We built a Custom DIY Aluminum Roof Rack for our Ram ProMaster Van. It is a lightweight and durable aluminum roof rack rail system that is designed to be modular and easily modified for future additions. We needed it to be low profile with a tactical look, and strong enough to support our Roofnest Falcon XL Rooftop Tent.
This Roof Rack is a versatile tool for storage and hauling cargo, while still keeping valuable space open inside the cabin of our van.
Keep reading to see how we built our…
DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack
There are many benefits when installing a roof rack on a van. You easily add extra storage space with a Cargo Box or Roof Rack Cargo Basket. It allows for easy installation and maintenance of solar panels for your Van electrical. You can mount a Rooftop Solar Shower like the Yakima RoadShower or the WaterPort Weekender, or hang out on a rooftop deck. The options are endless.
Our Favorite Benefits Of Installing A Roof Rack On Our Camper Van
Roof Storage
You can have too much storage in a van or RV. When we have a Rooftop Cargo Carrier installed on the van, we fill it with a camp table and chairs, firewood, and numerous other bulky items. Our Thule Box is well used and we use it well!
Roofnest Rooftop Tent
We added a second bedroom to our ProMaster van with the installation of a Roofnest Rooftop Tent. A rooftop tent is such a fun way to increase sleeping capacity and make use of a roof rack on your van.
Looks Cool 😎
The utilitarian look of a low-profile tactical-style roof rack is just cool. Add on accessories like Traction Mats and a Shovel and you can look like you know what you’re doing.
Why Upgrade Our DIY Unistrut Roof Rack With Aluminum?
We had already built a DIY Unistrut Roof Rack for our Van. While this rack worked well for a while, there are a few reasons why we chose to upgrade it to aluminum.
Strip Down Unnecessary Weight – Better Vehicle Handling
Something we were aware of but didn’t quite realize how much it would change our van’s handling. The rack alone was ok, add the Rooftop Tent and the handling of the van was drastically affected. The top-heavy loading made for massive amounts of sway and extended breaking time. To keep using the RTT, we need to cut weight.
Add Length – More Useable Roof Space
The previous Unistrut Roof Rack was ten feet long. The new rack is twelve. This gives us an extra two linear feet of usable space for whatever reason we may need.
More Professional Look – No Unfinished Open Ends
Even with End Caps, Unistrut still looks DIY. Upgrading with aluminum will allow us to incorporate mitered corners for the cleanest professional design and build.
Material Options We Considered
There were many different options to choose from when building a DIY Aluminum Roof Rack for our Ram ProMaster Van. Below we list out some reasons for and against potential materials as well as our reasons for settling with our material of choice.
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8020 extruded aluminum
8020 Extruded Aluminum is a very popular material and is regularly used by van-build DIYers and professionals alike. It is easy to work with and connects in a similar fashion as unistrut. It is lightweight and strong. The one negative that steered me away was the cost. After factoring in materials and associated hardware, the costs climb up dramatically.
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Aluminum Unistrut
Another versatile roof rack-building material is Unistrut. Unfortunately, Aluminum Unistrut is sometimes difficult to source. Add the fact we would need to purchase 20-foot lengths and this makes the price too high.
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Aluminum Tube – Square – Round
Aluminum Tube is the number one material used by professional Roof Rack manufacturers. Well-known manufacturers like Aluminess use it as the primary material for their products. Unfortunately, without aluminum welding tools, Aluminum Tube is not a viable option as it would look too “DIY”.
Our Material Choice – Aluminum Angle
After much thought and research, we decided to use 2x2x3/16 Aluminum Angle as the material choice for building our Van roof rack. It is lightweight and strong enough. Simple to bolt together using easily sourced hardware. It is easy to work with and most importantly we can make it look 😚 👌
Ram ProMaster Roof Rack Pins Studs and Mount Adapters
Roof Rack Pins Studs
The 136-wheelbase ProMaster roof comes with six Roof Rack Studs to allow the installation of Roof Racks and other roof-mounted accessories. 
Roof Rack Mount Adapters
Connection of the Roof Rack to the Roof Rack Pins Studs is done by using Ram Promaster Roof Rack Mount Adapters. There are a multitude of different Roof Rack Mount Adapters to choose from and we list some of the most popular in our DIY Unistrut Roof Rack post. We are reusing our VanTech ProMaster Stainless Steel Adapters from our previous Roof Rack for this project.
Ram ProMaster Van Roof Rack Weight Limit
Something to consider when adding a roof rack to any vehicle is the manufacturer’s roof rack weight limit. The absolute weight limit for a roof rack on the Ram ProMaster is 150 kg. Regardless of wheelbase length. More details regarding this maximum admissible load can be found in the Upfitters Guide on the Ram website
Project Costs – How Much Did Our Custom DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack Cost
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Materials $398.00
We purchased the 2x2x3/16 aluminum angle from two different suppliers. The two longer eleven-foot lengths were sourced from Metal Supermarkets at a cost of $255.31. For the end-caps, we found eight-foot lengths of 2x2x3/16 on sale at Princess Auto for $49.99 each. Total material costs after taxes: $398.00
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Welding Labor $67.20
Coastline Metal Works, a local welding company helped us to do the welds on the End-Caps. We pre-cut all the material ready prior to dropping it off. They did a great job and charged me a minimal fee for the service.
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Powder Coating $179.20
While it is not entirely necessary, we could have coated with it spray paint. Spray paint will not last as long in the sun. We used Victoria Powder Coating to coat all the pieces in a basic Semi Matte White. All said and done for $179.20
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Stainless Steel Hardware $66.69
All new stainless hardware (Nuts, Bolts, and Washers) was sourced from Fastener Force, our local hardware supplier. Going to a specialty store for nuts and bolts can save you quite a bit. Stainless hardware at Home Depot is double the price.
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Total: $710.00 CAD
DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack – Design Thinking
Some of the thought processes behind our DIY Aluminum Roof Rack Design.
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Extend the Roof Rack Area
We had two major questions to answer when extending the rack area. How far we could go backward without interfering with access via our Prime Design Rear Door Ladder. And how far we could go forward within causing too much wind resistance at the front. All things considered, we settled on 11-foot side rails, with the end-caps installed, the total length is just shy of 12 feet.
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Cross Bars Only Where There Needed
To prevent unnecessary weight and keep material costs as low as possible, we will only add cross bars where they are needed. With the roof tent taking up the majority of the roof space,
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Wind Noise
Moving the front of the rack forward is going to increase drama and create wind noise. To improve the aerodynamics, will need to design some type of fairing. A DIY Van Roof Rack Wind Deflector
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Keep Rails as low profile as possible without cross bars without hitting the roof.
We wanted to make the rack hug the roof as close as possible. It could have been possible to make it lower, but to keep things simple we decided to make the upright bases out of the same 2x2x1/8 aluminum.
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Enable reuse of existing cross bars made for Rooftop Tent
We used 2×2 aluminum square tubes as cross bars to mount our Roofnest. With the cost of materials being so high, reusing these cross bars was a must. The width of the rack was made to match. Conveniently, the cross bars were made to overhang our previous rack by half an inch on each side, so this meant we could make our new rack one inch wider.
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Isosceles Trapezoid End Caps
To add some uniqueness to the rack, we wanted to taper in on the ends. To do this we designed end caps in the shape of an Isosceles Trapezoid. We made the removable to allow for easy additions like spotlights and a wind fairing.
Building A DIY Aluminum Roof Rack For Our ProMaster Van – Video
The Tools
- Ryobi Sliding Mitre Saw
- Milwaukee 12v Drill Driver
- Drill Bit Set
- Irwin Step Drill Bit
- 8-inch Flat File
- Tape Measure
- Metal Scribe
- Socket Set
- Ratchet Wrench Set
The Materials
- 2x2x3/16” Aluminum Angle
- 1-½” Aluminum Flat Bar
The How – DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack
Step-1 Building The Upright Brackets
To support the Roof Rack Rails we constructed some upright brackets / Towers / Standoffs. They are made from the same 2x2x3/16 aluminum angle. The upright brackets are drilled to connect the Roof Rack Mount Adapters to the Roof Rack Rails. To keep things simple we made both sides of the bracket the same. 
#ProTip: We use a Diablo Metal Saw Blade to cut through aluminum like butter!
Step-2 Measure And Drill Cross Bars Mounting Holes
Next, we marked and drilled holes to mount some crossbars. The width of the roof rails is measured to mount the crossbars without any overlap. Also, to allow for adjustments and other installs we drilled mounting holes every six inches along the foul length of the rails.
#ProTip: we use our Irwin Step-Bit to deburr the holes after drilling.
Step-3 Cut Pieces To Construct The Front And Rear End-Caps
We used our trusty miter saw to cut the pieces of aluminum before dropping them off at the welder. The front cap has slightly more of a point than the back. There is a piece of 1-½” Flat Bar to connect the End Caps to the Rails. I had never done mitered corners for anything other than 90 degrees before so it is not perfect, but the welder made it work and they turned out great.
Step-4 Test Fit
To make sure everything fits and to drill the upright bracket holes in the correct locations along the rails we assembled all the pieces for a test. We found an original thought of having the rack hanging back a bit would not work as it would encroach on the ladder access. After confirming a good location we clamped the brackets in place and marked the holes before drilling and sending the pieces off for powder coating. 
Step-5 Final Assembly
We started the assembly process by installing the roof mount adapters and the upright brackets. Only partially wrenching down the nuts to allow for movement. Next, we added the side rails. Again leaving the bolts a little loose. Once the side rails were in place we installed the end caps. Tightening down on the end cap fasteners makes the side rails square and ensures everything tightens down nicely and straight. 
Our DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack Is ✅
All said and done we are very happy with how our new rack turned out. The tapered ends give it a clean look and the white powder coat finish pops along with our white Black Rhino Havasu wheels. 😚👌
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As always, thank you for taking the time to visit Weekender Van Life. And remember, always take the road less traveled!
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