Attaching interior rack to roof beams?

Hey, wondering if there is any info on how to attach a lightweight rack to the inside of the roof - suspended by the roof. I wanted to get a couple of windsurf boards and some of the longer sails, masts, etc, up there and out of the way. Total weight is much less than 50 lbs.


As a temporary fix, before insulating/panelling and adding some comforts for camping, I made a rack out of 1" pvc tubing. I ended up with three bars when I only needed two. I was going to modify this and cut out most of the third row, but I noticed some problems. Here's the van with the stuff up top, leaving room for an equipment tote, large dog crate, or my big heavy longboard on the floor. It looks wonky here as the straps were getting adjusted and the two ends didn't quite line up, but that wasn't the real problem;


I had planned to find some butterfly-type fittings (sort of like the drywall ones) that could go inside the bars then expand to give some backing area. I was hoping to leave the fittings in while I insulated around them. But for the short term, I'd simply threaded some roof rack tie-down straps through the roof bars and around the top of the rack, stabilizing it with a couple of lower straps angled down to the tie-down loops in the floor. THis worked reasonably well; most straps were fine, though liable to wear eventually where they bent over the sharp-ish edge
View attachment 9800
but one worked its way sideways and deformed the metal flange a bit


I promptly took the rack down and just strapped it to the floor for now. But I did like the gear up near the roof and want to do something permanent like that eventually. Are the beams strong enough to bear the weight? If attached properly? Is it necessary to go up from the bottom then over from the sides? This would seem to have to be much heavier and more intrusive on the room/options inside.

Those ribs will barely support the roof now, they're pretty thin, as you can see by the distortion caused by your strap. Your best bet is to build a light frame that sits on the floor so any weight is transfered down. If done properly, it shouldn't weigh that much extra. I've been using 1" square steel tubing welded together into frames and strapped down to the tie-down rings. No need to anchor to the walls or ceiling, but a few anchors on the walls would help. Not the ceiling, though.
When i had the sunroof added in the rear, one of the ribs had to be cut out. An air chisel went through it like it was paper. I added back some supports around the sunroof, just in case. But it does make me rethink wanting to walk on the roof.

Jef

I used super-strut metal railing with butterfly bolts to attach my rack to the sides. So far no problems. I originally used wood but everything flexed to much. I carry three boards on the rack with room for the bed to swing down. I put a roof rack on top for trips where I want to carry my other boards with me. The only thing I hang from the roof is a strap like you have to help support the top rack when my formula board is up there. My masts are all strapped to the inside of the roof with adjustable cargo straps but I'm looking for another solution. Actually I'm always looking for other solutions to get more time on the water and less time strapping down and organizing gear. Good luck.....

I'm thinking about installing an over-cab storage shelf with no doors.
Then I can slide a long board into it, and only have to secure the tail to a cross bar.
I was going to supend that from the beam, but that photo has scared me away from that!
I guess I will build a frame that is supported by the floor.

All that gear in the other post's pictures is supported by the wall?

Thanks for the quick replies - and from at least two other windsurfers! Maybe we're not an endangered species yet!

London Pacific, could you post your avatar (or others) at bigger scale? I'd love to see what others have done! I know what you mean about strapping down time. I got the van partly to avoid messing about with loading and unloading roof racks (particularly when its blowing 30-40 knots, the boards want to become kites, and the rain is stinging!), and my friends just seem to toss their gear loose in their small vans and go. But so far I've spent just as much time fiddling with straps - at least its inside though! I'd been thinking of hanging a large diameter pvc section to (quickly!~) insert all the masts in, but that is looking iffy as well unless its part of a floor-wall supported frame.

Cedar Sanctum, I wasn't thinking so much of the weight as taking up precious interior space! Especially width. I'm sure those beams are OK with the outside skin pressing down as designed, but not for hanging weight on the thinnest part like I ended up doing when the strap slipped [insert embarassed smiley icon].

Boardster, I was thinking of doing the same, but loading my Kona One into the van the first time or two realized that its comparatively heavy and I really didn't want to store or have to lift it near the roof. But it won't tuck in against the side, it has to go in the middle between the seats or a bit kitty corner - I maybe should have bought the LWB after all. I did up another light PVC rack to at least hold it vertical, but it won't live in the van like the short boards.

Super Strut, found in electrical supplier stores, has L brackets so you can attach two pieces at right angles. I used three long pieces attached to the wall with shorter pieces attached with the L brackets to put the boards on. Everything was covered in pipe insulation. I had to use a 2X4 at the bottom and doubled up the super strut near the bottom so the angle of the boards is more horizontal. Not sure how many butterfly bolts, I'm thinking about eight-ten, I used but they were big. Whatever I did it's worked for about a year. The weight and size of my new formula board has me strapping cargo straps up through the roof for extra support. If this fails I'll install supports all the way to the floor.

Driving down to Sportsmobile Indiana tomorrow to have a bench/bed installed.
Threw a longboard in just in case I get some time to play.
One board, one light duty bungie.
No water in central Indiana,
gotta love the size and simplicity of my Gordon&Smith 46" pintail.
Hope the asphalt is nice and smooth around Huntinton (not beach, just plain old Huntington Indiana)

After looking at the Sportsmobile web page and playing with their on-line layout designer (great help, if I was in the States I think I'd get them to do the conversion, I suspect its worth it paying a premium for their experience!), I was asking about getting a similar gaucho with seatbelts with local RV places; found NONE of them that install beds do seatbelts - not Transport Canada approved apparently.

So I'm back to looking for a removable bench seat and maybe having to scrap the sink/stove/fridge idea

No-one with boards panel/insulate the roof?

London Pacific, I'm still a little unclear as to what you did. You have three rows of the superstrut horizontal? then vertical superstruts which the L brackets are attached to? Sorry to be thick, but I'm close to following your example (if I can only figure it out!)