PATIO Roof Rack?

TequilaSunSet · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 4:25 pm Post subject: PATIO Roof Rack?

I did not find anything in the search, but has anyone attempted this?
What would the max weight be?
Would it mount like most utilizing the rain gutters?

I would love to have a patio option, mount a ladder, chill on top with better views of what ever. Maybe make a simple shade canopy... I dunno, brain is running amok!
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hans j · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 4:31 pm Post subject:

I thought I once saw a band play on top of a vanagon? Photo somewhere around here...
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danbar · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 4:59 pm Post subject:

I made one for my van but took it off. It was cool to get up there but the extra weight and dramatically lower fuel economy convinced me to go back to just a roof box. I had 3 people up there and it seemed totally stable. Would be cool to sleep out under the stars on the roof.
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Altoona · Samba Member Joined: November 14, 2011 Posts: 505

Throw some plywood on top of some roof racks (maybe three crossbars) and I would feel comfortable with 5 adults up there for sure.

photogdave · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:02 pm Post subject:

itsasyncro has a sweet teak deck on his tintop. I spent an afternoon up there at MoGfest sipping beers and watchig the action. Makes me want to get a tintop just so I could have i can have a patio like that!
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PDXWesty · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:24 pm Post subject:

Seen it done on a bus:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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shadetreetim · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:20 pm Post subject:

Not much different than those rooftop tents. Plywood and some crossbars and your in business. Some 3/4" outdoor grade plywood should be sufficient. Great place to sit at the drive in movie.
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goffoz · Samba Member Joined: May 09, 2007 Posts: 1486

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7096674

photogdave · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:37 pm Post subject:

TequilaSunSet · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:32 pm Post subject:

goffoz · Samba Member Joined: May 09, 2007 Posts: 1486

This one is made of pallets repurposed.
Not much info on the site, but these wannabe hippies love pallets and composting

IdahoDoug · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:41 pm Post subject:

I put a Cabela's double wide guide cot up on the roof of my tintop to sleep in. Supported by two Thule crossbars and a sheet of 3/4 marine grade plywood. It is stable as a rock and you can walk around next to it with no concern. II've slept up there a half dozen nights and love it.

DougM
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TopBud · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:17 am Post subject:

I have one of these on my syncro.
http://www.wildernessracks.com/roof-racks/off-road-series-racks.html
It is spend, but I got mine for free. I can haul so many things. We often sleep up there or hang out watching sunset. If we sleep up there, we throw a piece of plywood and then sleep on our pads. I actually have a tent that fits up there, but do not use it often. I can get exact measurements if you need it. I also think there was a rack for sale in the classifieds not too long ago.

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Xtremjeepn · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:30 am Post subject:

TequilaSunSet · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:50 am Post subject:

Xtremjeepn · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:58 am Post subject:

Kinda figured the Sprinter image would help.

I've also had dreams of a roof patio. We have taken my Sprinter (not mine in the above picture) to spectator events where a rooftop viewing platform would be awesome!

sanchius · Samba Member Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 1456 Location: IN

Rooftop patios are great, we had one big enough to sleep on with our old land cruiser: One of my best memories was a beautiful summer evening high up in the mountains, sleeping up on the roofrack in my down bag under millions of stars and waking to see the ISS with a Space Shuttle on close approach, gliding silently overhead in majestic close formation. (pics and more at http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7061047&highlight=formation#7061047

Unfortunately, it was steel & plywood and way too heavy to move to the westy.

A full length deck is definitely on my todo list, the front rack just doesn't cut it http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4804255&highlight=poached#4804255.

If you have tintop, it's dead easy, the only limit is your imagination:

If you have a westy and want to have a patio with the top down, yet still be able to pop the top, get thee to Gary Lee. He's already engineered the solution.
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/vw.htm

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alaskadan · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:57 pm Post subject:

If you are serious about doing this google aluminum bar grate. Bag the plywood. I intend on building a full length roof rack for my van using this. Super strong and light .

IdahoDoug · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:46 pm Post subject:

My plywood roof panel is over 7' long and 48" wide. For fun, we've put a couple lawn chairs up there. There'd be room for more but it feels kinda scary being that high up so two is perfect and neither is near the edge. The panel is predrilled for U bolts with wingnuts that secure it to a pair of Thule cross bars.

The nice thing about our setup is that I can put the cross bars up alone, and the plywood panel up alone. Where a rack with integrated clamps to the roof rack would make that impossible for one person. I also retain the flexibility to have:

1 - Just the crossbars on the roof.
2 - A 7 foot by 4 foot platform on the roof.
3 - Everything on the roof - including the sleeping pods.

And I can put it all up there by myself in about 20 minutes. The plywood is painted white which reflects the heat off the roof nicely - essentially putting much of the van roof in "shade" because of the air gap - and it is quality oil based outdoor paint for durability. Key is to prime and paint AFTER drilling your holes so they are sealed against water.

Metal mesh won't shade the truck, and because it needs a frame to support the mesh floor you may end up actually heavier than a piece of quality plywood, which is actually quite stout. I also was surprised that the plywood is completely silent up there where mesh and the pipe frame rack setups can be amazingly annoying sound-wise.

I also like that the plywood stores with a very small footprint up against the wall of the garage. Its also easy to modify. Wish you'd put an attachment on the other side as well for the ladder? 5 minutes with a drill and run a couple bolts through it bedded into silicone and you're done. Want to add a pair of bike mounts? Same.

I'm pretty happy with it, and also love that I can also use this on my LandCruiser. We took it to Banff a couple years ago on the Cruiser. Fits any vehicle with rain gutters.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader


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