This started off with my needing a solid and low profile way to mount Rotopax fuel cans to my roof. It has become for us a versatile crossbar / rack system that gets used on almost every trip.
Using the channel strut crossbars we have carried all of the items below, sometimes multiple items at the same time, depending on our needs:
Rotopax fuel cans
Treds (traction boards)
Shovel
Awning
Firewood
Lumber
Cargo boxes
Canoe
The basic system involves
Two or more 40” to 48” lengths of strut channel
Two U-Bolts per crossbar
Spring channel nuts
End caps (optional but recommended)
The strut channel (aka unistrut, superstrut) I have used is low profile (13/16") solid (versus slotted hole), cut into sections to span the width of the roof rack. A 10' section happens to divide equally into three 40” pieces. If you only want two crossbars, then a 6’8” length cut in half works well. I have used stainless steel, and powder coated steel. Both work well. The powder coated steel is easier to cut and drill than the stainless.
A note on strut channel: I prefer the solid versus the slotted hole. If you slide your spring nuts along solid channel they move easily. If you have slotted strut, inevitably the spring will poke through the slotted holes and prevent easily reconfiguring the locations of the nuts.
If you want a little overhang on the crossbars for more mounting flexibility, eight foot lengths cut in half have been perfect for carrying our canoe.
You can find strut channel at industrial, electrical or plumbing suppliers, Grainger, McMaster Carr, etc. It's used in a lot of applications.
McMaster-Carr
The ends of the strut channel can be a little sharp, so you can use end caps to prevent scrapes and cuts. I got these from Mcmaster Carr
https://www.mcmaster.com/cadinlnord/3312t11
Using the channel strut crossbars we have carried all of the items below, sometimes multiple items at the same time, depending on our needs:
Rotopax fuel cans
Treds (traction boards)
Shovel
Awning
Firewood
Lumber
Cargo boxes
Canoe
The basic system involves
Two or more 40” to 48” lengths of strut channel
Two U-Bolts per crossbar
Spring channel nuts
End caps (optional but recommended)
The strut channel (aka unistrut, superstrut) I have used is low profile (13/16") solid (versus slotted hole), cut into sections to span the width of the roof rack. A 10' section happens to divide equally into three 40” pieces. If you only want two crossbars, then a 6’8” length cut in half works well. I have used stainless steel, and powder coated steel. Both work well. The powder coated steel is easier to cut and drill than the stainless.
A note on strut channel: I prefer the solid versus the slotted hole. If you slide your spring nuts along solid channel they move easily. If you have slotted strut, inevitably the spring will poke through the slotted holes and prevent easily reconfiguring the locations of the nuts.
If you want a little overhang on the crossbars for more mounting flexibility, eight foot lengths cut in half have been perfect for carrying our canoe.
You can find strut channel at industrial, electrical or plumbing suppliers, Grainger, McMaster Carr, etc. It's used in a lot of applications.
McMaster-Carr
The ends of the strut channel can be a little sharp, so you can use end caps to prevent scrapes and cuts. I got these from Mcmaster Carr
https://www.mcmaster.com/cadinlnord/3312t11
Last edited: