DIY roof rack, '07 base

[andrewclaus]

I just inherited my wife's Vibe to use as a work vehicle, for limited handyman work. I need a roof rack. I have some old Thule bars. So I got some hardware and a drill and attached them. There's just enough room at the front of the rack to fit a 1/4" hex nut and tighten it with a open-end wrench. I drilled 5/16" holes in the bars and racks, which gave plenty of tolerance to fit with somewhat careful measurements. The bolts are 2" carriage bolts, exactly the right length. They're 50" long bars, so I can carry a little lumber or drywall (with the antenna unscrewed).

IMG_2963.jpg (623.67 KiB) Viewed 3100 times

I found out today I also need to get a rubber mat for the back deck. Toolboxes are heavy and they slide around too much.

[VibeNation2024]

Looks great and should be very strudy! Way to reuse the Thule racks. Thanks for sharing.

As a quick and cheap solution, I found some large rubber mats at Walmart for boots/shoes with the raised edges to keep in dirt/water. They were less than $10 and the weight of the tools keep them in place. If needed, you could always put some anti skid or double sided tape to keep them in place.

[joatmon]

looks nice! and if you ever need some custom fitting, such as for skis or a kayak, it will be a lot easier to find something designed to fit the thule cross bars than the 03/04 factory cross bars

The 07 owners manual doesn't mention roof racks, but the 04 manual has this to say

Notice: Loading cargo that weighs more than
75 lbs. (34 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage
your vehicle. When you carry large things, never let
them hang over the rear or the sides of your
vehicle. When loading cargo, be sure it rests on the
crossrails and does not scratch or damage the
vehicle.
Put the cargo against the side rails and fasten it
securely to the luggage carrier. Put the main weight
as far forward as you can and move the rear
crossrail as far forward as possible to keep the load
from shifting.

[andrewclaus]

Thanks. I have some Thule bike racks and ski racks, so that function is nice.

I've seen the 75# number before. I will not carry 3/4" sheets of OSB on that rack--maybe one sheet of 1/2' drywall with 2x4 supports, maybe push it up to 100#. I've worked with structural engineers and have seen their factors of safety, never less than three.

I mainly carry my extension ladder, some 10' sticks of pipe, a hollow core door once in a while. I'm getting too old to do the heavy work.