Roof bar....frame... rack thingy

[AndyCook]

Since I got my previously owned maggiolina RTT, I found i wouldnt be able to fit my foxwing anymore very easily on the roof bars.
I also wanted to add some rooflights lights at front and camping lights for side and rear.

Ordered some steel and dusted the welder and chopsaw off.

and made up a frame - to sit at same level as base as RTT and go around it and have mounts for the foxwing

some tabs for spotlights

then remembered the front and rear catches/clasps on the RTT....
two of my front spot light tabs were perfectly in way of these...
and one of back bars was in way of the rear clasp..

wiring for spots goes into vehicle above passenger door, thus door closes onto the wires and I have a multi-block connector to unplug them. since the rack is only going to be on roof for trips away.

so modeifed rack to MK2
modded back so that clasp would clear the bar

fitted the spots and some LED daytime lights, some mount points on side for camping LED to illuminate under the foxwing, and a hook to hang water bladder off (changed this to point inwards now)

lights

no spots on

spots on

found illumination of dashboard by the spots annoying

so MK3 version in progress, I have now mounted the Hella spots below bar and a few inches further back (Xeng spots fine as pencil beam sheilded) and spaced the outer pair further out, almost below the Xeng pencil beams, so they dont get in way of RTT clasps
this has solved the dash illumination!

next stage
and strenghening rear part so it can hold 2 jerrycans in jerrycan holders behind the RTT
and need to make a carrier for waffleboards

 

[chadr]

That's very illuminating Andy.....no seriously, that's starting to take shape very well.

Which ones are the DLRs?

 

[AndyCook]

Dlr? Daylight running lights?

Are the LED units on top of bar
had hoped to have them on with dipped beam at night, but they are two bright

 

[chadr]

Sorry yes, DRLs not DLRs.....

I've been thinking about some mounted on the front bumper. With mine being grey/green it's surprising how well it blends in, especially on murky days in the Autumn/Winter months. Anything to make it stand out would be a good thing IMO.

I was thinking more of a thin strip of LDEs either side.....

 

[Chris]

Nice work Andy! I need to make a dedicated bracket for my awning really. It's sorta just clamped on with bits of plastic as spacers. It works but it's not elegant like yours.

Chris

 

[Julian Voelcker]

Chris, don't skimp on the strength of the awning bracket, it's quite surprising the forces involved when the wind get up under it.

 

[AndyCook]

I used 6mm by 40mm flat bar for my awning brackets and using 3 instead of 2 normally used.
Main frame is 20x2mm

awning is better located that it was using original foxwing plastic brackets, they went on top of roofbars so it sat 100mm higher

 

[Chris]

Skimp? Me? Have you seen how many trees I have hit with it Julian? Worry not. Forget the wind. If it's windy, you will mostly be finding me in the Dog and Gun.


Chris

 

[paulm]

very impressive Andy.
lovely tidy way of doing it

 

[AndyCook]

Decided my new MIG welder needed to do its stuff - other than welding some steel patches into the rusty sill on our old subaru...

i have always wanted to mount the waffleboards outside the car, when we used them in the Alps this summer, we had to unpack 1/2 the boot to get to them...

so i used some angle steel to make the mounts for them on my roof frame, so the waffle boards can be slid under the Maggionlina roof tent
i have drilled a 10mm hole and welded a nut onto the side of two of the angle steel peices, so that a bolt can be wound in to push against the side of the waffleboards to clamp them in place.

I will probably stick some helicopter tape onto the runner surfaces, to see it that works, to stop the paint being chewed-up when installing/removing the waffle boards.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Best place for them I used to zip tie mine on and the retainer at the other end was slightly tapered so they wedged into place.

 

[Craig1990]

hmm that rack looks cool.. I like those spot lights because you show the difference by the photos... which is really impressive.. and also the fold able tent on the rack is very good. Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[Chas]

Andy, what's helicopter tape.

 

[clivehorridge]

Andy, what's helicopter tape.

I was thinking the very same, but too embarrassed to ask....

Thanks Chas!

 

[AndyCook]

http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3553&p=16495

"Often referred to as 'helicopter tape' this super tough tape was developed to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades."

i use it on our mountain bike frames to stop gear and brake cables chafing the frame

 

[clivehorridge]

http://www.tweekscycles.
i use it on our mountain bike frames to stop gear and brake cables chafing the frame

Interesting! Cutting edge technology?

Seriously Andy, is it clear when off the roll and in place?

 

[AndyCook]

its moderately clear - not like sellotape, its slighty opaque - when i get home from Nigeria, i can post a photo of it stuck on bike or the frame

 

[warrenpfo]

It's very durable stuff as I have it on my bike all the way down the bottom tube and the rear chain stays to stop stone chips to the carbon and it has done a great job.

not cheap but worth it if you want to look after a surface.