Gear/Toy Racks for RV's

KUS · Post by **KUS** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:16 pm

Man am I bored, cold out, no wind in the forecast so time for some rambling:

Still debating how to mount the best, most efficient roof/board/sail rack system on my RV. I've seen quite a few and some have serious drawbacks for easy theft, difficulty unloading/loading (especially in wind), drilling holes in a perfect roof, interfering with solar panels and hatches, etc. I have attached a few I have seen but I think I may have to build my own as each RV is different.

Dreaming to haul:
I figure a maximum of 4 boards, 2 kites/boards, a sail quiver bag, 2+ bikes, 2 kayaks, 6prs of skis/3 snowboards and maybe even room for a folded inflatable and outboard somewhere on the rig....

The motorbike support rail will fit in the trailer hitch or the front to balance things better. Anything else I forgot

maybe not all required at the same time but nevertheless things need to be flexible.....like me

now there's a laugh!

On the roof: I think a roof quiver box (plywood, fiberglass corners, covered in decking vinyl) incorporating solar panels in its construction (panels on top with a hinge so you can vary the panel angle). Stainless marine hardware, mounted directly on a removable rail on the alu roof.
Beside it on the other side of the air cond. 2 sets of simple square/round tube pairs crossing the center to edge of the roof (mounted with a vertical angle into the side of the RV) padded with foam noodles and a couple of eyelets for straps to hold kayaks. 2 Bikes on the roof with a rear wheel rail bolted to the same tube pairs at a right angle and a pair of front fork locks on same front crossbars beside each kayak. In winter obviously skis/snowboards will replace kayaks/bikes here.

A vertical boardrack for the back bumper that is lockable like a ski rack with space for an outboard beside it. The boardrack made from alu or steel tubing (similar to picture attached) with a set spacing for the top, the bottom housing the tails of the boards in a padded tandem set of bars sticking straight back and joined with a cross beam. The one side rail joining the top spacing rack and the bottom at an angle and a similar removable, lockable one on the other side.....maybe I'm gonna have to draw THIS for ya I guess

Anyways, any other thoughts on this, have you seen a better board rack than the old Gorge Racks? (no longer in business unfortunately) I need an alu welder, anyone any good? I know Wreckless Rick just LOVES to build stuff like this, don'tcha

We could polish off a lot of beer doing this thing up dood

Today I thought maybe the roof rack could be lighter and easier to build using 2" PVC tubing

with all its cool fittings resting on the roof with pads and doing it all with a hacksaw and glue sounds quick and painless, attached to alu uprights at the corners only.

Time to start measuring and get a scratch pad, looking for other ideas, anyone