Roof Racks for Camper Shells

[Ashy Larry]

Just picked a good deal in a Leer fiberglass shell used for my truck, a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab. Had it painted to match and now I want a roof rack.....but there is nothing to mount to. I have a steel basket with fairing ready to be mounted on some crossbars but Thule and Yakima are high as gas on their stuff. I mean really outrageous. $50 for bolt on brackets just so you get the honor of mounting their $200 base and $100+ bars. The bracket is basically a bent piece of steel, they may have 3 bucks in it. Please tell me the rok collective has an alternative crossbar option for somebody that thinks those two companies are crazy.

 

[huntsman22]

I got my Yakima stuff used off Craigslist for cheap.......

 

[Davebuech]

Fiberglass shells that are designed to hold a roof rack has a layer of wood sandwiched between the glass layers for rigidity. I will caution you if you are just drilling and bolting through the glass it may not hold well.

 

[Randle]

Fiberglass shells that are designed to hold a roof rack has a layer of wood sandwiched between the glass layers for rigidity. I will caution you if you are just drilling and bolting through the glass it may not hold well.

This .

 

[Pn8hall]

I have mounted several roof racks to my shells and never had any issues. I believe most fiberglass shells are rated around 150lbs or so but I have had easily 600lbs on my racks on regular occasion. The trick is in the mounting of the foot brackets and stiff enough crossbars. They need to be located as close to the round over of the shell as possible for the best strength. To the OP I would suggest keeping your eyes out for something used and then dont be afraid to mount that bad boy yourself. Perhaps another option is to have a welder fab something simple up for you or maybe buy just the foot brackets and then have some crossbars made. Lots of possibilities out there

 

[jeffpg]

Yep, I special ordered mine from Leer with the Thule rail attachment built in.

You may want to call them and ask their advice on your particular model. You may be ok as long as you install it properly and don't get crazy with it.

Good Luck with it.

 

[Ashy Larry]

I’m not too concerned with the rigidity. I don’t plan to have too much weight up there. I’m gonna keep scouring Craigslist for deals.

 

[Scrappy]

You can get yakima through LEO adventures for a great discount. I just ordered a bike rack, I would be using a knockoff brand if I had to pay full price.

 

[Laelkhunter]

**** POST DELETED after rereading OP. Misread something I missed the first time ***********

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I've thought about doing this myself, good info here thanks guys!

 

[Ashy Larry]

This is the current mock-up, not bolted or drilled currently. The shell does have a laminated piece of wood or at least a thick area where stuff should be drilled into. I just don’t think I like the rack that came off the s10 blazer. It’s too narrow. If I had towers with bars I could have the basket mounted center or off center with enough open bar for several fly rods or a couple bike rack attachments. I might call my buddy that runs an auto accessory business and check on his cost for getting the parts I would need.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Sorry image quality is horrendous.