BajaNomad

Board (surf) racks for RV's and truck campers

mojo_norte - 9-22-2006 at 08:32 PM

I have an overhead truck camper with the standard stock perimeter roof rack. I carry a couple surfboards, windsurfboards sailbag and now a couple kite boards. Last trip I just piled everything on the roof and used a bunch of rack straps to keep everything down- worked OK - didn't lose anything but not the best - not very good purchase and stuff shifted around. Wondering what other people use to rack alot of stuff on the top of an RV camper? I'm nervous about drilling holes on the top of the roof because fear of creating leaks.

surfer jim - 9-23-2006 at 10:25 PM

My new truck camper has YAKIMA roof racks....I ended up using some pieces from a chain link fence that cost about a $1.00 each to make something to hold the bungee/ratchet straps to hold the boards down.....so far so good.....rack was installed at the factory so I have no idea how rack is mounted to the camper top.....

Yakima....

bigzaggin - 9-26-2006 at 10:31 AM

the Load/Megaload Warrior is a great rooftop basket - especially if you want to keep a Hi-Lift/shovel/jerry cans up tops - and you can STILL mount boards on it...just zip tie some PVC insulating foam to the cross bars and they work just like common board racks. Pick up some basic tie-down straps and you are in business. I have the same set-up, albeit atop my camper shell NOT an RV. Regardless, works VERY well.

Bajamatic - 9-26-2006 at 10:54 AM

I saw a guy who had a trailer hitch board system that I thought was pretty sweet. I think Nalu Surf makes it? Not sure. It was basically one of those trailer hitch cargo carriers with some added rails that went up about 4 feet off the platform and kept the boards lined up vertically. I routinely carry too many boards into baja and would saythat it was perfectly stable and with the addition of an anti-sway hitch accessory seemed to function really well. He also added some additional padding to the platform. Also, he mentioned that because his rear wheels were so far from the end of the rack (he had a pretty big RV) that he'd bottomed out the rack once and demo'd one of his really expensive longboards. He added a 6" step up and said he had no more issues. I think he had maybe 7 8' to 12' foot longboards on the thing. Granted its not for everyone, but to me it looked like if you put that on the end of a truck you with the added 6" you would be fine in baja back country.

chino - 9-27-2006 at 07:18 PM

I have mounted Yakimas in the past but ran into clearance problems from not being high enough from the roof to clear the ends of 17, kayak, so we tried some custom made racks and thru bolted with stainless steel plates )on the ceiling of the camper)and bolts one thing for sure is the load rides secure, but the high clearance racks have grabbed a few wires and branches, (back to selecting a lower profile camper!)

Diver - 9-27-2006 at 08:25 PM

I've installed two rows of electric C chanel, screwed and siliconed to the roof struts inside the camper roof. You can mount as many racks with gutter mounts to this chanel as you want. You can use the supports made for vans which are high-rise and give you more clearance below to open skylights under the load.

For my new rig, I found a Baja-style roof basket that is 5'x8' with 5" tall sides. It is mounted to six brackets on the roof and is "the bomb". I can put ANYTHING up there !
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Details on "Electric C channel" ?!

mojo_norte - 9-29-2006 at 07:20 PM

Diver- can you give me details on the Electric C channel mentioned- also the gear basket..