Roof racks? February 08, 2010, 11:39:21 pm Yahoo Message Number: 109883I have a question about installing a roof rack. First off, is it recommended in the first place? I need some extra storage and was thinking about a thule style rack or a mcdonalds big mac shaped boxes. But before i started drilling holes in the aluminum roof thought i'd ask first. Checked the searchable archive but didn't find anything. Thanks, corey
Re: Roof racks? Reply #1 – February 09, 2010, 10:10:41 am Yahoo Message Number: 109888There may be somebody in this group who's added a rooftop carrier, but I've never seen or heard of one on a Lazy Daze. Putting extra weight on the roof has a number of drawbacks. It raises the rig's center of gravity, potentially degrading handling. It stresses the roof, increasing the chance of leaks. And it's a pain to climb up there to get things. You may want to consider a hitch-mounted carrier. Putting weight at the back end of the rig is not ideal, but it's less detrimental than putting it on the roof. Many people carry extra gear in a towed car. But personally, if I can't carry it in my coach, I don't carry it. You gotta draw the line somewhere. :-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Roof racks? Reply #2 – February 09, 2010, 10:37:53 am Yahoo Message Number: 109890I didn't have any trouble loading our MB up to 14,050 lbs using the stock storage areas (plus shower and over cab). I suggest you put all you want to carry and then weigh your LD to see where you are, weight-wise.Plus, I'm no fan of storage on the roof. If you absolutely need to because of length, and weight is below allowable, then consider a roof rack supported by the WALLS of your LD as others here have done to carry kayaks.best, paul"Thriving not surviving" - "All of us have cancer cells in our bodies. But not all of us will develop cancer." from ANTI CANCER - A NEW WAY OF LIFE, by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD - See our website at www. LazyDazers.com
Re: Roof racks? Reply #3 – February 09, 2010, 10:57:00 am Yahoo Message Number: 109893Corey, I had Tim Peace install roof racks to hold two kayaks and a canoe. We used the original screw holes on the LD for the custom rack without any problems after two years. One of our main activities is to explore different waterways. The boats and rack add about 180 pounds on top when fully loaded...and it does cut down on mileage from 10 to about 9 mpg. But again...we are willing to take the consequences to have our particular lifestyle. As to adding a storage rack, I would do everything not to put one on top and prefer the rear where one might have a bicycle rack. In fact, Camping World does have a grated rack placed in a rear hitch that can be easily converted into a storage rack. You might want to call Tim and get his feedback. His cell number is: 909-228-8916.Good luck on the project. David (1998 MB LD)
Re: Roof racks? Reply #4 – February 09, 2010, 11:46:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 109896"I have a question about installing a roof rack. First off, is it recommended in he first place?"CoreyMany years ago I wanted to carry two sea kayaks on our old 1983 LD. I went to the Factory and told Ed what I wanted to do. Ed sat down and drew a diagram showing how the walls were built and how to attach the rack's mounts. He wanted all the weight to be carried by the walls and NONE on the roof. I attached the rack's side plate to the wall, using the Factory screw holes, at the top of the roofs curved top corners, at the to the side walls, as seen in the following photos.Side plates-1983 & 2003 LDs http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/1416453256/in/set-72157602095130624/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/1415579495/in/set-72157602095130748/ Crossbar http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/1416453324/in/set-72157602095130624/> http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/1415579533/in/set-72157602095130748/> 1983 Kayak rack http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157602095130624/> 2003 Kayak rack http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157602095130748/> None of the commercial racks have long enough crossbars or the right mounts to fit your LD without mounting on the roof. I used Unistrut crossbars (available at HD) and 1/8' aluminum side pieces. http://www.unistrut.com/Browse/cat_pg.php? P=S00_Channel> This rack has been used on both our 1983 and 2003 LD and has accumulated more than 100,000 miles of trouble free service. It regularly carries 250+ pounds of weight. I barely notice it in our 2003 E450 LD.Larry
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Topic: Roof racks? (Read 7 times)
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