Don't Read this unless you want a home made Cheap Roof Rack

With all the talk on what roof rack to buy, I decided to get some pics of my home made one that set me back about 60 bucks counting paint and than another 12 for V blocks made of untreated Fir 4x4 wood, carpet and scavenged plywood from other projects, and oh yeah a smidgen of copper water pipe with carriage bolts .

If you don't like it scroll on by .
1. Da Camo Kayak rack because I don't know anything about modern cameras and the blasted thing is invisible .

2. A Detail of the V blocks, that are held in place by carpet on the insides and 1 carriage bolt, so they can be removed easy .

3 The back side of the V block .

4. Over all pic of the V blocks at the front .

5. A better shot of the rack .

6. The rear view .

7. Another rear view with maybe some details . There are steel L Braces in the middle, but painted black, which stiffens the rack . This rack is already 6 years old and fit a 2012 Tacoma.

8. Detail of the rear blocks .

9. Closer up detail of the rear block and carpet inside .

10. Carpet on a rear V block top .

11. Inside the V block botton where you can see one of the copper fitting I made for the bolt to pass thru .

12. V Block simply removed .

13. Why I need a rack. The Kayaks are 14 feet 6 inches and the canoe is 16 feet 1 inch .

Optional :

14. My wife resting her arm to hold the kayak more or less leveled as it is not supported totally by the V block yet.

15. With very little pressure I can pull down a little bit to get the Kayak aimed into the forward V block. A guess is I pull maybe 15 pounds down.

16. I just like this shot.

17. Last shot Loaded and ready to go .

I will be happy to answer anything, but this is just basic woodworking. There are Eye Bolts anywhere a bolt will be on the rack. It is screwed and glued at all connections. I used a Forstner bit on the lower Eye bolts so the nuts could be recessed and the bolts trimmed so nothing get scratches and no one gets cut .

The 2 blue straps are all that hold this down, and the forward ends are trapped in the OEM bed tie downs .

 

Nice! Looks like it would be easy to remove too

 

Nice writeup!

 

Removing it totally is cake. Remove the 2 blue straps, turn the D rings away to the tailgate. Grab the center lift a little and slid it back. I just sort of ease it down then raise the front over the wheel wells slowly moving it back. A point comes where the rear base hits Earth and from there I just let go and it stands up. My wife will be around to make sure it doesn't tip all the way over. The top rails are 10 feet long .

I can't say how much it will carry. The most I have had up there is 2 kayaks at 60 lbs each, the canoe weighs less than a single kayak about (50 kevlar gel coat), and I maybe had 6 sheets of 1/2 inch plywood up there. If I need to move more weight there is the 1 ton Dodge Dump / plow rig for that .

On Edit: When this was in the 2012 My wife and I lifted this out over the side. The 2012 was a lot lower at bed sides height.

 

this is awesome

 

Oh, these kayaks have Rocker, which is the keel isn't level but goes up in the bow and in the stern. The V blocks are not the same ft or rr. The front also have wood 3/4 inch spacers under the 4x4. I did not want the center of the kayaks to touch the center cross bar.

This was really hard for me to get the modern camera to see a gap at the keel to the center cross bar . I am OLD I am used to old 35mm film cameras I can't see the blasted screen on these.

 

I hate it that these racks cost so much.. And then sometimes they can't do what you wanted anyway. and or of they can you gotta drop more heavy dough to get the accessories.

 

You da Man!

 

Great job

 

I truly look up to all of you who have this amount of creativity and know how! Nice OP!

 

Impressive!

 

OP, that looks awesome, thank you for sharing and the write up .

 

Puttering and packing , about out the door to Maine for the 4th. The blocks that hold on kayaks are off. No boats this 4th. Blocks are not very aerodynamic

 

Sweet, where you coming from OP? I am in NH and Maine is awesome place, especially the beaches! Safe travels!

 

Ladder racks are like $100 on Amazon/ebay.

The overland type racks are very expensive, but if you just need to haul some lumber/ladders/kayaks down the road, nothing wrong with the metal ladder racks.

 

Is it safe using your hood as a tie down?

 

Yes it is, with this: https://www.rei.com/product/818227/seattle-sports-quick-loops-pair

or with this: https://www.rei.com/product/818318/seattle-sports-hood-loops

 

Good job with that, very creative.

 

I bet early mans are homemade.