Easy, Inexpensive DIY Roof Rack using Superstrut/Unistrut

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

I’ve been using unistrut for 30+ years as an electrician and love seeing new uses for it. Sometimes it takes a new dog to teach an old dog new tricks lol

[@rangerdoc1029]

Whoever invented Unistrut deserves a Nobel Prize. It's even available in fiberglass. That salvage place is a goldmine. Wish I had something like that.

[@proxyicarcus]

New 10' piece of superstrut in Canada costs 86$, galvanized. Sold out at the 8 home depots in my metropolis... Gr.. What the heck. No used pieces sold on craigslist or FB marketplace..... Very frustrating.

[@pavel9652]

I live in Europe and noticed it is surprisingly expensive, probably because galvanization. You can use aluminum profiles, which are probably going to be expensive as well.

[@proxyicarcus]

Update: It cost me 600$ Canadian for the unistrut materials & fastners from Home Depot.

[@kinamod2k]

@@proxyicarcus you guys are getting robbed. I can get 3m (9-10ft) galvanised for like £20

[@coreymacdonald944]

Oh no! Call around to electrical supplies, I got mine for $37 a piece in my Canadian metropolis and all the fittings are cheaper too, especially in bulk quantities. ​@@proxyicarcus

[@TertylCrush]

Done it. This was one of the best builds of my life. I researched a lot before I started but didn't need to fudge one thing. Everything worked on a Ford Edge. I painted the entire thing (including the roof) with bedliner and it looks absolutely amazing. One thing though, at high speeds, unistrut/superstrut (knotched) will hum in the wind. It will get annoying. Solution: get some rubber bands and wrap the bars. Completely solved the hum. GOOD LUCK and thanks softroadingthewest!

[@geoffreydlin8043]

Wrap the bars? Can you please give more details?

[@rmilstead]

So much to appreciate in this video: the info and the clean, calm editing style.

[@aneyesky]

My favorite diy roof rack video yet. Doing a sport trac ( insert Ford joke) this spring . Love the idea of recycling materials for it.

[@bluecollarstudio8513]

Thanks for the video, I just built a Superstrut rack to hold my 2 kayaks on my 6.5' A.R.E shell to go to Zion, it worked great. Makes my old Thule rack seem like a chump, way more flexible, i use different 5' crossmembers with different fittings for different applications- bikes, ladders, kayaks. Takes just seconds to install.

[@softroadingthewest]

That's awesome! I'm still super happy with my setup (which I've since painted and it looks much nicer now). Just the other day I scored some more pieces of Superstrut for next to nothing at the reuse-recycle center and have an idea brewing for a new project...love this stuff! Thanks for watching!

[@his.purpose]

Super strut is a great invention! I converted a 14' travel trailer into a 12' utility trailer with 10' super struts. It was indestructible! Also, you can place plywood in groove side to make a platform or "sliding" door/window. I used the big stuff and it worked great for allowing access to the "closed" sections of the trailer. Great job again! I may have to stop watching your videos because my project list grows every time I do. Lol 👍💯

[@softroadingthewest]

Nice! I really like how versatile this material is. I have some more pieces floating around the garage and I keep eyeing it and thinking to myself...hmmm...what am I going to do next with this stuff? :-)

[@jeffreyhill3960]

You should watch a video on how to use unistrut....main thing you did wrong is it’s upside down. When used the other way the spring nuts that fit into the channel is adjustable to any spot, not just where the holes on the back of the strut are. It’s a great system.

[@softroadingthewest]

I understand the system. I thought long and hard before deciding to assemble the rack in this way. Ultimately having a flat surface on top and the availability of mounting holes that don't require the actual unistrut nuts won out. I have some new gear going onto the roof soon which will require me to reconfigure the rack somewhat and I'll revisit what makes the most sense in terms of orienting the strut pieces. Thanks for watching!

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

Donald! This is genius! Besides your thoughtful DIY roof rack system, I like how you also went with the cargo carrier box. I too will be going with the cargo carrier box. I plan on going with the Thule motion XT Apline and carry a full size spare traction boards and lots of camping gear.

[@softroadingthewest]

Thanks Jon! I'm certainly not the first to build a roof rack out of superstrut, though I may be the first to do it this cheaply, LOL. And yeah, as much as I liked the rugged "overland-y" look of the basket, ultimately function has to win out...a box makes so much sense in so many ways. I'm thrilled to never again have to muck about with ratchet straps in the cold dark early morning, pre-coffee, trying not to be late to meet trail buddies. And maaayyybe regain an MPG or two as well I hope...this turned out reasonably streamlined...

[@WestyCoastHermit]

Thank you for this!! I've been trying to figure out a rooftop storage solution for my Outback that won't cost me a fortune, and your build is the inspiration I was looking for. Thank you kindly!

[@thecompetentman1]

I recomend using some liquid thread locker or nylon insert nuts on all of your connections. Roof racks tend to have a lot of wind vibrations and you don't want anything coking coming loose at highway speeds.

[@softroadingthewest]

Noted. For the record, everything mounted up there has lock washers except for the Superstrut connections. When assembling the strut structure, my understanding was that, thanks to the design of their construction, the compression of the two strut channels creates an outward tension that prevents the nuts/bolts from backing off. I can't cite a source for that - that was just my own conclusion after looking at the strut-specific hardware sold, and from watching numerous videos building assorted structures and contraptions using Superstrut/Unistrut. My real-world experience after 5 months, approximately 5,000 miles, and countless bumps, jiggles, jostles, twists, flexes, and every other possible movement on rough trails and obstacles as well as hours and hours of the wind of high speed travel, is that even without any sort of locking aid, nothing has budged in the slightest. I check and recheck the rack before and during every trip. The struts themselves remain absolutely firmly unmoved. The only thing I ever need to tighten down up there, interestingly, are the items which are mounted with lock washers. Nothing's falling apart. Nonetheless perhaps I will create some kind of test assembly, one with locking aids, and one without, and see if it makes any difference.

[@cojo1801]

@@softroadingthewest any thoughts or changes after 7 months? I'm inspired to DIY. good channel

[@softroadingthewest]

I have since reconfigured it slightly to accommodate a different awning setup (and painted it all black, looks MUCH better) but I'm still using it with no issue, and the modularity has proven useful for some later additions. I check the connections regularly but everything has held very well.

[@cojo1801]

@@softroadingthewest thanks for the update! I see that modular building encourages altering and checking clamp force - never had any doubt but its nice to see.peojects evolve. GG

[@VintageSlide]

I have been trying to figure out a way to mount my small spare tire on the roof next to my narrow ski box. Weeks (or months) later i discovered this video. Now i know what to do! I’m super thankful for this!

[@717UT]

Found your video a couple years ago and loved the ideas you had. Back now today gaining renewed inspiration to better attach my RTT to my Jeep. Thank you again for such a great idea utilizing Unistrut!

[@swidahooverlanding2867]

Very cool. Been thinking about Super Strut for my trailer rack when I am ready. There are a lot of different attachments you can use. Just so you know, they make a square washer that slides into the super strut. They come in 1/2, 3/8, and 1/4 inch holes and are pretty thick. They are a bit spendy, but you don't have to use fender washers to keep your bolts from pulling through. Watch your head..... It looks a bit scary with those ends poking out past the door edges. They also make a end pieces to make your ends look nicer and safer. Also, if you look at you paint can in mentions not to use on galvanized metal. Made me laugh since your main concern was the temperature.... My roof rack is made out of galvanized conduit and it is a pain to keep paint on it. Spray on bead liner seems to work the best, but it still peels with time. Good luck and thanks for sharing. George.

[@softroadingthewest]

Hey George, thank you, these are useful tips. I did see some superstrut square washers at the store and they looked much more appealingly solid than stacking up regular washers & fender washers, but I couldn't find any that would fit inside the channel. My store didn't have a huge selection of fittings so I probably should do some poking around online. The current configuration is temporary...I do plan to cut down the length of the cross pieces once I know for sure how I was to keep everything, and then fit some end caps. I'm not terribly tall though and fit underneath the jutting ends, so I at least am not in too much danger. Probably should hold off on inviting my basketball player friends along until I've tidied that all up though. 8^D Oohhh...I had no idea about the paint on galvanized metal. I've painted a few random bits and pieces of galvanized before but nothing that was subject to any real abuse. I did get a can of flat primer in addition to paint hoping to help it adhere, but I suppose that doesn't change much...I mean, it's still just paint, right? Hmm, maybe I'll check into the bed liner stuff instead... Thanks George!

[@MarsOG310]

Tractor paint will fix those galvanized woes. FYI. I use it on my harbor freight trailer and galvanized u bolts for the spare, swivel mount and its shaft.

[@chipsterb4946]

@@MarsOG310 great to know

[@birdlady2725]

So much useful info. The methodical way you figure all this out is great. You are fortunate to at least have an idea of the items you need to make it work. As much as I love my Home away from home depot, spending hours in the isles trying to get things figured out is tedious. Thank you for this!

[@pyrofful]

Awesome job that looks great! I was going to settle for a harbor freight rack but this looks a lot nicer and I can leave it empty when I'm not traveling and get better mpg. Glad KZbin algorithm recommended me this.

[@jamesmcgraw4584]

There are some cool videos for this where you can make entire rack out of unistrut. Also there’s Aluminum if you wanna save some pounds.

[@ayedeeaechdee7795]

I'm an electrician and use unistrut all the time. You blew my mind with this. Bruh Like. You essentially ditched the traditional roof "basket" and made a literal home-made roof mounting "rack"

[@TheRabbitHaze]

Oh my lord.. I've been working with a similar kind of Unistruts/Superstruts, except from Fischer, on a daily basis for months now, never would have thought I could use it for a roof rack before seeing this, thank you!!

[@keningilbert]

Thanks for the video. I'm considering building something similar for my daughters RAV4. Suggestions: Use spring channel nuts rather than the nylon nuts for better longevity. Round off the edges of unistrut that stick out or put (frame or end) caps on the ends. Consider some type of the many angle mount fitting variations on one side of the rack for your fuel can to be stored up right as that seems like it will free up a lot of space for other things. Or instead of extra expense and weight for a 2nd strut, buy a flat metal plate to mount on top of one strut and then connect the roto pack mount to it. Instead of wing nuts use thumb wheel nuts. A lot easier to use all around especially with cold fingers, including allowing for nuts to be tighter. Wondering why you used bulky conduit hangers for awning support that stick up, that will eventually get in the way, rather than U-boats cut to length? Did you know that they make various types of galvanized unistrut although that building supply place may not have had any? Would save you a lot of work painting and eliminate potential for paint to scratch off and rust to occur.

[@mattsutten7858]

I stumbled across your Unistrut video while trying to design a ladder rack. Well, I have to tell you that this Springfield Guy was shocked then very happy to see Goofy's muffler shop in the frame as you went to Bring Recycling. First time I have run across a KZbin video from a local. Keep up the good work and I look forward to following your adventures!

[@BKTX]

Really creative use of commercially available material. It gave me a lot of ideas (materials-wise) for a future awning mount on my existing Thule rack system.

[@softroadingthewest]

Nice, good luck with the awning project, and thanks for watching!

[@coreywebb746]

Yes, I've been using SuperStrut since last november! such a cool DIY solution

[@softroadingthewest]

It's great stuff! I can't believe I hadn't discovered it before. Thanks for watching!

[@Johnleefromthemist]

Awesome build very straightforward instructions how all vids should be. You just proved not all things need to be bought from some very expensive sporting goods store. Working on my new rack now 2000 Chevy Tahoe for a Sonora Mexico off road Desert Trip Make new trails man good vibes from San Francisco California

[@mollygrubber]

Nice work! I love to see a nice frugal build.

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you!

[@ohiopredatorexposure676]

Gave me inspiration for improving my overland rack, using unistrut for the sides to mount max trax

[@ArkansasOffroad]

Great video man! Love the resourcefulness

[@bobmcl2406]

Nice build, easy customization. From painful experience, I think you might want to find some rubber caps for the ends of those rails that stick out to the side.

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha, yes indeed. I have in fact reconfigured this a bit and now have a conventional awning mounted there, which covers those ends. :-) Thanks for watching!

[@Moneypit_Adventures]

I love these DIY videos. Gives me lot of ideas for building up my GF8. I'm very cheap and these are perfect! Thanks.

[@softroadingthewest]

Good luck with your build, and thanks for watching!

[@matthewnasholm]

This is awesome. I need to figure out some sort of cheap roof rack for my CRV, it doesn't have anything right now.

[@robnoble9570]

Looks so much better than the basket

[@ricki7187]

Never thought about Bring for strut! Thanks for the great idea!

[@softroadingthewest]

It's rare...I hit Bring pretty regularly and almost never find strut, I think it goes fast. I really really lucked out here I think. :-)

[@disturbunce2335]

With the mounts for the maxtrax, if you get them muddy it’s hard to get them all back onto the thread system, especially if there is gunk stuck in between them. Also, those wing nuts are fiddle when all you want to do it get on with it. I’ve found 2 turnbuckle straps that have a loop sewn into each of the 4 ends and permanently mounted makes a much more flexible system.

[@softroadingthewest]

That's a great idea!

[@koalafan1576]

Great ingenuity and creativity on finding ways to accomplish your goals. I may think of doing the same until I could afford a legit bed rack for my truck.

[@edwardcave1947]

Unistrut is available at most electrical trade stores and the connectors

[@MattsGarageMiscDIY]

Love it. I believe there are even plastic caps you can buy to tidy up the ends.

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, there are. Ultimately I've mounted a different awning there which has covered those dangerous ends. :-)

[@bradmelvin7187]

I discovered that about 6 months ago at a local hardware store. It’s great stuff. That’s a great setup , thanks for sharing!

[@softroadingthewest]

It's easy to miss when poking around looking for DIY solutions as most stores seem to stock it with the electrical conduit. Thanks for watching!

[@chipsterb4946]

Great video with good ideas. I recently got a Can Am Defender side by side and am scratching my head about storage and mounting solutions for a shovel, gas can, chainsaw, spare tire, etc. Could spend a small fortune on OEM solutions but your ideas may help me avoid that, if only somewhat.

[@vanslover007]

The government is all up in my head! I was JUST thinking that i could make a rack out of strut and BOOM this video pops up out of no where! o_O

[@jensencurtis7528]

This is pretty cool! I was considering something similar but wasn't aware of anyone trying it (and posting a video of it to show what he/she did). This could give others a good starting point. Thanks!

[@JoeFlash1]

I have another idea for unistruts. I am going to make truck claws for my van. Attach ratchet straps and attach them to your tires. They will get you out of the mud. I am also going to build a roof rack for my Nissan van out of unistruts. Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@51249ca]

Wouldn’t mind trying those struts out as the Newer Outback’s have very narrow roof rails to work with.

[@softroadingthewest]

Worth a try! Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@bindiberry6280]

This is good idea! This should allow the rack to extend light weight 4 ft PVC pipes both sides so you can add plastic sheets as sun shades for your rest area camping around your SUV.

[@flyfisher530]

Excellent video! I have recovery boards like yours and was thinking of using 4 nylon standoffs over the bolts with a wing nut. But two straps is a much simpler idea. Thank you!

[@softroadingthewest]

MDK Somewhere in the comments here someone pointed out that even a single long strap run diagonally from, say, the front left bolt to rear right bolt would also do the trick with even fewer pieces. Alas, I already cut up my piece of metal strapping. 😄

[@BigYi313]

Seeing a lot practical thinking in your project, thanks for sharing man !!! Respect!!!!

[@eds3079]

They also make this channel in what's called FRP. Fiberglass reinforced polymer. Manufacturing process is called pultrusion. Look up here on Facebook. It's a Lot lighter, yet very rigid. Molded in a couple of different colors and never rusts. There is an aerosol sealant recommended for when cuts or other holes are made. You can spray the sealant on all the rest of your hardware. I will be resealing mine every other year, as a live in the rust belt area. Great job. 👌

[@lanepicturecompany]

I was watching this going "man that looks kind of like Bring recycling..." and then I see the Jerry's sign and I was right! Wow another Eugenian in the wild! Thanks for the tips. Gonna go to Bring today and do the same.

[@softroadingthewest]

I take a look every time I'm at Bring (which is pretty regularly, heh) and most times I'm there, there's no unistrut. I got lucky a couple of times, but either it doesn't come in very often, or it goes fast when it does. Still...always fun to look around there. :-)

[@lordgrind6662]

Love this channel, I need to make one for my 2015 forester

[@anicetopontillas8121]

Nice setup. I made a similar recovery trax mount use two perforated square tubings u-bolts and knob bolts for my roof rack.

[@TheYearIGotTheRuns]

Great ideal and DIY build. So you don't have to undo as many wingnuts when you're stuck, I'd suggest running one piece of "perforated strapping" diagonally from the front corner to the opposite back corner of your traction boards. That way you only have to undo two bolts to remove them.

[@softroadingthewest]

Oh dang, wish I'd thought of that before I cut my perforated strapping into small pieces! :-) You're absolutely right, that would in fact hold them down just as well!

[@guitarinjustin]

That recycling place is awesome! I've never seen anything like it where I am (Alabama).

[@softroadingthewest]

It is a gem of a resource for sure! I'm always happy to have an excuse to go poke around there. :-)

[@ancientoverland5387]

Hey Donald! Been watching your channel for a couple years now. This video inspired me to make my own roof rack too. I took what I learned from you and altered it a little to accommodate my needs. I made a video about it, and I think it would be awesome if you watched it and told me what you think! I would never post a link on someone elses channel unless they were cool with it. Its easy to find on my channel, I only have a few videos so far. I have a 2010 Forester named Penny, and you were/are a huge inspiration on my rig and my channel. Anyway, I gave a shout out to you and linked this video in the description of my video. Thanks for your awesome content.

[@amazinggrace9316]

This buy is owesome. This is a great video. I gave it a mighty thumbs up.

[@jaxpatriot904]

I'm sure you know by now but you should have installed your strut with the open side facing up, there are a ton of brackets and attachments for strut that allow you to customize any configuration you can think of

[@coreyflynn9333]

I like where you went with this. I’d like to attach the super strut direct to my side rails and use them as crossbars and a rack.

[@michwenz8413]

Oh thank you for thinking out loud here. You just saved me $100 for cross bars I don’t need 😘

[@tonyleone1430]

Good job..that's the good part of a DIY, you cam make things the way you want for a lot less. your videos are very well done,kudos. keep on trukin.

[@TheWrxrally]

Great idea! I was pondering splurging on one of those Yakima Load Warriors, but I think I may do this instead.

[@therootedprogress]

Sick video!!! thanks for making this! been trying to figure out how to mount my x-bulls on a budget. This video is going to help me out so much with my build and budget! Your the best!

[@softroadingthewest]

Thanks! If you just need to mount x-bulls without all the other stuff, be sure to check out Jordan's video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3qYn5lprJemaNk ) for an even easier solution that doesn't require messing around with the superstrut components.

[@consaka1]

Yeah my first pair of chills came with a bag but sometimes they can get pretty muddy when you loan them out. You just don't want that mess in your rig. In my case a full size van. I think I can modify to hang on the rear door hinges.

[@olheadz1974]

Great inexpensive mods. I love it. I am going to steal this idea for my Sequoia.

[@softroadingthewest]

Nice, good luck with the build!

[@polarisindustries4506]

Excellent video.own a Mitsubishi Outlander now very similar in size layout etc.own a freelander decked out for overland travel and was pretty much stuck as to how I could make the outlander into and part time overksnder Gave me a huge amount of ideas for scotland next year.thsnjs Phil England

[@glennr9913]

Great use of used materials! I've been looking at Unistrut for mounting solar panels on my Sprinter. After watching your multipurpose rack project, I'm thinking of other Unistrut projects for the van. Hmm? I wonder how well will it bend using a pipe bender? Just thinking that a little curve would make nice-looking side rails for a ladder.

[@softroadingthewest]

Interesting idea!! They do seem to be formed in a way to make them as rigid and resistant to bending as possible, but I've never tried (nor have I ever used a pipe bender) so who knows!

[@tomtafola4518]

Fantastic video well done I’ll keep watching new videos from you I plan to use many of your tips n tricks

[@rickm4295]

Super cool idea !! Ive been kicking this idea around myself.....i have front runner load bars on the bed of my truck but no rack ($650 short lol ). If I could meld the load bars and super-strut together in a decent looking way I'd be pretty happy. This video sure helps with confidence. I appreciate the share brother

[@softroadingthewest]

Good luck, I hope you can find a way to make it work!

[@Jack-Surreal_Panes]

I was thinking about using these as my cross rails on my Renegade Like the idea of spaced holes already and of swap the bolts with an eyebolt I could slide the eyelet where I need it and may add an additional middle down the middle for additional tie downs. I carry long poles and ladders sometimes and like that channel because I can use a screw with strap bar like you used to secure vice using straps

[@Jack-Surreal_Panes]

Like in your videohmmmm, no ,naaaa, no AHHHH what do we have here.I had an AhhhHaaa moment in HD today. Checking out uni, even the small C shelf rails that you put brackets into. Leaving the aisle I saw the Rubbermaid fast rail system. HMMMMM! Thin do low noise, aerodynamic. came in 48" for 10.98, think the Renegade needed like 44/45". I bolt on. Interesting thing is the attachments that you can get, Vertical those hooks etc will be held by weight.Horizontal, they need a back rail strap to hold like a ladder and the front can take a ladder hook or whatever. May play this weekend with it and post a video on my page. If I do, will send you a link.

[@Jack-Surreal_Panes]

I played around with them and thought I might just get the harbor freight crossbars for 59. still may get that extruded for a center piece

[@goldenguys10]

Wow in from the Eugene area, cool seeing stuff like this so close by

[@mudspringer]

Ha Bring Recycling - yes one of my favorite places!! Great video thanks for positing it very helpful :).

[@zccolby]

Just went back and watched this. I kept forgetting to check out what you did with the unistrut. Now this has me thinking. I might take 2 lengths of this and run it along the sides of my basket so I can hang things off the side! Just need to find better crossbars as I only have stock bars, not sure if it is safe to ubolt these to the top as crossbars for a basket or not.

[@overlandventures5924]

Perfect sized shovel for "dooky duty". 😁cracked me up.

[@Captain_Nemo-y7q]

I am impressed by how at the beginning of this video, you direct the spray of sparks from grinding onto your leg. After that, respect for your work was impossible.

[@ngoodwin87]

I know this vid is a bit older and you have already painted it but if you ever run into needing to paint in colder conditions try a amall handheld propain torch. I heat up the metal till warm and then paint it with vht epoxy paint. It drys almost fast and is strong. Happy trails

[@softroadingthewest]

Great tip! I regularly run into needing to paint in cold wet conditions...this is great to know, thank you!

[@jjmellooldscool]

WOW, What a GREAT video! Thank you sir. Awesome music and narration. You need to give classes, lol.

[@TheGaganPodcast]

Love your creativity and resourcefulness.

[@danhohman]

Another great one full of innovative ideas!

[@softroadingthewest]

Thanks Dan!

[@Kingbasspickleball1]

Soo weird when you stumble upon a video and it's filmed in your town 😀

[@tacticalnw]

Gotta love Eugene!

[@authenticarkansas]

I absolutely love this, I'll have to see if I can find some hardware that fits the aerodynamic factory crossbars on my Santa Fe. I was just looking for a "best of both worlds" to have a basket/rack AND a box for my weekender trips.

[@TheAdventureZombie]

Great idea, and design. I was wondering what you had up there for a rack.

[@thegrownman]

Great vid Good use of refurb materials

[@jamesk7410]

Great idea with budget in mind. Thanks for sharing.

[@nobodyspecial9035]

Looks fine how it is. Once/if you add a solar panel you won’t see much of it, besides it’s not going to rust. Save the $ for the next project. Liking your videos!

[@softroadingthewest]

Thanks! I did end up painting the parts as I had to take it apart to reconfigure things a bit, and it does look quite a bit better painted black. At a glance just looks like any other purpose-built rack system and not re-purposed industrial stuff. :-) Thanks for watching!

[@drewneel6716]

Just found your channel and it has been awesome so far. I love the idea of using what you have to get out and explore. I did a quick look, but haven't seen the video on your diy awning. I'd love to see how you made that. Keep up the good work!

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you! And yeah, we still haven't got around to shooting the awning video but we're planning to tackle it this weekend! Thanks for watching!

[@elgoogsucks9005]

Awesome build, thanks for sharing

[@raifmt]

Outstanding! Thanks for the ideas.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I think unistrut is a little spendy from my perspective but it is cool stuff and very strong. The project came out really nice too.

[@softroadingthewest]

Finding some used material definitely helped keep this very low budget, though even buying the material new, it still comes to quite a bit less money than a platform from Rhino Rack or Front Runner...granted, not nearly as nice looking. 8^D Thanks for watching!

[@saginawdan]

@@softroadingthewest I just completed my rack, which you inspired. The full rack will cost more than a cheap budget rack, but it's much stronger. It was a fun build. It's like putting together an erector set (shows you how old I am). The best part is having the option of designing and customizing the rack to your needs, plus you can always change it if you need to. I would encourage to do the same - Thanks, Dan

[@johnterpack3940]

That's a nice little setup. I could see doing something similar in the bed of my pickup.

[@dvonehrlich]

Bring is the best. Ya really got to go their consistently to find the gems in the garbage but it is fun.

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha, yep, that is spot on. Nine times out of ten, I leave Bring empty-handed, not having found something that works for whatever project I'm doing (although it's always fun to poke around anyway). I could not believe my luck at not only finding a handful of the smaller Superstrut, but having the pieces already be at more or less the length I was envisioning. Doesn't go that way very often. 8^D Thanks for watching!

[@blackforest4x462]

After seeing this I'm for making some more changes on my rack 👍

[@iadr71]

Built a tire bead breaker and a GY6 engine stand out of strut, and seems like I’ll soon be building a roof rack for my new Element.

[@cole3386]

very helpful thanks so much, im loving the ideas im getting for my new used Forester

[@genep.6008]

You sir, is the man!

[@ALNSMOVERLAND]

I watched your video a few days ago but totally forgot to comment ! First of all that was a really funny coincidence that we worked on pretty much the same project/video at the same time ! I'm still laughing about it ahaha We even used the same sentence "It's not going anywhere" that's crazy ! I really loved the recycled material shop you went, I don't have such thing near where I live ... I would be the happiest man on earth in a shop like this ! You did a really good job with this DIY roofrack ! It looks lightweight and versatile ! That is a very clever solution, perfect for your need ! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the shout-out in the description ! (I just saw it !)

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you Jordan! I laughed and laughed watching yours because it contained soooo many of the exact same details and elements, and even my traction boards look just like yours. 8^D I am often disappointed by my own DIY efforts, but I have to admit I am reasonably pleased with this one. It still needs some tweaks and adjustments but it's doing the job. Thanks again!

[@TheMyeloman]

Approximately how long does it take to pack/load everything before a trip? How much of what’s in the roof stays on the roof when not camping?

[@softroadingthewest]

Putting my sleeping platform and kitchen into the back takes just a few minutes, then it's just a question of tossing my sleeping bag back there, throwing in food & water, tucking the chain saw in somewhere. At this time of year when I'm out on the trail frequently, I tend to leave the traction boards & shovel mounted. I only put the Rotopax on the roof on the morning I leave on a trip, otherwise it stays safely stowed in the garage. Most of what's in the roof box stays up there permanently because I never know when I might need it and then I don't have to even think about it when prepping for an outing. That includes the rest of my recovery gear, camp chairs, my DIY awning components, an extra tarp, my compressor, etc. Tools also ride permanently in the car so I never have to think about packing them along (and/or possibly forget to bring them). Part of my goal with this whole roof setup was to make departures fast and easy. I often like to leave very early in the morning, especially if I'm meeting buddies off in the central Oregon or something, but it was impossible for me to put everything in my previous roof basket the night before because it wouldn't fit in the garage, and I didn't want to leave it on the street that way. So I'd have these terrible starts to the day, fumbling around trying to hurry strapping crap to the roof before I've even had any coffee...LOL. This setup fits in my garage ready to go, so in the morning I can just throw in the cooler and my camera gear and I'm ready to roll.

[@TheMyeloman]

softroadingthewest we currently have an ‘11 Chevy Equinox and a Yakima Skybox (21ft³) that we purchased years ago when we had a Dodge Grand Caravan, then it was on top of a ‘05 Suburban, but it’s really too big for the Equinox. It “fits”, but the rear hatch doesn’t open all the way and with it mounted the rig is too tall to fit in the garage, or any parking garage. The Equinox is also a bit too small for us, and it’s “all wheel drive” is very sorely lacking, it fails in every metric except for sucking fuel. I really wish we’d sold it and kept the ‘Burb… Anyway, thanks for responding. I only just found your channel and while we’re not likely to get anything as small as a Subaru I’m learning new things, as well as future places to explore, watching your videos. Really like your videography style, you seem really comfortable in front of the camera. I tried to make some videos showing how I do some of my woodworking several times and I can honestly say it’s much harder than it looks. I have huge respect for those who do it well, like yourself. Keep up the good work, maybe someday we’ll bump into each other on the trail. ✌🏼

[@lcatalla7292]

Great ideas! I enjoyed watching how things turned out. Have more fun adventures!

[@dennisshirokov4607]

Great build! Thank you. Where does one find the nylon encased nuts you are showing at 5:43?

[@softroadingthewest]

At my home improvement store, along with the rest of the unistrut/superstrut hardware. This is usually in the electrical area of the store, near the electrical conduit etc. because this material is frequently used by electricians.

[@peterkulikowski7540]

Nice, Clean, Creative 👍

[@madeinjapanoverland1843]

Super innovative and a great use of recycled materials! I've been using ratchet straps to hold things on to my Yakima MegaWarrior rack (similar to your basket rack); it works okay, but it's not pretty. It seems like the unistrut would be good for mounting lights or a light bar near the front of my basket rack. Thoughts?

[@softroadingthewest]

Yeah, for sure! That exactly what I was planning to do, get one more short piece of strut to put across the front of mine for mounting lights. If you already have a basket though there might be better ways to mount directly onto it, I dunno. The main problem with the superstrut is that the holes are *pretty* big...it's a little tricky to get smaller bolts mounted cleanly. I had to use two different washers in a few places in order to get things (hopefully) secure. 8^) Good luck, let me know what you end up doing. And thanks for watching!

[@nj4x4fever2]

Great work on the uni strut. I like that you kept it simple. Nicely done!

[@Jeep79]

Great job the best part is that works and is reliable thx for sharing

[@davidcolinstillman5585]

COOL IDEAS ! THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAG ALONG WITH YOU ! BE SAFE ! ENJOYED !

[@TaleOfTwoIdiots]

One should never underestimate the importance of a walk-in-woods-sized shovel.

[@softroadingthewest]

haha :-)

[@jgutie4377]

It felt like I was watching How Its Made

[@1stuart1]

I'd paint the wing nuts, and maybe even top plate, a bright orange just to make them easier to find when you drop them or set them down. Bright yellow would look better with the black, but even the brightest yellow disappears in dry grass. Perhaps a nice metallic blue...

[@softroadingthewest]

That's a brilliant idea. Plus I'm terrrrible about not paying attention where I set things down, especially if I'm preoccupied with needing the traction boards, LOL. Last time I had them off the car, I did indeed lose a couple of the wing nuts. A vivid color would help enormously.

[@1stuart1]

@@softroadingthewest One thing I learned from hunting and spending time in the woods is that unless something is bright orange, when it gets dropped, it's very difficult to find. Especially if it's camo!