robcarync
Sliders
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
Hey guys...first off...I am getting married in May...which means I am having an awesome bachelor party in May. We plan on offroading at the NC beaches and camping out for the weekend...and likewise, I gotta make sure my Xterra is not only OFFROAD capable...but now I have to make it capable of hauling some cargo...soooo...PROJECT (that's why I'm getting married shhhhhhhhhh..... )
That being said, I have decided that for camping on the beach...I want and need:
A roof rack capable of strapping cargo to....preferably one that is recessed in between the roof rails to not add to the overall height. (DEPHEP style)
A ladder to get to the top
A platform I can put a tent on top of...because if I am going to camp out on my bachelor party, I want to sleep on top of my X
Now...I have researched a lot of options for ladders...I am not doing Gobi because it is crazy expensive for a ladder. I have looked into other options (RV ladders, truck ladders, etc) that hang on the hatch, or hang on potentially a roof rail. Not sure what I will do with this...or maybe just make one. I kind of like the idea of a ladder that actually extends all the way to the ground that either telescopes open, folds away, etc. I don't like the idea of all my body weight hanging on the hatch sheet metal.
Note: This ladder does look like it could be good:
http://www.amazon.com/Traxion-5-100...8&qid=1390590687&sr=8-1&keywords=truck+ladder
For the platform, I basically want the rack to be flat...all on a single plane, and just be able to throw a piece of plywood in the bottom and put a normal tent on top. I don't want to get into the crazy collapsible, clap open, clam shell type tents. Just a flat basket that my body can fit in and a piece of plywood to distribute my weight.
Then I got this crazy idea...of making a full sized ladder that basically slides away into the roof rack when not in use. It could slide away in some C-Channel and blend in with the rack floor. Reach up, pull it out, and I can prop it against anything I want.
I have attached a few sketches...now obviously the challenge I have with the current concept is keeping the middle of the rack clear so the ladder slides out. I am thinking I will have to maybe have a separate C channel slide below the actual rack surface so it is strong enough...but I just like brain storming...any other clever cargo storage ideas?
I could potentially make the plywood platform part of the actual rack...carriage bolt it to each outer edge and have all the supports and C channel under the plywood...but of course that limits bungee spots by having the cross supports covered...
And the stock roof rack is rated for 150 pounds...which I may believe that for driving around, but I have no worries about sleeping with my weight suspended on the rails as long as my weight is distributed and the vehicle is not moving.
That being said, I have decided that for camping on the beach...I want and need:
A roof rack capable of strapping cargo to....preferably one that is recessed in between the roof rails to not add to the overall height. (DEPHEP style)
A ladder to get to the top
A platform I can put a tent on top of...because if I am going to camp out on my bachelor party, I want to sleep on top of my X
Now...I have researched a lot of options for ladders...I am not doing Gobi because it is crazy expensive for a ladder. I have looked into other options (RV ladders, truck ladders, etc) that hang on the hatch, or hang on potentially a roof rail. Not sure what I will do with this...or maybe just make one. I kind of like the idea of a ladder that actually extends all the way to the ground that either telescopes open, folds away, etc. I don't like the idea of all my body weight hanging on the hatch sheet metal.
Note: This ladder does look like it could be good:
http://www.amazon.com/Traxion-5-100...8&qid=1390590687&sr=8-1&keywords=truck+ladder
For the platform, I basically want the rack to be flat...all on a single plane, and just be able to throw a piece of plywood in the bottom and put a normal tent on top. I don't want to get into the crazy collapsible, clap open, clam shell type tents. Just a flat basket that my body can fit in and a piece of plywood to distribute my weight.
Then I got this crazy idea...of making a full sized ladder that basically slides away into the roof rack when not in use. It could slide away in some C-Channel and blend in with the rack floor. Reach up, pull it out, and I can prop it against anything I want.
I have attached a few sketches...now obviously the challenge I have with the current concept is keeping the middle of the rack clear so the ladder slides out. I am thinking I will have to maybe have a separate C channel slide below the actual rack surface so it is strong enough...but I just like brain storming...any other clever cargo storage ideas?
I could potentially make the plywood platform part of the actual rack...carriage bolt it to each outer edge and have all the supports and C channel under the plywood...but of course that limits bungee spots by having the cross supports covered...
And the stock roof rack is rated for 150 pounds...which I may believe that for driving around, but I have no worries about sleeping with my weight suspended on the rails as long as my weight is distributed and the vehicle is not moving.
Attachments
Last edited: