All car owners care about comfortable movement in their vehicle. This is important for the driver and passengers. Whatever the dimensions of the car, its interior should be as free as possible.
As an alternative option for transporting cargo, you can use a car roof rack that you made yourself. This will allow you to transport light and bulky items, while at the same time enjoying a comfortable trip in a spacious cabin.
Tuning a domestic SUV
This category of cars is characterized by large dimensions, a powerful engine and increased cross-country ability. The classic representative of such equipment is the UAZ. The car is used for daily trips, transporting goods and long trips.
Despite the significant dimensions of the interior, for various reasons, motorists do not want to transport oversized items in it. As an option, you can install a do-it-yourself roof rack on your UAZ.
In this case, a person receives a lot of advantages:- the aesthetic appearance of the car improves, a neat design increases the functionality of the vehicle;
- voluminous and light cargo is transported outside the cabin, which adds comfort for the driver and passengers;
- the weight of the transported cargo is evenly distributed over the surface of the structure, which improves its stability;
- transported items are firmly fixed, eliminating the possibility of their displacement and loss;
- no need to use a trailer.
As a bonus, the trunk design allows you to place additional lighting elements and an external antenna.
Using roof rails
There are many options for using roof rails, but the most popular are:
- fixing cargo baskets. A practical device that is characterized by a completely acceptable appearance, good capacity and ease of fastening;
- fixing bike racks. An excellent solution for car enthusiasts who are also avid cyclists. It is distinguished by its reliability and the ability to simultaneously secure several bicycles, which is very convenient when planning a collective bicycle ride;
- magnetic and mechanical fixation. Most often used for transporting snowboards, skis and other similar things.
Creating a Sketch
The first step is to take a sheet of paper, where the drawings of the roof rack on the roof of the car, which will be made by hand, are drawn with a pencil.
For this you will need:
- take exact measurements from the roof of the car;
- decide on the fasteners to be used, whether they will be factory-made or home-made;
- provide design features that will increase the ease of use and comply with safety regulations.
You can calculate the details of the cross rails, which are distinguished by their simplicity. Or create a multi-purpose expedition rack with sides around the perimeter and a metal mesh at the bottom of the structure.
Finishing work
After fixing the homemade element, it must be painted.
Thus, creating a roof rack on roof rails on your own is, although quite labor-intensive, but not such a difficult process. In return, it provides solutions to many problems. For example, a self-made expeditionary roof rack for roof rails allows you to take everything you need with you on long journeys and tourist trips without any problems.
Every car owner once feels too cramped in the car - for example, when he starts repairs and carries tiles and plaster in the car or rushes to the dacha in the spring with seedlings. The most effective way in this situation is to place luggage on the roof of the car using a special device. However, prices for high-quality luggage racks range from several thousand to two to three tens of thousands of rubles. A simple and practical solution is to make a trunk yourself.
Manufacturing of the product
Let's take a closer look at how to make a roof rack with your own hands. To do this you need:
- Purchase materials. As a rule, an aluminum profile is used. It has sufficient strength, light weight and is not susceptible to corrosion. Purchase or make fasteners in accordance with the design features of the car roof.
- Prepare the necessary tools. You will need a grinder, a welding machine, an electric drill, a meter tape, varnish and a brush.
- In accordance with the drawings, components are prepared.
- By welding they are fastened into a common structure.
After completion of the work, the finished structure is varnished in combination with the car body. If desired, additional lighting elements and an external antenna can be attached to the trunk.
Cutting and welding
Cross members for roof rails are sold in specialized automotive stores. If you cannot find the cross members of the required length, they will need to be cut. The set of crossbars, like the sidewalls, consists of two products. To distribute the weight over 8 support points, it is best to buy two sets.
The crossbars are attached to a frame consisting of the same profiled pipe and repeating the perimeter of the roof of a particular car, using welding. This creates the lower base that a do-it-yourself roof rack (VAZ-2111 or any other model) should have.
After which the upper platform is performed in exactly the same way. It is very important that both structures exactly match each other in size. It is most advisable to fasten the two halves of the trunk together using the same welding. It is important to clean the welds immediately after the metal has cooled.
Car tuning
The classic representative of the domestic automotive industry is VAZ. Let's consider the advantages of a roof rack for a VAZ, which you made yourself. These include:
- sufficient strength and reliability of the structure;
- full compliance with the stated requirements of the car owner;
- saving money;
- the possibility of installing it on similar vehicles.
Such products are very popular for residents of private houses and dacha owners. On the roof of the car you can transport furniture, tree seedlings, garden tools, light building materials and other cargo.
How to secure it?
The option for installing the trunk directly depends on the car model and the design features of the roof. On the roofs of “classics” of domestic manufacturers, as well as on old foreign cars, a longitudinal drain is provided, which is used to secure the trunk.
For this type of installation, metal stops with a clamp are made or purchased. This design feature of the car roof makes it possible to fix luggage racks of different designs and dimensions.
For modern models with longitudinal rails, you can use ready-made clamps to attach the muffler or make a clamp yourself. To do this, a metal sheet is selected and bent according to size. Holes are drilled in it for screw fastening to the trunk.
Luggage rack mount
Quite often, you make a do-it-yourself roof rack mount for your car. It can be of the following types:
- U-shaped bracket, characterized by strong fixation;
- the use of hooks and nuts allows you to quickly install and remove the structure;
- in some cases it is necessary to make holes in the roof, which allows the structure to be supported.
For each brand of car, it is necessary to select a strong mount that can withstand the structure during a sharp increase in speed or braking of the vehicle.
It is important to remember that the design of any roof rack involves transporting a load of no more than 70 kg.
Exceeding this standard can result in negative consequences and provoke an accident. Be careful when creating it, the product must comply with safety regulations!
Why are roof rails needed?
Roof rails are installed for subsequent installation of an additional luggage rack. This can be a special frame structure, a car box for transporting personal belongings or tools, as well as a trunk in the form of a loading dock or basket.
Loads can be attached to the crossbars on the roof of the car without using a trunk. For example, bicycles, scooters and large items are transported in a similar way.
Making roof rails with your own hands allows you to save money on purchasing this car accessory. When creating crossbars, the driver takes into account the characteristics of his car and personal needs. You can construct a part that has an original design.
When designing crossbars for roof rails, it should be taken into account that when transporting goods in an additional trunk, strong fixation of the transported items is important. To ensure that the load is securely secured, you should use high-quality materials when constructing crossbars yourself. The finished product must withstand loads weighing in the range from 60 to 110 kg.
To construct roof rails for a car, the following tools and materials are used:
- Metal profile. Used to create guides and arcs.
- Welding machine, drill, grinder.
- Fastening elements (their roles are bolts, nuts and washers of various diameters and sizes).
- Polyurethane foam.
- Heat-shrink tubing.
- Construction hairdryer.
- Paint and brush.
To secure cargo or trunk on homemade crossbars, use:
- Belts.
- Grid (if using a basket).
- Support or clamping clamps (designed for transporting snowboards, skis or bicycles).
Photos of do-it-yourself roof racks
Recommendations for use
For long-term and successful operation of a self-made trunk, the product must be periodically cleaned of road debris, sanded and repainted. Having chosen metal pipes as the material, the decorative protective coating should protect the product from corrosive processes.
Also, in order for the trunk to last a long time, it is important not to overload it, but when filling it, carefully distribute the weight of the luggage over the entire area of the structure.
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What are the advantages
- The ability to transport a load weighing about 110 kg, without damaging the smooth roof.
- The price range is significantly lower compared to the same trailer.
- The cargo is securely secured, so there is no need to worry about it.
- You can come up with many other devices.
- Whatever the burden, it will not interfere with looking at the road when moving.
A few years ago, the choice was small; universal roof racks were produced that fit any make of car, both sedans and SUVs, and were attached using a drain.
Now technology has moved forward, therefore, the choice has become more diverse and wider. You can choose a foreign manufacturer if you trust the West more, or you can try to work with domestic production. The taste and color, as they say. Now, first of all, attention is paid to the method of fastening and the materials used. It can be aluminum alloy or stainless steel, as well as plastic, but durable
An additional compartment for transporting things can be individual or suitable for all cars.
Design measurements
When you have decided on the type of material that you will use for the trunk, then you next need to move on to making measurements and calculations. This way, you can clearly determine the weight of the future product, the approximate price and, of course, how much and what you need when building a trunk for a car.
It is necessary first of all to determine such indicators as the length and width of the entire roof. Moreover, you can even create a project in the form of a plan and drawings, which will include:
- The supporting panel (the trunk itself, or rather its bottom);
- Frame;
- Jumpers (special amplifiers for the structure);
- Boards.
In addition, you can come up with various additional details at your discretion. For example, this could be a special lining on the front part of the trunk, which will prevent strong resistance to oncoming air.
