Build Your Own Damn Roof Rack - How I Built a $1000 Roof Rack for $300 in half a day.

[@golffit3066]

Instead of buying a $1000 rack, I bought $4000 in tools and materials to build a rack! Well done sir! We all identify with you

[@liamm9400]

My missus particularly found this funny! I keep on telling her we saving money in the long run😂

[@C.Double.]

You could do all of this with a cheap drill, a wrench, some bits and a hand tap... less that $100. Either way though, that 4k in tools will pay for itself time and tiome again.... also, most people interested in DIY'ing either already have tools or have no issue with getting more.

[@petervda85]

That’s the point. The wife doesn’t know and you say you saved 700

[@PulpParadise]

LOL! Literally every DIYer on the planet.

[@3sgtepwnzr]

5 years later, and this video is still helping a bunch of DIYers. Thanks Matt. Also, you've never had a tap break inside the 8020 have you, that's when you curse liberally.

[@DorisandDaddyOffRoad]

We have been needing a new roof rack. The fact that this design comes with a mill and a bunch of new tools puts it at the top of our list!

[@Gaffed_Up]

This channel is CRIMINALLY underrated.

[@MrPoppshot]

I love at the end when he shows images of him offroading without anything strapped to the roofrack.

[@xpez9694]

shhh just fer looks.

[@stvargas69]

I saved $700 so I bought a $2000 mill. Makes sense

[@izzimichaels2892]

you've never bought a tool for a project? (tip : you can use the tool again ; )

[@mikegr5773]

That right there is the reason I subscribed. 🙃

[@stufoo]

Now he has the tools to make these for other people and charge 700 each...

[@shaunbags2]

sounds legit, perfect man math.

[@daniel.mcleay]

I can’t stop laughing 😂

[@ConnorFXDB]

with all the $$ I saved I invested in proper tools/bits/and more! Now Im at $45,000 over budget! lol but in all seriousness solid video thank you for this! Gonna be giving this a go for my van roof rack! Cheers and thank you for the video

[@henrikm4657]

Great video. There’s a lot of money to be saved with DIY that can be spent on new tools. I too use my projects as an excuse to buy the tools I want/need. One thing I would suggest, is to use butyl rubber for the bolts that go into the factory drilled holes in the roof. If water gets in there, you may get some serious rust issues and potential leaks into the cab. Also, using some sort of thread lock fluid would be a good idea, especially on off road vehicles because of all the added vibrations from driving in rough terrain.

[@DGF545]

“I have a lot of questionable ideas about cars”. Just what I’m looking for! Subscribed.

[@onmissionmtb9722]

The goggles on the snorkel was classic… FTW!!!

[@joell439]

These videos are so well edited and narrated. I may not be building a roof rack this week but I was mesmerized by watching you show us how. Thanks!

[@pinkskud1]

Pro tip. Get a 'machine tap' with spiral flutes of you're going to use a drill for tapping. The straight flute ones are hand taps and won't evacuate chips well enough.

[@Jenuin]

pinkskud1 I was thinking this aswell.

[@SkaterStimm]

Just watched this video thinking it was a new episode, damn your production value has increased.

[@jacksondoughty]

This is the third video from you I’ve ever seen. This one demanded my subscription. Glad to be here- and looking forward to the next projects.

[@lilshane84]

Thank you so much for this. I've been wondering how to make a rack myself that wasn't A: made from steel and heavy as hell or B: made from aluminum and ending up costing me more than a platform rack I could have bought. These crossbars will be stellar. On top of having access to a waterjet, I should be able to slap together a pretty sick setup

[@mjremy2605]

Love your sense of humor and great DIY projects! I also love this rack! Subscribed. Thank you for no music during the build, hallelujah! Incredibly useful video, and you are a frugal genius. I hate being ripped off with the outrageous extortionary prices 80/20 wants for every nut and bolt. I know darn well they are getting them very cheap from China then reselling at mafia prices. So happy to see you give us some alternatives. Using cheaper side rails is very clever and drops price a lot. Knowing what size 80/20 struts worked for you is also a step closer to my build design. I have a 22 ft Class C so big roof with all sorts of things to trip over like vents, hoods, etc and to design around them. Thanks also for showing us where you bought the supplies, super helpful. My tips to you from the RV world: Use Butyl under anything that you place on roof that could leak. A roll on hand never hurts. Its a rubber compound, so on my RV, I would use it around every light fixture so no water gets into the wood structure behind. If you cut out a hatch in the metal for example, add butyl tape under the hatch ring that sits on your metal. Prior to that, of course, spray Loctite Rust Neutralizer on bare metal right after drilling and vacuuming metal bits off, and then some paint, then your butyl. The Loctite RN bonds rust to metal and acts like a barrier before painting. You probably know all this but ... sharing my favorite spray can. The other thing that you need is Dicor Lap Sealant Self Leveling type. When you drill a hole for a screw, add a dab of that, then screw your nut into the metal roof, then put another dab on top of the screw so its completely protected. Works wonderfully to seal up that screw head. To remove it, scrape it off with a knife and /or Dremel wire wheel. Dicor is the bible of the RV world! They make a non-leveling version too, but I've never used that. Question for you: Do you have to have a drill press or a drill will do? What do you mean by 'tap' on 80/20? Drill a hole? A specific kind for metal screws or ...?? What was that talk about special drill bits for drilling into the 80/20? I use the Dewalt Cordless 20V Drill and Driver. Model 887 is best. Model 885 is cheaper. 3 LED lights in front is a game changer over 1 LED light in front. Small 2 amp batteries for both is easy on the wrist.

[@freeidaho-videos]

One of the better DIY roof racks I have seen, and no welding, for those that can't. Looks good.

[@SeansLittleBayofHorrors]

This is the best DIY rack I've seen to date. Gonna rock this style build on my old Montero Sport.

[@raulguedeaiii974]

Hell yeah I want to do something similar for my Montero sport

[@tornagain]

Was searching for suv roof rack vids and came across this. I will not watch the video only because I’m not looking to build my own, but had to comment and thank you for the needed morning laugh “build your own damn roof rack”!!!. I spit my coffee out and had a good chuckle. Appreciate the humor title and certain the video is helpful for those looking for a DIY solution. ✌️

[@grn9209]

Overlanding and build info, AWESOME 👏🏼. Sense of humor and sarcasm, PRICELESS!👊🏼💪🏼

[@yashaswisharma9064]

This channel is therapy.

[@mickenzie5863]

Easiest subscribe for a new channel ever, I can tell it's going to be great. I literally LOLed at the 5:45 mark when I finally noticed the diving mask on the snorkel.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

This video captures the very essence of DIY. I have ~$50,000 invested in tools and building to save a couple hundred bucks building my own jeep parts. Could have saved a lot just buying the parts and paying a shop to put them in. BUT, the memories. Of cussing things that didn't fit quite right.

[@raymondclark1785]

Something like the lrtime channel. Convert garage to machine shop, install lift in driveway to DIY

[@carbonbased5041]

I am an engineer, who designs all kinds of technological edge stuff for living. But I've spent ages to find a roof rack to my spec with no success. Shame. I needed your video to realize, I can do it. Thanks so much.

[@edstone1988]

Bravo. This humour has been missing from all the other off-roader videos I've watched. I'm subscribing

[@danielblanchard4239]

This video is highly rated, and yet still underrated. Thank you for empowering me to spend twice the cost of the project on tools.

[@aemediainc]

I don’t have a truck or need a DIY roof rack, but I really like watching your videos.

[@johannwolf1]

I adore people like this. There are so few left.

[@Tomm9y]

Well worth 6 minutes of my life. Many channels would spend 26 minutes and still not convey the high quality of information.

[@WaterFowlFinAddict]

The subtle comments on spending way more than a roof rack costed really convinced me I’m going to build my own as well. Lol thanks !

[@SuperfastMatt]

Sure it's more expensive, but it comes with free tools!

[@WaterFowlFinAddict]

@@SuperfastMatt love the thought process lol

[@moedog5087]

I think this is my new favorite channel on KZbin

[@rudetoy8264]

Difficult project made easy by your vid! Your dead pan is priceless! Keep laughing all the way to 6:05. Thx for sharing dude.

[@joeashbubemma]

Thanks for the upload! Not only are these aftermarket racks insanely priced, they don't make them for my truck.

[@quirin5061]

the "since you saved so much buy this"-parts had me lol in the subway👍

[@RomyFrederick]

I enjoyed the honesty of this. i.e. 'when you mess up your hole spacing a little, just ream that shit out'

[@Jenuin]

LoL your humour and building / buying tools is spot on.

[@snowsteds]

Lol Saved $700, so spent $3000, i like your honesty, keep er up.

[@SamChou]

Super informative, very entertaining. The math on the tooling all adds up, too. What savings! Came here from imgur, found it very informative, but decided to check YT in case somebody else had a similar build, and you were the first hit. Bravo!

[@luigisquigi9946]

As soon as you cracked open the beer I saw the beer caps “teeth” marked on your rack , or was that just me? Great video , very informative and it looks great! Thanks.

[@doublej4965]

I like it! Looks good and sturdy enough for actual use. I think the same way on tools. ROI somewhere around 10 racks, but totally worth it.

[@jpkatz1435]

S. M. : You are a perfect combination and balance of snack, cool ideas, + makers lets get it done, oh s... got to do that 2 more times. Love the Mark 5 build. Really look forward to your posts! Much thanks for the huge effort that make the vids SO good!!

[@grn9209]

Loved video👊🏼. Your narration and sarcasm, PRICELESS 👏🏼

[@Rucksack57]

I love it, dirty adventures. I also am cheap, but making your own lets you get the size and design you want or need. Good job!

[@awlance44]

I love that 80/20 stuff. They price it by the inch but you can pretty much build anything with it assuming it will fit on your credit card. Great design on your roof rack. Having a really good excuse to upgrade your tools is just a bonus. Also, I love saying "Oh that? It's my own design. Just something I whipped up." when someone asks "Where did I buy that from?" since most people just can't fathom making stuff from scratch anymore.

[@ShakespeareCafe]

I find it hard to believe all that material only cost $300....aluminum is expensive, especially McMaster and Carr

[@sparkie5571]

the roof racks for my car don’t exist anymore, so this video is great! thanks!

[@adam-newbloom]

Well done, I do the same thing I save money on a project so I can buy the tools I need to build it and then I have the tools forever. It's very obvious a lot of the commenters do not understand that methodology:)

[@DerickAguinaldo]

Puts things in perspective. It’s always give and take between time, energy, and money.

[@ifnotnowwhen6914]

In my experience the "save yourself 50 cents per tapped hole get comfortable and start tapping" is followed almost immediately by breaking a $12 tap reducing a $25 part to a piece of 23 cent scrap metal. Don't worry, I'm smart enough to learn from my mistakes. I learned the same lesson twice last month (Februaryis a bit shorter after all) , 4 times in January, 3 times in December, and I've scheduled lessons twice a week till fishing season opens in May.

[@m0t0rsp0rt7]

You inspired me to build my own roof rack for my 2017 Toyota Tacoma off road. I did use tnutz to order all my crossbars. I even installed a 40” led light bar.

[@whitebreadkneegroo]

What were the measuremeants you ordered your cross bars at, same as the prinsu for Tacoma measurements 47"?

[@David-kp4gx]

“I saved 700, but spend 3000 in tools and 4 weeks building it” yup makes sense.

[@myownschadenfreude]

We've all been in that project ;)

[@dchawk81]

@@myownschadenfreude My life is that project.

[@biggaywizard]

I already have the tools, my problem is that my car has no mount holes so while this video is great, it won't work for me at all.

[@electricdeckhead3083]

@@biggaywizard I used rivnuts. Threaded rivet inserts,

[@biggaywizard]

@@electricdeckhead3083 right into the roof of your car?

[@GGLiEx]

Love your videos. You are by far my favourite youtube channel at the moment! studying mechanical engineering and I find your stuff inspiring as you dont tale yourself too seriously but do the stuff right that has to be done right. keep it up! greetings from Luxembourg

[@Scooopdog]

Good vlog I’m building a full. Sides and cross members from 80/20. Brilliant stuff.

[@davidmowser4830]

That was awesome, now I know what I'm going to be building for my rig.

[@bogotstogoskiing]

Built one for my FJ62 following this guide. I did modify mine a little differently but it's great!

[@aijiang]

I made my ski rack out of scrap 2x4s. Its zip tied to the existing roof runners. It’s lasted 3 years so far. May need new spray paint this year.

[@jj481012]

I thought it said “how I built a $100 roof rack for $300.” And I thought that made complete sense when I think of all my projects.

[@Mark-by6en]

Boy, like this guy really saved a ton of money. Like cool. Like like double cool. Like like double cool cool.

[@randallthomas5207]

I made racks for my Kei truck out of 80/20 extrusion. And, I’m getting ready to add a flat basket on the hard tonneau I made for the bed of the tiny truck. This will let me attach things like Yakima rack for my bikes, and other toys for the woods.

[@Cooldaddymon]

Whether it makes sense for someone to build their own is up to the builder, however, I found your video detailed and thorough, and very interesting topic. Next, maybe you can devise mounting ideas for 4R as well as Wranglers! New subscriber!

[@mjremy2605]

Are you kidding? Making your own custom rack at 1/3 the price makes absolute sense! You also control the finish, rust proofing, and understand it well. You spend the same amount of time assembling someone else's shoddy work with huge profit margins and cut corners. Sit in your armchair and do nothing! You don't learn by over analyzing, but by doing.

[@mk-jl3zd]

I like your humor man,great job.

[@LonelySpeck]

We did a sort of similar T-slot rail rack for our Ford Transit campervan build!

[@lsa_mcfly3874]

Rack looks great. Getting ideas for my Sequoia. Enjoyed the pretty much true humor about the tools lol.

[@bryancondrey6457]

I've built several of my roof racks with numerous materials. I all cases there was a 'hum' at highway speeds that was minimized with the addition of the spoiler.

[@fullsendEm8076]

Love the video. This is the same diy math my husband and I use. 😂 Now off to build a roof rack.

[@joeshoe4940]

I’m going to make mine from bamboo Because I watched Gilligans island and I think that anything can be done with bamboo Except boats

[@maeksu]

Man, in thailand they really do that shit. All the scaffolding. Bungalows in truck beds. Ladders on top of the damn ISP van

[@thewretched2474]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JohnLaudun]

I like the cut of our jib, sir. Subscribed.

[@RecordnMotion]

This is a pretty quality video, Matt! I laughed when you said how you saved money and you should buy a drill... and it was a dam Snap-On 😂

[@RecordnMotion]

By the way, what material did you use for your wind guard or as you call it, the aero shield?

[@SuperfastMatt]

​@@RecordnMotion Aluminum sheet, I think it was 6" wide and around 1/16" thick.

[@Dutch1951x]

Great video. I was getting ready to weld a rack up but I'm considering going this route. Without the cursing.....

[@michael001437]

This is one of the best DIY roof racks. Thanks for great tips!

[@MrAcuta73]

Came to this hoping for a solution to rack towers...my Ranger doesn't have built-in mountings....what a stupidly awesome idea, and easy enough to reproduce (stand-offs and backing plates). No more monsterous gap! No more leaks! Means my basket either gets modded or tossed...I'm good with it either way. I need to put weight up there (water/fuel/tools/recovery gear). I know it wasn't the point of your video, but I'm on it.

[@JamieBainbridge]

Followed your advice to use bedliner spray for everything. It doesn't taste great but also I haven't had underarm sweat in 5 months.

[@brianmc7719]

Love your sense of humor. I don't know if you have convinced me to build my own or pay retail for a $1000 roof rack. I will probably do both. First make my own, it will not be perfect, my OCD will cause me to cut it up, throw it away and buy one for $1000. I will then complain it isn't exactly what I wanted. And let's face it the rack will sit empty 99% of the time, my only validation for spending the money will be the occasional random stranger that says, "Hey nice rack." Which unlike every woman I know will make me smile and say, "Thanks man."

[@brianmc7719]

And I have officially seen every roof rack video on YT. I just saw I commented 10 months ago. 🤣 i agree with myself. It does look good thought. 👍

[@BigRigRich]

Saved $700 on the roof rack and spent how many thousands on tools. Love your honesty. Hilarious!!!

[@sam-ww1wk]

and in only 6 minutes.... you're the man.

[@michaeld1770]

its a vicious cycle. build something to save money and gain some knowledge. buy tools to build project, do this for a few years have to build extra garage to house all these "money saving" tools. life it good. BTW this project is on my to do list before hunting season, good vid.

[@jeberjaber]

😂 this is the truck I’m trying to make the roof rack for too, your the man

[@epenaloza52]

Interesting i i got a bunch of 1x1 steel tubes just lying around i was going to use that but seeing yours kinda makes me want to go your route

[@tonyanderson191]

You can purchase one from Cabela's for $120. Sprayed it down with clear coat and used loctite. This thing is a beast! You should have talked to me first before spending the $300

[@larrwhy6893]

Spectacular video. Thank you for the specificity of the instructions. Great job on the rack!

[@rick67hou]

THIS is the reason I don't do my own house repairs.... the money I save doing it myself will get expensive and will clog up my garage with tools that I may, or may not, ever use again.

[@francowj]

Wow, wish I would have seen this video before I bought my roof rack. I'm subscribed!!

[@AMindInOverdrive]

Was worth watching just for the Bedliner paint tip! nice

[@maxx4944]

love the way this man budgets this project!

[@MylesN7]

All the words you said I felt in my bones. I’m like year 2 into a 4x4 Astro van build. I paid 1,600 for an AWD Astro, and am a couple grand deep in tools because SAVINGS!???

[@ArmyBoiSweat]

but.... now you have the tools to fix the van when you inevitably break it doing 4x4 stuff

[@MylesN7]

@@ArmyBoiSweat smart thinking emoji

[@Bagorra]

Thank you Matt . You gave me sone clues to finish my original roof rack .

[@darleneberger2433]

Thank you for this! Just bought a Promaster 3500 159 WB extended, and I'm totally going to build my own damn roof rack!

[@bolonyponyj]

Same here. Are you using 3x3 feet for the roof mounts? I can't decide whether to use 80/20 and make a box or do it like Superfastmatt here.

[@wongong595]

Thank you for sharing! Very NICE DIY Roof Rack build. I plan to do the same for my Tacoma Camper Shell. Doing this is to save X=$$$+, & knowing the quality for sure. Your vid is very inspiring. Thank you! 👍

[@zakrichardson4196]

Excellent! Never thought about building my own roof rack. Great video, thank you!

[@highdesertbadlandinggargam2432]

Super fast Matt just bought some extrusion. The shippings like half the cost.. Looking forward to putting this thing together though. Thanks for putting this on here.

[@jwiereng]

Please show more details about to frontmost feet

[@samprokop]

they look to be simple aluminium flats bent 90 degrees at the end where they rest inside the rain gutter. I had the same question since I think there's too much leverage that would be applied to the sides without the support. it's probably offering plenty of support. The only concern i would have is rattling on the roof if not at the precise length, I guess slightly longer is better than shorter on these support legs. Small rubber pads under are probably a good idea as well.

[@gaypreator8547]

From the get go: all those tools/equipment in the back ground you are skilled-plus. Watch anyway👍.

[@built4xploration253]

Great....now I have ANOTHER project I must try! Looks great!

[@AllTerrainFamily]

Looks great! I was going to build one and make a video just line this, so you’ve saved me a ton of time!

[@garethbaus5471]

I was thinking about making a simple roof rack style mounting for solar panels(think of a tiny RV type setup) I was thinking of using some regular square steel tube instead of aluminum.

[@billwatcher9321]

"Wiggle the drill while cursing liberally " We have all been there !! I just bought a $1,000 flat rack for my 2015 Grand Cherokee that sits 2 3/4" out of level higher in the front. It's useless. The manufacturer says " that's how it's supposed to be" . Now getting ready to build my own.

[@Alanbataar]

Damn shame we don't live in the same neighborhood. You could have used the $3000 lathe I bought for making $300 motorcycle rearsets to make your mounting risers. RE: wind noise, I found on our own SUV that making filler pieces for the slots in the roof rack helped reduce noise substantially. Yep, the $2500 mill sure came in handy for fixing those $79 roof racks (which my wife later destroyed anyway.)

[@ContainingLuxury]

dude great video, you deserve more views! keep at it, our channel is only a year old and randomly we shot up to 70K subscribers, so your not far behind, keep up the great content! ... oh and you totally made me be like "I am just going to buy the $1,000 roof rack" :)

[@user-zl5gi8sv7u]

great roof rack especially love how there was nothing on it

[@WillN2Go1]

Good project. As I'm looking into off roading I'm a bit puzzled why so much of the gear costs and weighs so much. This roof rack is an elegant solution. What I've learned hauling 18 foot kayaks around is that the roof rack needs only to be exactly that a rack on your roof. For kayaks there are all these roller-thingies that cost a fortune, don't work after six months, and leaves gunk on the hull of my yaks. In between stupidly expensive Thule and Yakima racks I just used foam padding and ropes. No problems. I wouldn't now have the Yakima except after my Thule was stolen someone gave me an old Yakima. They're okay. What you did is more than enough. I think the money you saved allowed for the cost of the 80-20, me? I can see maybe three pieces of this or none at all. And being an old carpenter I can see doing some of this with wood. Of course over time and exposure the wood would be more maintenance than the metal. Home Depot has $2.50/8' spruce 2x3s, the Wright Brothers invented powered flight with spruce, so it could do the job. In a pinch those angle brackets and then a wooden frame? I could knock out a working, but not pretty roof rack in less time than you spent. Making it nice, clear coat.... a lot more time, and regular annual maintenance refinishing. btw of course you know that anything long, like a kayak or 4x8 plywood, it's tying down the front and the back that counts. I've never met anyone who's lost a kayak who had tied down the front and back. The only problems I've ever had with plywood is the front lifting up and trying to fly. Thanks.

[@mjremy2605]

You would make a roof rack with spruce wood because the Wright Bros made a plane with it? What an utterly asinine comment! The Spruce plane was hangered when not in use. It did not sit atop a vehicle exposed to the elements 24/7 rain and shine and cold and frost. The only reason they built it out of wood is because they had no access to better materials like aluminum and because wood could be shaped easily as an experimental model. How many planes in existence today are made of wood? Zero. If you build a rack out of wood, after it quietly disintegrates due to natural weathering, and a rotten chunk of that rack flies off your car or motorhome at highway speeds and kills a motorist or family, or creates a crash pileup or hits a semi driver and his truck falls into the ditch in flames, and you cool your heels in jail on a charge of negligent homicide or criminal negligence then you can ponder on the wisdom of your use of stupid materials. There is a reason NO ONE builds a rack out of wood. You may be a carpenter but your age is definitely showing old man! These are the words of someone with dementia or a half wit. To build a rack that carries heavy stuff on the roof, you would need heavy lumber. Aluminum or steel can be much thinner for the same load capacity. You would need wood that is both water resistant AND load bearing. Redwood and cedar can handle the rain, but they cannot handle load or used for structural frameworks. Brazilian Ipe might work but it is godawfully heavy, costs a fortune, and is toxic when cut. You would have to reinforce the vehicle roof - cars or RVs have delicate roofs that are not load bearing. The body is, but not the roof. Wood will require annual repainting, resealing, all screws must be stainless steel. If any water gets in, and freezes, the wood will crack. Are you going to monitor every crack? Dry rot, mold will set in over time. UV rays will disintegrate the finish. Instead of forcing every build into the carpentry mold, why not learn to work with other materials? Metals are a whole new world of creativity. Now if you could combine your carpentry skills with metal fabrication, you would be in high demand for RV cabinets made of aluminum and wood. Check out Humble Road vans.

[@JesusRamirez-ci2le]

I saved so much money that I went out and bought a 2000$ mill😂