RAM PROMASTER VAN BUILD - DIY ROOF RACK

RAM PROMASTER VAN BUILD Episode #14 - DIY Roof Rack
Welcome, this is our 14th video in a series of videos that covers all aspects of our van build. Today we are going to build a roof rack for our van. We are going to complete this job without drilling a single hole in the van or altering the vehicle in any way.
Part of our success here is due to the fact that we are standing on the shoulders of others before us, most notably Dave from Van of Action. Dave has designed a DIY inexpensive roof rack bracket for the RAM Promaster roof tabs. We are definitely using his design.
All of our resources, materials and tools are listed below.
Van of Action: / vanofaction
Cleco Sheet Metal Fastener Kit: www.amazon.ca/Beginner-Cleco-...
Rivets: www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalog...
Rivet Gun, rivets, drill bit kit: www.amazon.ca/dp/B08NWXBCX5?p...
Aluminum: loucon.ca/
Other videos in our van build series include:
1 PLANNING - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
2 PARTITION - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
3 SWIVEL SEATS - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
4 PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
5 REAR DOOR WON'T LOCK - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
6 PLANNING - UPDATE 1 - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
7 DIY SHOWER PAN - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
8 DIY MAXXAIR FAN INSTALL - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
9 DIY WINDOW INSTALL - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
10 DIY GREYWATER TANK INSTALL - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
11 DIY SOUND DEADENING AND INSULATION - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
12 DIY RV BED - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
13 DIY FLOOR - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
14 DIY ROOF RACK - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
15 DIY CHARGING SYSTEM - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
16 DIY CURTAINS - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
17 DIY KITCHEN WALL - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
18 DIY KITCHEN CUPBOARDS - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
19 DIY KITCHEN COUNTER - • Video
20 RV MICROWAVE INSTALL - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
21 RV INVERTER INSTALL - • Video
22 RV CEDAR CEILING - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
23 9” APPLE CARPLAY - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
24 DIY VAN WALLS - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
24 DIY VAN WALLS - • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
25 SLIDING DOOR WON’T CLOSE • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
26 DIY INTERIOR TRIM - • Video
27 DIY WATER SUPPLY • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
28 DIY DIESEL HEATER • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...
29 DIY DIESEL TANK • RAM PROMASTER VAN BUIL...

Пікірлер: 33

  • @sunseeker8457
    @sunseeker845728 күн бұрын

    Now all Dave has to do is to paten this before someone else does and sell a truck load of them!

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    24 күн бұрын

    No kidding

  • @VanOfAction
    @VanOfAction Жыл бұрын

    Dwayne .... What a thrill it was for me to be told about your roof rack. A member of both our communities shared a link with me. Thank you so much for the kind words …. But more than that I love your absolute joy at 11:03 when you had it half done !! I remember exactly how that felt - and you really made me smile. I’m so happy it worked for you as well as it worked for me. Clearly you have more experience working with metal than I do - I always try to build in the ability to change and adjust things so rivets were not a consideration. Thanks for sharing the cost, do you have any idea about the time it took ? And lastly, I imagine it would only be helpful to others if I shared your experience with my community … can we talk about that >>> Happy New Year and I hope the storm wasn’t too hard on you. Be well … Dave

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    Dave, it is a real pleasure to hear from you. We have been following your channel for a while now. We like your approach and transparency. I do have some experience with metal, mostly from manufacturing aircraft parts, not as a profession, just as a hobby. What I find so very interesting to van building is we all bring solutions to the table from our own world of experiences. Whether you are a plumber, carpenter, metal worker we all have our own ideal methods of solving a problem. I like this more than anything else about KZread. You get good ideas from others and we all benefit from the experience. I built the roof rack in 9 days; June 15th - 23rd. These were not full days, I generally work 2-3 hours a day on the van, sometimes a little more. That time period also encompasses video editing. So the build time would be less. Of course you are welcome to share my experience with your community, absolutely. Happy New Year to you as well, and yes, Lin and I did get caught in the storm. We were traveling at the time and ended up having to overnight in Gananoque - unbelievable driving conditions. Possibly the worst we have seen. Dave, I hope our paths cross, either when you’re out at this end of the country or we’re out that way. I really appreciate you dropping us a note, and keep up the good work! Cheers, Dwayne

  • @ron-almog
    @ron-almog Жыл бұрын

    Love it, love it! Engineering at it's best! I hope to follow your guidelines soon. thanks for sharing this!

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your feedback, and you are welcome. The real credit goes to Dave from Van of Action. The brackets are his design and they work GREAT! One more point I should add, I have had a few question my use of rivets in the build. This is a solid unit, no hesitation on my part, and if I was to build it again, I would do it exactly the same. Indecently there were no design changes necessary to address unwanted wind noise. The unit doesn’t seem to produce any wind noise at highway speed, and we also have not noticed a negative impact on fuel economy. You literally forget the solar panels are up there. Good luck with your build! Cheers Dwayne

  • @bukit2361
    @bukit23617 ай бұрын

    Great video! I did a similar project but bought steel brackets with hardware on Amazon 6 for $100. I used two 10' x 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" x 1/8" steel angle for $60. I used 3 large 41"x 69" x 1 1/4" 360 w panels. The panels themselves provide the structure between the rails. I used 3/8" bolts to bolt the angle to the brackets and 5/16" bolts to the panels 4 each.

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    6 ай бұрын

    Sounds like an excellent design.

  • @ThePincola
    @ThePincola17 күн бұрын

    Hi, very interesting video. However, I can't understand the measurements because we use mm in Italy. I was able to understand the measurements for the aluminum, but I don't understand those for the bolts. Could you please explain what size the bolts correspond to? How many mm is the head, and how long is the screw? Thank you, Claudia

  • @rebbar64
    @rebbar648 ай бұрын

    That is nice!

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    8 ай бұрын

    thank you.

  • @Dan645ci
    @Dan645ci2 ай бұрын

    thank you, i i have purchased the sections, not sure about the bolt size and the drill bit size to make the holes for the bolts, if you would help please,

  • @edempryamo
    @edempryamo2 ай бұрын

    Какая толщина этого профиля? В миллиметрах подскажите пожалуйста.

  • @RoadThruGrace
    @RoadThruGrace9 ай бұрын

    I love your “Life Is Short DIY” channel name. I’m hoping you see this as it’s been at least a year since you uploaded your video. My desire is to obtain my own Dodge Ram ProMaster within the next few months. I truly love this video that the KZread algorithm placed in my feed. My question has to do with the rivet gun(?) - does it require a lot of upper-body strength to get the rivets installed? p.s., I’ve subscribed too. 😊

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    9 ай бұрын

    Hi, thanks for your question. That is a difficult question to answer as strength is relative. I asked my wife how she would answer this question, as she has pulled rivets as well, and she says it takes hand strength, not upper body strength. A few thoughts come to mind. Many will assemble their aluminum roof racks with bolts instead of rivets, so that might be an option for you. Another option would be to use a pneumatic rivet gun, which uses compressed air to pull the rivet. They start around $60 on amazon and go up. If you can borrow a rivet gun, I would try it to see what works best for you. Thanks for the feedback and good luck with your project. Dwayne

  • @michaelcoverdale3374
    @michaelcoverdale3374 Жыл бұрын

    Great video and awesome hack... I was just looking for those clips. Is there a reason why you didn't mount the rack inside the clips for a lower profile?

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi, thank you for the feedback and question. You actually need a little space underneath the solar panel for the electrical connection. I didn’t think this all the way through at time of install, but by the time I got to the wiring, which I captured in video 15, charging System, I realized that I had it right. Just the right amount of space to make everything work. I wouldn’t change a thing. The clips are designed by Dave from Van of Action. He does great work. Cheers Dwayne

  • @cgauthier5094
    @cgauthier5094 Жыл бұрын

    Nice work !! I was wondering, what is the rivet diameter you used ? Thanks in advance....Just found in your vid ! Realy nice work !!

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your feedback.

  • @cgauthier5094
    @cgauthier5094 Жыл бұрын

    Hey Dwayne, any idea when you plan to install an awning ? I'm working on sketchup design and am scratching my head ? any autocad design in mind ? cheers

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    Have you picked e model or brand?

  • @gregnorman3183
    @gregnorman3183 Жыл бұрын

    I'm concerned about the strength of pop rivets vs bolts and nuts

  • @jamesgardner9832

    @jamesgardner9832

    8 ай бұрын

    Pop rivets keep the skin of planes on their frames.

  • @FlyingCameraGuy
    @FlyingCameraGuy Жыл бұрын

    I couldn't help but notice the Rv6 in the hanger. Is that yours? We had one for years.

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    yes. are you no longer flying?

  • @FlyingCameraGuy

    @FlyingCameraGuy

    Жыл бұрын

    @@LifeIsShortDIY no I'm not 🙁. I have very bad sleep issues and I won't get in the plane tired.

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    Жыл бұрын

    @@FlyingCameraGuy I understand. I'm sorry to hear that. I don't talk to many about how fortunate I feel to own and operate an rv6. As you would know, it is a privilege to fly this aircraft. Kindest regards. Dwayne

  • @FlyingCameraGuy

    @FlyingCameraGuy

    Жыл бұрын

    @@LifeIsShortDIY We loved our RV6 and flew it all over the country.

  • @jamesbrunner6202
    @jamesbrunner62022 жыл бұрын

    What thickness tubing are you using

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    2 жыл бұрын

    1/8” Cheers

  • @ollydogtravels9465

    @ollydogtravels9465

    Жыл бұрын

    @@LifeIsShortDIY nice job

  • @StevenDavisPhoto
    @StevenDavisPhoto8 ай бұрын

    does anyone make these brackets for sale? i can make them but dont really want to.

  • @LifeIsShortDIY

    @LifeIsShortDIY

    8 ай бұрын

    Hi Steve, this is definingly a product that some tool-equipped manufacture could mass produce and spit out in quantity with very little gear up time. Having made them, I would pay up to $10 a bracket if they were available to buy. Having said that, I wouldn’t pay any more as they are super easy to make. Cheers