I have a 92 B250 with a conversion van hi top. I'm trying to find a simple cross bar roof rack for my surfboards. A regular rain gutter mount roof rack won't work since the roof is about 11 inches higher than the rain gutter. I've searched Thule, Yakima and a number of web sites and have not found anything. I thought maybe the racks that mount on a truck camper shell would work since I don't really mind drilling holes in the roof.

Has anyone seen extra tall rain gutter mounts or have an opinion on the racks for truck caps?

Thanks!

 

Found this at Amazon. Looks like it should fit, but I have no idea if its any good

http://amzn.com/B0031K8AN0

 

Heh, sorry. Somehow I missed the important word in that sentence I haven't ever seen a rack higher than 12 inches but presumably somebody out there makes one.

 

This is pretty elaborate: http://youtu.be/3y5CJSqv7nw

 

I used to have surf racks, but now I keep a 9'7" and a 6'8" attached to my ceiling inside.

I had an old pair of thule racks.

I drilled 4 holes through each portion which was designed to rest within the gutter, and used 2 1.5 inch U bolts on each foot. Large washers with large neoprene washers on both sides to spread the load. The fiberglass is about 1/4 inch thick

. I left out the part which was designed to hook around the gutter.

One U bolt facing out, one facing in made for great attachment points, inside and out.

I used to strap 3/4 plywood up there and set a deck chair and drink my morning coffee or afternoon Pacifico while overlooking a Point in Baja. Plenty strong enough.

The Zinc plated u bolts and hardware rusted. Then rusted through sucessive layers of paint. It eventually began to leak and no doubt added to the roof gutter rust battle I've been slowly losing.

I also found the racks themselves, with nothing on them reduced highway mpg by at least .5 mpg. I used to remove them for my many x country jaunts and just return the U bolts to the holes, but it was a process, even with most of my roof's interior gutted.

Now I fiberglassed over the holes I drilled, and have 200 watts of solar up there instead and 1/2 inch foam board insulation on the inside.

If you remove all the conversion crap in the ceiling like the TV vcr and the speakers in the back, you can easily fit a 10 foot surfboard up there, and a whole lot more.

I leave the single fin on my 9'7", leave it wax side up, and use it as a shelf. I can remove it in under a minute when the ocean calls, and do not advertise that I am a surfer by having boards rotting in the sun on the roof.