Unistrut Van Roof Rack

DIY Unistrut – Superstrut – Powerstrut DIY Van Roof Rack. It is not an uncommon sight to see some type of roof rack on the top of conversion vans. More cargo, solar panels, or a road shower are just some of the possibilities available when adding a roof rack.

We always wanted to have a roof rack as part of our Ram 136 ProMaster Weekender Van build. I’m not going to lie, the idea of hanging out on a rooftop observation deck is very appealing! 

DIY Unistrut – Superstrut – Powerstrut Van Roof Rack 

After researching for a little, we were left a little disappointed as the price of prefabricated roof rack options were way out of our current affordability. Rather than rule out the option of a roof rack, we decided to look for a more affordable solution.  

Enter Unistrut / Superstrut / Power-Strut Metal Framing Systems

Benefits For Using Strut Channel To Build A DIY ProMaster Van Roof Rack.

First, let’s take a look at our reasoning for using Unistrut / Superstrut / Powerstrut (Strut Channel going forward) as the main material for building a DIY roof rack on our Ram ProMaster Van.

• Lower Cost

There are lower cost roof rack options, but the cheapest ones only come with crossbars and not a full-frame and rails. The best commercially available roof rack options seem to be made in the USA. With this, exchange rates and shipping tends to drive the prices up. 

• Modular

The track style nature of Strut Channel coupled with the wide range of available brackets and fasteners means you are just limited by your imagination. (and technical knowledge)

How To Attach The Unistrut To The Van Roof? – ProMaster Roof Rack Mounts

Promaster Factory Roof Rack Stud Mounts

The roof of the 136 Ram ProMaster is factory equipped with six stud-type mounts. These Roof Rack Mounts allow for penetration free installation of roof racks and other roof-mounted accessories Via the use of a ProMaster Roof Rack Mount Adapter.

Promaster Roof Rack Mount Adapters

• Vantech Promaster Adaptor Kit

The Vantech Promaster Stainless Steel adaptor is the most commonly used adapter. You can source them directly from Vantech or via various van upfitter websites.

 

• Unaka Gear Co. Promaster Roof Rack Bracket.

A new bracket option, designed for DIY applications is the Unaka Gear Co. Promaster Roof Rack Bracket. CNC milled, with a black anodized finish. It’s great to see a quality bracket at a reasonable price.

 

• DIYvan – Impact Products

DIYvan, otherwise known as Impact Products offers a roof rack mount adapter to fit the Ram Promaster. CNC machined out of UV and fire resistant expanded PVC they offer a clean all-black look.

 

• KARGOMASTER 4089P Cargo Rack Mount Kit – Promaster

This Cargo Mount Rack Kit form Kargo Master, while not a universal mount like the options from DIYvan and Vantech, it could be used for other DIY Roof rack and crossbar designs. Just another thing to consider.

 

• Weather Guard  ProMaster Channel Kit (2115-0-01)

The last Roof Rack Mount Adapter to consider for a DIY Roof Rack on your ProMaster is the Weather Guard  ProMaster Channel Kit (2115-0-01). With this option, the front to back rails is included. 

More Things To Consider When Adding A Roof Rack To Your Ram ProMaster 

Weight Limits 

Make sure you read the FCA Body Builder Instructions and ProMaster Design Recommendations. In there you will see a very important note about the ProMaster’s roof rack weight limitations. 

Maximum Admissible Load: 150kg Including Roof Rack, regardless of the wheelbase length. 

Center Of Gravity 

Another thing to consider before adding a roof rack is the changes to your vans center of gravity and vehicle handling.  If you are a BLAT (Brake Late And Turn) style driver, you may want to reconsider installing a roof rack or at least keep it minimal. And always remember to abide by your vehicle’s roof rack weight limits.

How We Built A DIY Unistrut – Superstrut – Powerstrut Roof Rack For Our ProMaster Van

Disclaimer! This is how we built a Roof Rack for our van. DO NOT take this information as professional advice. Do your research and make your own decisions accordingly. 

Design Challenges

• Low Profile Design 

Ideally, we could mount our Strut Channel directly on top of the Roof Rack Mount Adapters. Unfortunately, the crossbars will hit the roof if mounted level. In an effort to keep a low profile design. We fabricated one-inch spacers to lift the rails enough to allow the crossbars to clear the roof.

• Weight Limits

To make the roof rack as light as possible, we used the thinnest gauge slotted strut channel we could find. We would have preferred to use an aluminum channel, but the wholesalers in our area were out of stock at the time. 

• Color Match

We wanted our finished Roof Rack to look as good as possible. To give it a professional finish we had the channel powder-coated in a color that closely matches the color of the van. Spray painting was also an option, but honestly, the time to payoff ratio was off. I would rather just drop it off and get a durable, long-lasting finish that looks amazing!

Tools and Materials

• Compact Band Saw
• Socket and Wrench Set
• 1” x ⅜” Bolts
• ⅜” Fender Washers
• 5/16 x 2” Stainless Carriage Bolts
• 5/16 Stainless Fender Washers
• Strut Channel Nuts  (Smart Nut)
• Sharpie Paint Pen

Step-1 Collect All Materials And Cut To Size

The first thing we did was pick up the strut channel. After calling around, the Lowe’s price we could find was at Lowes. We needed four lengths. The two side rails were kept at full length and the four crossbars were cut at 56-½”. Our Milwaukee Compact Bandsaw made quick work of this strut channel

Step-2 Powder Coating

We scrolled through the color chips at our local powder coaters and found a very close match to the factory Granite Crystal Metallic paint color. In the form of an Erie Satin Gunmetal Grey.

Freshly Powder Coated 

To keep with our two-tone black and grey color scheme, we accented the brackets in black a Black powder-coated finish.

Step-3 Rail Spacers 

We built our risers by using longer 2-inch carriage bolts and 1” pieces of 1“x.25” aluminum tube.

Step-4 Painting The Hardware

The next step was blacking out all the washers and bolt heads. #ProTip: To help the paint adhere to the zinc coating we took the shine off with a scuff pad. We also painted the spacers using the same procedure.

Step-5 Assembly 

Now for the most rewarding part. Bolting everything together.

Read The Manual

Even though it seemed straight forward, we read some VanTech install instructions to make sure we don’t overlook an important step. 

Some things we noted…

• The Vantech Roof Mount Adapter bottoms slot in from the outside.
• Don’t tighten down the Roof Mount Adapters until the rails and crossbars are square.

Allstrut Smart Nut

We sourced these Allstrut Smart Nuts locally, I can back up the manufacturer claims by telling you that these nuts will save you time! Another bonus is the unbreakable modified poly flange will keep the powder coating from being compromised. 

Paint Protection

We stored the strut channel rails on the roof while we organized the rail spacers. By doing this we found that the bottom side of the stainless carriage bolts will rub on the roof rack mount reinforcement and cause rust. 

To help with this problem using some foam gasket between the bolts and van.

Step-6 Touch Up 

Some of the paint scratched off the bolts and washers during install. A quick touch up with a paint pen has them looking fresh.

Our DIY Unistrut – Superstrut – Powerstrut Van Roof Rack Is ✅ 

This type of rack is never going to look as clean as some of the commercial options, but at a finished cost of close to 500 CAD, we are extremely happy. Color matching the powder coating makes the rack look fresh, and the tube risers also add a nice look that we are quite proud of.

What Are We Putting On The Roof

Check out how we Installed a Roofnest Falcon XL Roof Top Tent on our Ram ProMaster

Now that the main Roof Rack frame is finished, we can bolt on some roof-mounted accessories. We have an older Thule rooftop box that will be the first thing we install. After that we will design and build a DIY Road Shower roof-mounted water storage. Followed by a solar panel for our simple electrical system.

Interested In Some Of Our Other Cool Van Projects?

• Mounting Robe Hooks To Our Van UniStrut Rails
• Installing Our Van Mini Safe
• Van Window Trim
• Campervan Kitchen Pod – Mini-Prep Area
• DIY Aluminum Van Roof Rack

How We Heat Our Van During Winter Adventures 

• Gasoline Parking Heater Installation
• Chinese Parking Heater Webasto Copy
• Van Heater Air Duct System – Update / Upgrade

WOW, that took a while, I hope I covered everything. And, I hope you get some value from it. Thanks for reading, take the road less traveled, stay sideways, and always keep it fresh.

Weekender Van Life – Van Life Blog – weekendervanlife.com