wow thats looks pretty nice actually !
Thank you for sharing !

 

Niceee find. I might actually do this.

 

Like TRILLS.... DOOO IT.

 

Simple clean solution, nice! Wonder what the capacity is, plus no OEM crossbars, will that reduce the overall weight carry? Test it out with heavy stuff and report back. Thanks.

 

There’s no weight limit listed, but it has withstood the “I’m 250lbs and stood on it, no problem” weight test from someone else. Considering the factory xterra limit for the stock rack and crossbars is 150lbs I think it’s good to go. It is solid!

My initial plan was to go with the ubolt threads facing down, running unistrut bars as cross bars, and mounting the rack to the unistruts. Then using the unistrut ends on one side to mount an awning. Might still do that down the road...

 

My initial plan was to go with the ubolt threads facing down, running unistrut bars as cross bars, and mounting the rack to the unistruts. Then using the unistrut ends on one side to mount an awning. Might still do that down the road...

That is what I did with an ARB awning, then I got a drop in rack and had to redo the awning mount. Now I have a 23Zero awning and (1) the mounting hardware is far superior to ARB and (2) mounted perfectly using the mounting spots for the rack.

 

Wow this looks super clean!! Awesome job!

 

Shiiiiiiit man, that's the cleanest and by far the easiest option I've seen. My rooftop platform via How-to: Cargo Carrier Converted to Roof Rack is nice especially because it's a little more stealthy, but man it's a total pain in the ass to mount and remove, plus I sometimes yearn for the side-walls all the way around. I definitely might go this route and replace mine in the future and look to add a wire mesh floor across it plus some D-rings.

Good lookin' out, you two.

 

Shiiiiiiit man, that's the cleanest and by far the easiest option I've seen. My rooftop platform via How-to: Cargo Carrier Converted to Roof Rack is nice ...

It definitely is !! Yours was actually one of the top ones I was mulling over, until this option popped up.

 

Ordered!!!! Thanks for this. should be an awesome DIY solution that doesn't break the bank!

 

Post up pics for sure!!

Make this the official Golf Cart Roof Rack Hack thread...

 

Dammit, I swore I wasn't going to get pulled into mods past a new shift knob and LED bulbs. What's the discount code? lol

 

 

Try “EC10”

 

Thanks CDL. Newbie question, since I haven't taken an adventure since I got the vehicle 3 weeks ago. What types of things would you use the rack for? Are those storage boxes what you will use up there, because they fit perfect? My off-road driving will be mostly on the beach on the eastern shore of MD. Day trips, maybe a camp overnight. Like to do the canopy install also, would the 2 mods work together? Novice questions, I know. Thanks

 

Yep, the awning will fit depending on how you mount the unistruts: Unistrut / Superstrut Crossbars and Rotopax / Treds /...

it was a two person effort getting those fully loaded boxes up top (my 3 bin car camp set up).... told my wife, I “need” a gobi ladder now. Lol

i’ll probably end up putting lighter bulky items up there; tent, standard 10x10 canopy, folding chairs, sleeping bags.

which will leave room for the three bins, cooler and fire wood in the rear cargo. Right now, everything fits in the rear but i have zero visibility out the back window.

 

Yep, the awning will fit depending on how you mount the unistruts: Unistrut / Superstrut Crossbars and Rotopax / Treds /...

it was a two person effort getting those fully loaded boxes up top (my 3 bin car camp set up).... told my wife, I “need” a gobi ladder now. Lol

i’ll probably end up putting lighter bulky items up there; tent, standard 10x10 canopy, folding chairs, sleeping bags.

which will leave room for the three bins, cooler and fire wood in the rear cargo. Right now, everything fits in the rear but i have zero visibility out the back window.

Just by looking at it, I know my awning mounts (which are just muffler clamps with an L-bracket) would fit no problem, if you had to go a different route.

 

Is that as low as the basket can go? Looks like in one of the pictures its sitting on the original rack mounts? Personally I'd like to get it a bit closer to the roof, bit this is really close to what ive been looking for.

 

By looking at it, the height is all dependent on where you decide to drill into the rack, and @CDL appears to have put it at the highest possible position which is good to know. I'd love to see someone do this and mount it with a minimal amount of space underneath without touching and see how it looks.

I feel like "upgrading" to this is definitely in my future at some point.

 

TO ME.... it looks like the rack is maybe 3/4 to 1 inch above the roof ribs. Not much room to really drop it too much more.

 

Probably correct, but I'll take every 1/8" I can get! Still in shock how simple and clean this setup is.

 

I’d like to see a lower mount as well. It does indeed look like it’s higher up and could possibly go lower.

@CDL - do you think that the top of the rack could sit flush with the tops of the rails? Or is it too deep to get it that far down? TYIA.

 

Looks great, can you explain the bike tube a little more? Link to what you purchased? Thanks for the help.

 

Cut strips of bike inner tubing to wrap around the factory rail, and ubolt bracket over that. Fills in the ever so slight diameter gap/difference between rail and ubolt bracket, and creates more friction to hold it in place.

Links are in the first post.

 

I measured the height of the X's roof to top of OEM rack sidebar = 4.5". The cargo rack is 5"H. Depending on the load and flex of the cargo rack base, it's going to stick up above the rails. I would be cautious about mounting it too low and scratching your roof. Lost in this conversation is the sweet McMaster Carr dampening U-bolts. Great find that could have application beyond a cargo rack. Thanks CDL, and the code worked.....dammit $201.60 free shipping

 

Awesome!! Can't wait to see how you set it up!!
I would take the time to scuff up the bolts and paint them black prior to install. The chrome contrasts too much for my taste.

 

OK... to make thins easy for all, since our various rigs sit at different heights, put a level or something stiff and straight from one side of the rack to the other. Then measure down to the roof, preferably on a rib. Once you have that measurement, anyone can figure out if the rack setup as shown will fit in their garage.

In my case.... my garage door header is 82 inches from the floor. The weather strip deletes an inch from that. When I back my rig into the bay my awning just touches that weather strip. I have 81 inches of clearance total. The DepHep rack sits ontop of the stock rack rails, and the awning mount bracket sits ontop of the rack. From the ground to the top of the awning is 80.5 inches.
My driveway has a slight rise just as you enter the garage door, so I'm not entering flat but at a slight angle.

To mount the rack as close to the roof as possible, I'd take some 1/4 inch spacer slats and put them on the roof and put the rack on them. Then I'd fasten the rack to the stock rails. Finally I'd remove the spacers. Easy peasy.

 

@SmellyRandy - if you were only closer.....I’d buy your rack. Headed east anytime soon? Lol!

 

In 1.5 weeks but flying without the X, unfortunately! But I'm from Ohio and I've never made the drive there from Colorado so it may be on my to-do list at some point. I'll keep you in mind!

 

@CDL - thanks for the excellent op and follow up posts. All the detailed pics are friggin gold.
You really brought a gem to the crew. I see MANY folks going with this option.

 

McMaster Carr dampening U-bolts arrived yesterday! Waiting on the Rack!

 

Dry fitting the rack. I want it as low as possible, DC office garage challenges. Star award for CDL

 

...I want it as low as possible, DC office garage challenges....

Nice!!!!

Measure twice, drill once!!!

Post pics and measurements of where you drilled to get as low as it’ll go.

Are you gonna have it sitting on the side rail roof mounts?

 

Mega tanks @CDL . Just ordered the rack!

 

Done and Done!!!

Awesome find @CDL ! Thanks again! All in all it cost me:
$45.44 for the mounts
$201.60 for the rack

 

Done and Done!!!

Painted my bolts black while I waited for the rack to arrive .

Dam, you guys were on it!! Looks awesome!!

 

Just finished mounting mine too. Thanks for the Write up. Painted my bolts black while I waited for the rack to arrive .

 

God, it's killing me how quickly and easily y'all are completing this.

Any ideas for adding a floor or some cross bars for extra support for standing up on it? I use my current rack as a platform for photography or just sitting up there. That's the only thing missing from this for me and I'm thinking of different options, removable or permanent.

 

...Any ideas for adding a floor or some cross bars for extra support for standing up on it?...

Unistruts (at the local home improvement store) with same McMaster-Carr Ubolts!
Endless possibilities... note the hi-lift mount using the unistruts... vision an awning on the other side, or shovel/axe mount... plus golf cart rack... rack will sit a bit higher with this configuration, but not that much

EDIT: due to basket width, it will need to be notched to fit the ubolts in a unistrut below the rail position. Unistrut above the rail no problem, of course... but it’ll be sitting high.