Hey...just wondering...the 2004 Dodge Durango I bought doesn't have a production roof rack but it has these black strips screwed into the roof on each side. Are these just "place holders" for vehicles that were made without roof racks or are they mounts for some kind of roof rails?

Thanks!

New Dodger

 

Do yuou have any photos of the roof? My roof rack is a bout two inches high and runs parallel to the the sides wiith out any cross members,
FF

 

I'll try to get a few photos. The black strips are flush with roof and run along the roof seams on each side, exactly where the type of roof rails you have would go. My guess is that the factory installs these instead of the roof rails, if they're not ordered.

Thanks,

ND

 

Sounds like you have the roof rack base thats screwed to the truck.
You would have to buy the cross members.

 

Thanks. That's what I thought. But when I went to the local Dodge dealer yesterday and stopped a parts guy in the parking lot, he said these black strips were just "placeholders" for vehicles that didn't get the roof rails at the factory. Funny thing though, they look just like the bases you see on earlier Durangos. My neighbor has a 2003 (mine is a 2004) with similar bases with the cross bars. I think I found the OEM roof rails I want on the Internet, but I also learned the dealer and local body shops want $200 to install them. If I could just attach cross bars to these "bases" I would definitely do that to save some money.

 

Here's what I have, if you dont have these, then you might have to get these and the cross members.

 

Mine look like robmagix, but have a chrome insert. No cross members,
FF

 

You should try www.etrailer.com
they have pictures that could help you find exactly what you need.
I looked and it seems a bit pricey but its a start.

Check this link out, they even have my durango.
http://www.discountramps.com/roof-bar.htm