Has anyone TRULY figured out how to put a roof rack on a high top (fiberglass) van?

[havesomejoe]

I've searched the web for weeks and have yet to come up with anything.

All I want to know is what to buy to put a roof rack on a high top van (roof goes ~21 inches above the drip rail).

I want to mount three 100w panels but believe mounting them onto some kind of rack is my only option. I don't want flexi panels and I think I could only get maybe two of the panels mounted if I used the VHB techniques due to the shape of the roof.

The closest I've found is these Vantech H1 DIY bars which should go high enough but theres a chance my drip rails won't be compatible due to the way my roof sits on them. I can skirt that obstacle via "Thule Artificial Rain Gutters" that I'd have to drill into the roof to use, although then I might as well drill into the roof to mount the panels via z-brackets. I attached photos of my roof and rain gutters.. it doesn't seem like there is space for anything to mount onto..

With that said, has anyone had experience with roof racks on very high top vans? I'm thinking I can't find anything because it's just impossible without super custom work.

 

[huesos]

Steel tube roof racks are not really super custom but they are one off. A lot of welders will build them. I put a full roof rack on a new 1977 GMC step van. The key as I saw it was to dampen shock. I was able to find rubber cone isolators from Wefco rubber products in Santa Monica. I put these against the interior roof skin, thru bolted to the rack feet. If I were to do it again, I would use a thick rubber pad under the feet and have the rack galvanized. I would then mount the feet and pads bedded in elastomeric caulking. This solution should be less expensive than prefab rack products but it may not be what you are looking for.

 

[havesomejoe]

Steel tube roof racks are not really super custom but they are one off. A lot of welders will build them.

I'll take a look into this. Thanks. I have family that can work a welder.

I found out my rain gutters are a no-go since the roof sits directly on top of them so theres no room to clamp.

 

[Catastrofe]

Some of the commercially available racks have custom mounting options. Check out Yakima, FrontRunner, Eezi-Awn. I believe they all have mounting hardware that can be attached to fiberglass (at least pickup truck camper shells).

 

[Getyourbone]

I believe you should be able to install brackets that then the roof rack attaches to. The brackets have a backing plate on the inside to keep it from pulling through similar to mounts that you might find on a boat… Had the same exact kind of situation on the back of our catamaran for the large arch that stored the dinghy.
… I have never done it with fiberglass van but have done it with a standard van...

 

[havesomejoe]

I'm not sure the fiberglass roof is designed to hold anything of substantial weight so I've avoided looking at anything that involves mounting directly to it.

It might be my only option though if I want more than two solar panels... :/

 

[bwalendy]

I have seen a roof rack on a fiberglass high top cargo van. It seemed to work fine as it was around quite a few years. I never heard of issues from the owner whom I saw almost every day He put quite a bit of cargo up there once in a while. Fiberglass can be quite strong. I think that you would use very large flanges for mounting points with a flange on the inside that matched the mounting flange for the outside of the rack (sandwiched flanges).

 

[farlap]

I've used Getyourbones technique before. Aluminium L track bolted through the roof into flat bar aluminium on the inside. Then rivnuts (aka plus nut) into the solar panel side so you can easily replace/remove the panel. A few feet of aluminium and some bolts, super cheap and strong. **I have only done it through steel, but I think fiberglass would be strong enough as you can spread the force. Panels don't weight much and you will probably have more air force pushing the panel up then down force (which is why the backing on the inside is important).

 

[havesomejoe]

I think i will be going forward with some kind of mounts that I can attach a roof rack onto. It seems like the Thule artificial rain gutter mounts will be best, mounted to the side of fiberglass roof.

That makes sense that the main force will be a pulling up rather than pushing down.

 

[Yanguas87]

I think i will be going forward with some kind of mounts that I can attach a roof rack onto. It seems like the Thule artificial rain gutter mounts will be best, mounted to the side of fiberglass roof.

That makes sense that the main force will be a pulling up rather than pushing down.

Hi Joe, Im looking for the same solution for my high top fiberglass roof. What was the solution you went with?

 

[havesomejoe]

Hi Joe, Im looking for the same solution for my high top fiberglass roof. What was the solution you went with?

I ended up creating a roof rack using aluminum rails attached to feet that are VHB'd to the roof.

This video shows most of it.

 

[scottyfz6]

On my tear drop I plan on using a very strong adhesive to glue down a frame to mount the panels to. 3m 5200 in the boat world is considered too permanent, it bonds to the gel coat better than the gel coat bonds to the fiber glass, IE if you tried to rip it off to will damage the fiber glass. Much stronger than vhb tape due to the area you can get, but if you ever need to get it off you pretty much have to slice it off with a razor blade.

 

[phaberest]

For mine I added zinc bars that are held from the sides of the van where it's still metal, literally made holes through to make them stronger.

 

[FoxenTEC]

Seems like most are still looking for a solution. Wonder if Phaberest has any pictures of his setup?

Our top is 24" high so the Vantech rack does not work as the top bar only goes up 23.5". LOL If I can find something I will post it up!

 

[antmanbee]

I have a steel box tube frame welded inside the fiberglass top. I carefully measured and drilled through the tubes and roof and used 1/2 inch threaded rod to attach 10' sections of super strut above the top.

 

[bwalendy]

Brilliant. Seems like a reasonable and permanent solution.

 

[antmanbee]

Thanks,
I will have three 310W panels mounted to the rack. I caulked around the rods and that has been leak free.
I explored numerous other solutions but this idea seemed to me to be the strongest, most elegant with minimal impact on the fiberglass shell.

 

[bwalendy]

Thanks,
I will have three 310W panels mounted to the rack. I caulked around the rods and that has been leak free.
I explored numerous other solutions but this idea seemed to me to be the strongest, most elegant with minimal impact on the fiberglass shell.

I am planning to mount panels on the side of my step van. They will lay flat on the sides while in motion and when parked they will articulate into an awning. I have already made an articulating awning for the rear door / deck area that works very well. I also want to make a solar panel sun visor for the front windshield. Anything to keep the sun from directly hitting my van in summer and to wean myself off propane and generator usage except for extreme winter weather situations. I already run my 9000 BTU A/C mini-split, 5 cf. refrigerator / freezer, lighting and entertainment system off two 270 watt panels fairly easily. Now for microwave and induction cooktop with the ultimate goal of greatly reduced propane fills. Last will be a tiny wood stove to reduce propane and generator use almost entirely in winter.

 

[River Styx VanLife]

I have a steel box tube frame welded inside the fiberglass top. I carefully measured and drilled through the tubes and roof and used 1/2 inch threaded rod to attach 10' sections of super strut above the top.
View attachment 81174View attachment 81175View attachment 81176View attachment 81177

Nice

 

[FoxenTEC]

I pretty much have given up on a rack for solar on top of our 24" top. Nothing is straight or flat on the roof. It has more waves then a beach in Maui up top. The front and rear sides taper in and out, the top has one narrow center section and the rest of the top is just curves and rises in the fiberglass. Using a portable panel for now.

I thought adding an awning would be easy but it was not either. I had the top built with wood reinforcements in the sides and top but again towards the rear side of the top, it tapers in so mounting an awning directly to the fiberglass would have required spacers to get a nice level surface. Ended up using Highland roof rack brackets. Also drilled three holes into the side of the top to secure the Highland brackets since I was not installing the way they were designed for. Awning is 99" long and does block the bottom of the window. When looking out from the inside, it is noticeable but still doesn't block enough view that I would not want the awning.