Page 2 of the album.

The Deckhand
 
I have built a pvc roof rack as well, one of the best additions to the boat, 1 inch pvc with wood dowels inside, I covered the dowels with silicone before inserting into the pvc, very strong and less than 100 bucks to build. T fittings and a small riser were used to elevate the rails off the roof. Best part about this roof rack is you can be inventive and tailor it to your specific intended use! :thup
 
Wood Dowels silicone inside PVC, great idea!

Since starting this thread I have not done anything with respect to modifying the roof rack, I may revisit my original objective and put something together this spring.
 
You can find pics of my PVC rack in my photos very cheap and easy. I am on year three with mine.
Enjoy.
Dave
 
Reel Action and Big Dave,

I see the close up shot of the T fitting hose clamped to the grab rail on the roof. Did you saw the bottom of the pvc T fitting off and then put what looks like rubber water hose inbetween two pieces and then hose clamp it?

Thanks,

Patrick
 
The T fitting is sawn in half after a length of pvc is pushed in both ends to act as a bushing then trimmed flush. I used two stainless hose clamps on each T fitting that sandwiched the grab rail.
 
Patrick
Yes that is what I did. The hose keeps things from slipping around and protects the stainless grab rail.
Have fun.
Dave
 
Great, now I can get started.

Thanks guys!
 
PVC does not hold up well to the sun. UV weakens it in as little as a couple years. Seems to make it more brittle.
Easy to remedy though, just paint it. :wink

Dan
 
Standard rain gutter Yakima roof racks hook on the stainless rails nicely.[/img]/Users/christopher028/Desktop/101_2750.jpg

If the link fails check page 7 of my photo's see : Thanksgiving 2012 Solo outing


Chris
 
Chris Bulovsky":u0wsc45i said:
Standard rain gutter Yakima roof racks hook on the stainless rails nicely.[/img]/Users/christopher028/Desktop/101_2750.jpg

If the link fails check page 7 of my photo's see : Thanksgiving 2012 Solo outing


Chris
Click to expand...

Those look higher than the set I have. I keep my boat 4 hours from where I live so I won't be able to see if mine fit until Wednesday. I hope it does as it will save me a ton of $$ that I can use somewhere else on the boat :mrgreen:
 
Mine are old rain gutter mounts that are almost obsolete with cars today. They synch right on the C-Dory grab rail with no modification. I was certain that I would have to bend them in a bit but they worked as is.
 
Has anyone used Yakima Timberline towers to attach roof rack bars to the handrails? I don't have the extra tall roof, so the bars just need to be up a couple inches from the feet mounts. It looks like the Timberline model would grab onto the hand rails and mount securely. I'd rather not use rain gutter mounts. I also priced out building a stainless steel rack myself, but the parts are expensive.

Thanks!
 
We used a pair of Yakima roof rack bars (78" long) -- and mounted via 4 Yakima cross-bar clamps on the roof hand-rail bars. Stainless steel is coated with rubber and it all seems to be very weather-resistant.

In the end, we also added a Yakima 'MegaWarrior' roof basket - which let's use put various coolers, fenders, and other storage items up there as we travel. We can put the canoe on that as well.. and also use it without the canoe if we need to. Works very well for our purposes.

You can see some pictures in our album.. and also happy to field any specific questions.

Jeff
 
Responding to my own post from above, in case anyone else is trying to figure this out. I put a set of the Timberline towers on top of our 22 Cruiser last year and they worked perfectly. The bars just clear the roof. I'm upgrading the system to a set of 78" long bars this year. We had 2 kayaks on the roof last year, but I'd like to add a SUP or another kayak, maybe both!

Careful everyone, don't put too much weight up high on the roof of your boat; it DOES affect seaworthiness and stability. (Who knows where the safe limit is though!)
 
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