DIY Roof Rack Part 2 - Lightweight Ply Deck Assembly Under £100!

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Part 2 of our DIY Unistrut Roof Rack/Roof Deck is here! Join us as we build our own DIY Custom Lightweight Plywood Deck for under £100! (instead of paying hundreds or even thousands).
How hard can it be?!
In this stage, we use our roof-mounted Unistrut rails to mount our lightweight van roof deck onto our roof rack for some summer relaxation space on our rooftop van deck.
Part 1 Installing the Unistrut ➤ • DIY Roof Rack Part 1 -...
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--- UK Links --
➤ 20 x 40 Aluminium Beam: bit.ly/2UowhXf
➤ Unistrut (41x41): bit.ly/3ubBK3O
➤ Beefy L-Brackets: bit.ly/3IP8nII
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-- USA Links --
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Freedom Strider assumes no liability for damage, loss or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. This video is for educational purposes only. Use this information at your own risk. Freedom Strider recommends safe practices as implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Freedom Strider, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result.
#unistrut #vanroofdeck #rooftopvandeck

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28 янв 2022

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Комментарии : 43

@demongroovemusic 2 года назад

You two missed a trick. I subscribed because of your videos on how to buy a second hand van. It was like Top Gear without dad jokes, but was informative and you were both perfect to sell me on buying second hand. A series on buying (and maybe upselling) cars and vans would be something very useful!!

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

We bought the van to convert into a camper, flipping cars and such isn't really our thing - we may buy more vehicles and make them into campers as the years go on (with more no-dad Top Gear jokes) - so glad you found that series helpful, it is one of our favourites. :)

@Dackdrillsvanlife Год назад

Love your videos keep it up guys such a lovley cupple

@FreedomStrider Год назад

Thank ☺️

@user-cr6ki4qs4y 2 года назад

"A LONG LONG NIGHT OF DRILLING LATER.." :D

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Hehe 😂

@anotherbrickoutthewall9237 2 года назад

In the future you could use aluminium sheet metal up their.. light, weatherproof, safe if you have a small fire pit and will last a lifetime👍well done another job done 👌

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Yes we were actually thinking an aluminium sheet sandwich type contraption could also work. Aluminium sheeting is not cheap but certainly a good idea to try of you have the time and materials to hand 😎👍

@jkyoft78 2 года назад

I created my own custom roof rack...I used aluminum, no steel - no rust issues, and easier to work with. I used all stainless steel nuts, bolts & lock washers. I also used butyl tape and lap sealant to prevent water leaks.

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Sounds like a neat idea 😎 We used galvanised steel unistrut for our main rood rack and can now bolt absolutely anything on top of it 👍

@danviridian 2 года назад

You used sheets of aluminium over the struts? If so, how thick?

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

We didn't use any aluminium sheets, we just used 18mm softwood plywood for the deck, which weighed in at around 15kg for the surface area. If we were to go for aluminium, we were looking at honeycomb aluminium sheeting for it to be strong enough to walk on. But how thick, I'd imagine at least 15mm thick (but that's just a starting point guess). 🙂 Mind you, aluminium sheets are not that light or cheap...

@danviridian 2 года назад

@@FreedomStrider oops I meant to ask Dave about his one haha. Thanks though, very interesting/useful 🙏

@jkyoft78 2 года назад

@@danviridian I created a roof rack with the least amount of material possible. Got it all at HomeDepot & Lowes. No sheet metal, more of a framed-style design. I used 1" square tubular aluminum for creating brackets, each around 5" long, three running along each side of the roof, front to back, attached to mounting holes (bolted to nuts) that came with the van, with some dap & butyl tape. Very secure & strong. I then attached 1/8" L-shaped aluminum rails running front to back, mounted on top of the brackets. These rails are roughly 1.75", wide & high. The issue with the roof is that the roof is not perfectly flat, and the mounting holes were not perfectly aligned. I didn't want to lay the rail directly on the roof, it is nice to have a little space between the rails and roof for snow, water, leaf removal, etc. Working with aluminum made it very easy - easy to cut, never painted it, never rusts, it is light so my van is not top heavy, easy to bend it a little for a better fit, etc. The rails also go all the way to the back bumper, so when I open the rear doors, I can use the rails to hang mosquito net over the back door opening. Or hang a hammock to a tree from it, or clothes line, etc. This would not have been possible (or at least more difficult) if the rails were attached directly to the roof and not the brackets. Cross bars are 1" L-shaped aluminum. I built a manual tilt system for the solar panel similar to the one that Renogy advertises all the time, to tilt them towards the sun. Two bolts as the hinges, flat aluminum rail to lift it to the desired angle. I can do this without climbing on the roof, which was a key design requirement for me. Two days to do it...I wanted the lap sealant to cure over night. Keep in mind I have a small van, a 2021 Nissan NV200, one solar panel for now but plenty of room to add another, plenty of room for a roof fan, too. I can't see myself ever wanting to sit or lay on the roof...so the design was simple. I can't see ever adding a patio sun area on the roof...but if I wanted to, I would consider making something that slides out horizontally, with poles to the ground for support. This way it could act as an awing too, and the space up top wouldn't be limited to just the size of the roof.

@spleerfloof 2 года назад

You guys are fun! Do you have a video on how you installed your roof hatch? I looked at your video list and didn’t see that. Edit: Actually I saw you answered someone else’s similar question, thanks

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Unfortunately not... but you got it 🙂

@ToddlerVan 2 года назад

Nice one guys, will be interesting to see how the soft wood ply holds up! was there a specific reason you guys never went for a marine ply or even just and exterior grade ply?

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

It was mostly just for weight reasons - marine grade ply is hardwood and weighs more than structural softwood 18mm ply. 18mm marine grade hardwood weighs as much as the composite decking. For our section we made now it's only 10kg more hit over an entire roof which we plan to build in the future, it's over 30kg lighter 😎 As for exterior grade, this was the only ply they had in the shop at the moment honestly 🤣

@LaureReminick 2 года назад

The deck should last long enough. BUT, do I see a knot hole in one area? Not an actual hole, but something that will catch and HOLD water. You might want to fill that in with something and then paint it over again. Otherwise, this is truly inspiring. Gives me hope for when I do my build!

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Thanks 😀 You are right about the knot... we wished we turned it over. We are planning to repaint the deck in the summer and filling the hole is on the list too.

@simonb9448 2 года назад

Great deck it looks really good. You mentioned the shower at the end what issue are you having with it please? I have the same hydronic system

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

There's no issue, we just haven't plumbed it up yet (the hot water system). We're planning to build a recirculation shower but it requires a bit more thinking to make happen - would love to hear about your setup though - are you just using your heat exchanger or are you using a boiler tank as well?

@simonb9448 2 года назад

@@FreedomStrider I’m hoping to use just the heat exchanger, do you think it needs a tank ? I haven’t got very far yet but could do with asking you both the occasional question as I go if that’s ok?

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

We are not planning to install a tank. We are going to run tests and hopefully, the heat transfer is fast enough to give warm water. We'll document it 😀, so you'll know. We are happy to answer any questions to the best of our ability, so ask away.

@zoevancook 2 года назад

Can you please tell me where you got your roof hatch from and are you doing a video for that fit or have I missed it? Also where is your ladder from? Thanks

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Oops, I thought I put links to those in the description, seems not! ➤ Our Ladder: amzn.to/3oafqnr ➤ Our Skylight Hatch: ebay.us/yECzez As for the skylight, we didn't film a video for it, the installation is near identical to how we installed our Maxx air fan apart from we used neoprene instead of butyl tape to even out the roof surface. 👍

@kostudiosi 2 года назад

wohooo roof rack! may I ask about the dimensions of the skylight? I really want to put one above our bed so we can also access the roof. :)

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

We got a "Bainbridge storm hatch - size 50" (www.marinesuperstore.com/hatches/window-hatches/bainbridge-storm-hatch) Size 50 is the largest we could fit between 2 roof ribs in the van, the next size up although bigger, would have required cutting through the roof ribs, so not ideal. So far, it's worked amazing! 🙂👍

@danviridian 2 года назад

@@FreedomStrider Hey! Do you know what the difference is between the flange and flat versions of your vent? 🤞

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Yeah, the difference is the flange has an extra piece so if you're mounting it on a frame on the outside, it can lip over. Best shown here (2nd picture: www.marinesuperstore.com/hatches/window-hatches/lewmar-ocean-hatch) We got the flat version since even though our van roof isn't flat, we used some neoprene to make it semi-flat and just used a lot of sealant to waterproof it, but we didn't build a frame on the outside (only on the inside to screw the hatch into). 👍

@glennr9913 Год назад

If you'd used the larger Unistrut for the base rails could you have skipped adding the legs?

@FreedomStrider Год назад

Probably, it would have been a very tight gap, but I think it wouldn't need extra legs 👌

@danviridian 2 года назад

It's 18mm hardwood ply right? 🙂

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Nope, softwood 😊 - as it's not a high traffic area, it's just a lounger - so we don't mind it denting... fun fact, hardwood is the same density as the composite decking... quite a nightmare this weight 😂

@danviridian 2 года назад

@@FreedomStrider Hey! So I wonder if you can help me with a quick question/issue? I've currently got a Fiamma 50 vent above my bed which has a 50x50cm cutout. Compared to the Maxxair Deluxe (which I have nearer the front of the van) the Fiamma is bad because it doesn't open fully and also doesn't have a fan (unless you add the awful fan attachment, which barely works!). I see that the non-flanged version of your (Bainbridge 60) hatch would need a 58x58cm cutout (so I would only need to widen the cutout dimensions by 8cm each). In this case would you recommend the flanged version for a more solid install? Cheers! 🚐

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

I don't think the flanged version would be any more or less solid than the flat version, regardless of the hole size. I can't really that much use for the flange when it comes to isnalling it on a van, it's mostly there to counteract the curvature of boat roofs and to add stiffness if you're installing it into fibreglass. Metal with a wooden frame is plenty stuff enough to go with a flat version. You'd still need to waterproof either hatch the same way, and make sure you install either on a flat surface to evening out the van roof ribs (if yours has any) 👍🙂

@danviridian 2 года назад

@@FreedomStrider Super helpful, I appreciate that :)

@chrismartin5772 2 года назад

😳

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

😎

@ooslum 2 года назад

I like to comment on videos but don't like to tell people to do things but use the palm of your hand to tighten bolts and nuts, the thought of your knuckles against that unistrut makes me worry. Cheers.

@FreedomStrider 2 года назад

Thanks for the tip, luckily I didn;t catch my knuckles but I know what you mean 👍