I want to put an overhead rack ontop of my car for extra luggage but that is also wide enough to accommodate 4x8 sheets of plywood and be able to tie down easily. Cost is a limiting factor in this. I also dont know how to weld (I could take it to a shop to weld but that just ups the cost)

Anyone have any ideas that would suit my application?

 

Are you talking about your Excursion? I'm confused because you called it a 'car'. My children are forbidden to call Midas a 'car'. ha.

I suggest you look at Yakima round bars with towers to mount to factory rails, if you mean your Excursion. Yes, there is some expense, but these things are engineered well and will easily handle the load. You could also consider a cheap used trailer.

 

Plywood goes inside my ex where it stays dry!
Be careful putting them on the roof of any vehicle! Make sure the front edge is far enough back from top edge of windshield to prevent all that air from pushing up on the leading edge of plywood.

I have seen small boats, canoes, kayaks, etc ripped off the roof in strong winds too..

 

Yes i meant excursion hahaha. I looked at yakima and it is 300-400 and smaller than I was looking for. As far as plywood, it would be tied down very well and the edge would be covered.

I have a decent connection at a steel wearhouse and I could get most of the steel for under 100 bucks, cut and everything. And it would be much larger and stronger. Might go get it welded at a nearby shop. All I have to figure out is how to mount to the factory mounts

 

The Ex is a tow vehicle. Get a 6x 12 or 8 x 12 enclosed trailer with tandem axles.

Saves the truck from destruction.

 

I live in an apartment at college so a trailer isnt possible right now.

 

That's a bummer for sure.

As far as racks, all I can think of is something custom made. I'm not much help.

 

I know right. I would get a trailer if i had somewhere to park/store it. Ill prob have to do something custom. If there was a way I could do it all with bolts and it still be strong and everything that might be a possibility.

 

I've got the Yakima MegaWarrior Rack. There is the Load Warrior which is smaller and then the MEGAWARRIOR. Out of the box it is 48" wide x 52" long and 6.5" high. Right now it has a 22" extension but I picked up another one. I'm going to make an additional support above the front seats when I extend it. I scored four extra rack rails that some people weren't using and have them on there for extra support. I've had plywood up there before that my wife and I sat on with our lawn chairs at a mud run. We were taller than the aluminum bleachers they had set up. I have four sets of the offroad mounting light brackets as well as the spare tire mount. This rack has had sooo much stuff strapped to it and has never failed me. It's a little beat up but it's not for show. My Helo wheels are getting powder coated the matching metallic burgundy and they said they could do my rack the same color or just black again. The powder coat on it is getting a little baked after seven years.

 

Definitely post up pics and how you do it when you extend it over the front seats, please!

 

Been there and done that! I had a custom unit made that is 4'x7' but you could easily make it any size you want. It's thin walled 1" sq tubing. The mounting was the most difficult because I didn't want to drill through the roof and latching it to the existing cross members wasn't an option because they aren't strong enough.

The result, we came up with 1" still banding and cut strips that were sandwiched to existing roof rails and then to the actual rack. Close up't to come! The light is a 19K lm double row of LED's with Spot light in center and 60* floods on each end.

 

back in the day I used to have to install the complete roof rack rail systems on the vehicles for the dealerships. When doing so I would have to drop the headliner, drill the holes through the roof and then insert Rivet Nuts or more common known as Rivnuts into the roof so that we could screw down the new rail system. This same concept will be how I plan on making the extension brace most likely. I'll just weld me some braces and then attach them to the roof using them. I will need to drop the front of the liner to see what I'm working with under there.

 

I am probably going to build a custom one. I know that the rails arent very strong, anyone know how much weight the roof can hold well if I run a steel band and bolt that to mounts for the stock roof rack? Normally im the mindset of "build it way stronger than you need" but in this I have to adjust for weight.

 

Check out the build thread on my safari rack.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...cations-2.html








I ended up using angle iron with the flat on the roof and a rubber mat spacer and welding the rack to the angle iron. I bolted the angle iron to the factory rack mounting nuts that are welded in the roof. I can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I ended up at 53" wide by 107"long. I hauled 3 mounted tires (1 on an Ex rim and 2 on steel rims) and the entire front header panel forward for my 1978 Bronco for 1300 miles with no problems at all. I walk around on tne rack with no problems. The section of the rack forward of the front most mounting screw is supported by rubber sitting on the roof.

Including all of the versions I ended up modifying it through I have about $140 in my rack. It will be cheaper for you if you only build it once and don't keep modifying it. If you have the short term workspace you could build it in a day or two with a $100 welder from Harbor Freight. That would give you the rack and a new tool for @$250 if you have to desire to build it yourself. If you do build it, I would suggest the dipping in Muratic acid to strip the galvanizing from the ends before welding, have a good grinder with cutting wheels and flap wheels, and good welding magnets or a helper to hold stuff in place so you can tack weld it before fully welding everything.