DIY 8020 Rack for DIY Roof Top Tent

Hey Yall!

I'm thinking about building a roof top tent for my 2014 SR5. This would require me to install a full rack, which I plan to build also.

I plan on building a simple, squared, flat rack out of 80/20 t slots, similar to the one seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_RrKBXV-Ww&t=110s




The rack is pretty straightforward, but mounting it might be challenging for me because I don't want to have to do any fabrication work. Is it possible for me to safely and securely mount a flat rack like this directly to the existing factory side rails? Has anyone tried this?

My inspiration also comes from this thread with the images below:

I plan on putting about 8 cross bars on the rack, 4 of which will sit on top of the existing side rails to secure the rack to the car (similar to the way it's done in the pics above). Do you know if the slight curvature of the side rails would cause a problem?

As you know, the front 3rd of the rack will not be secured to the vehicle at all. It'll just sit on a couple of rubber bumpers. I'm planning on putting a lot of weight on the front 3rd of the rack, where the tent will sit. Do you foresee any issues with this?


As for the tent, I'm planning on building a clamp shell style tent with plywood on the bottom. I'm going to cut out an opening in the plywood floor, directly above the sunroof, so I could stand up through the sunroof to open the tent (from the inside of the tent), and climb in without leaving my vehicle. Has anyone tried or seen this done before? I'm wondering what could go wrong and what precautions I should take in building this.


Any tips and advice would be much appreciated! Thank you.

 

Very cool! It sits up pretty high, are you going to put a wind deflector?

 

Welcome to the forum! Cool project! Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

Where are you located? I have a bunch of pre cut, drilled, and tapped 3”x1” 8020 I’d be willing to part with in Colorado.

 

It does a bit. No matter what it has to clear the shark fin at the back, so I can't avoid raising it a bit. I would like to add a wind deflector, but I'm not sure where to find the right one that fits my custom rack.

 

I'm in Texas, but thanks for the offer.

 

I just need to confirm that the way I plan on mounting the rack is safe, then I'm going to place my order for the parts. It should be fun from there!

 

Welcome and good luck with an interesting project

 

Thank you!

 

Have you searched for a co-op/shared workspace (DIY center) with tools for use in your area to fab your on mounting brackets? Or have some neighbors with a drill press, or a vice and a BFH? I'm planning my mounting brackets using my neighbor's press and vice. If I need anything beyond that a $50/month membership at the local co-op is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of tools.

 

I've gone the simpler way and attached the side rails directly to the roof (with metal spacers in between). Check out my finished rack below

 

So I ended up removing the factory rack completely, and mounted two new side rails directly to the mounting points. The side rails run the length of the roof. I added metal spacers (from Lowe's) to raise the rails above the unleveled roof.

For materials, I used strut channels from the Home Depot. I got the deep channels for the 2 side rails, and the half channels for the 10 cross bars and cage. I connected all the pieces using the standard hardware (cone nuts, bolts, washers, L brackets)

I cut everything using a hack saw. My first cut took 10 minutes, but the last few were done in 2-3 minutes.

Spray painted everything (except the bolts) black.

The thing is surprisingly sturdy!


I've taken the car on the highway a couple of times. From 30 mph and up, it creates this low, deep, humming noise, which sounds like someone's playing rap music nearby. I could get used to it. I didn't mention anything to my family and they didn't notice.

Next up: Roof Top Tent!!

 

I've completed the rack, if you'd like to see what it looks like. I'm still planning the roof top tent.

 

That sounds like it's a bit more complex than mine. Good luck to ya! I look forward to seeing the finished product. I still have more than half the work to do with my RTT. Still not sure how I plan to build the lid for the tent. Any ideas?

 

Awesome use of strut! I ended up just going with a 10 foot piece of shallow strut, cut in half, with brackets and 1/4' spring nuts (with springs removed) to mount them to the side rails. I haven't painted them yet. There's some wind noise, but it's tolerable.

 

I forgot to update this thread after I built my RRT. I actually built a second one immediately after using the first one (green) for the first time. Made a few upgrades. I have some ideas for another round of upgrades, but will wait till Spring time. In the first iteration, I made the sides from one large piece of canvas, which was a pain to set up. In the second iteration, I made the sides from separate pieces of canvas so that I could easily put them on (and remove), as well as store inside the tent before closing it.

To enter the tent, I have to climb through the sunroof after opening the hatch on the floor of the tent.

 

If the OP is still around, how did the RTT end up? I think this is the first time I've seen someone attempt a sunroof passthrough.