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Edpike



Member Since: 04 Jul 2020
Location: NI
Posts: 35

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Tonga Green
DIY Unistrut Roof Rack for c.£300
Time taken - 3 days (not including paint drying times).
Tools - Socket set and spanners, drill (with metal bits), tape measure, angle grinder with metal cutting disc, mitre saw with metal cutting blade and sharpie pen.
Materials - U-POL Raptor Coat x3 bottles. 100x M8 Zinc Plated Long Spring Channel Nuts, 12x M8 square plate washer.

4 Hole Flat Plate bracket (HDG)× 4

Right Angle Tee Centre Bracket× 12

Nyloc Locking Nuts (Zinc Plated) - M8× 2

Hex Head Set Screws (grade 8.Cool - M8 x 30mm - Box of 100× 1

Hex Head Set Screws (grade 8.Cool - M8 x 40mm - Box of 100× 1

41 x 21 2.5mm Slotted Channel (3m)× 3

41 x 41 2.5mm Slotted Channel (3m)× 3

Weight - Approximately 57kg.

General
I have been in the market for a roof rack for my Defender 110. After much research I was either going to have to spend c.£750 - £1,500 to get a decent one or spend a less and get a rack that would rust in a blink of an eye - I live by the sea so this was not an option. So I decided to make my own.

Initially I started looking at aluminium extrusion (strength to weight), but by the time I had costed all the parts and shipping I was well into the more expensive roof rack sector. I have been working on a project were we were using Unistrut channel and I have notice that this is used for van roof racks to so I decided to build it out of that.

I placed an order with Strut Channels Direct (https://strutchannelsdirect.com/) who were very helpful. I also placed an order with Direct 4X4 for the roof rack brackets (https://direct4x4.co.uk/products/replacement-9-inch-brackets-for-roof-racks?_pos=3&_sid=14ae234f2&_ss=r). All in all the raw materials came to £230. I have included a scan of my design which did change as I progressed, but it gives you the rough dimensions I worked to during the build.

Before I go into the detail of the build I will stress now that I am not a metal fabricator and have never done anything like this before. Could I had done things better? Of course, but with limited skills and this being my first time at this sort of thing I thought I would share with the forum so that other can use my design and improve upon it.

Build Steps

1. On your workshop floor draw out the outline of your roof rack. This was a tip I was given by a metal fabricator friend of mine and it makes life a lot easier as you can ensure your dimensions and angles are all correct before you start cutting metal. As you will see from my design I have a tapered front to my rack and by drawing it out on the floor made getting these angles correct easy.



Click image to enlarge



2. I took the 41x21 2.5mm channel and fabricated the front and rear sections of the roof rack. I cut notches out that would allow me to bend the channel to the correct angles. Once these notches had been cut out I bent the channel into shape. Before you do any cutting make sure where your bend is going to be is not mid slot in the channel as this will make of a weaker angle and look a bit odd. You may have to adjust your design by a few mm to make allowances for this (see pic below).


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



3. I cannot weld, so I took the front and rear sections to a fabricator to weld for me. 15mins later and a 6 pack of beer and it was all done!

4. Next I cut two 41x21 2.5mm to complete the sides of the rack and bring it to the correct length. To join these side lengths to the front and rear sections I used four 4 hole flat plate brackets. I cut these down in width with the angle grinder so that they would slot inside the channel and not be seen from the outside. Again when you are cutting these lengths be mindful of where the final cut will be as you may have to adjust so not to cut over a slot. To perform these cuts I used a mitre saw with a metal cutting blade which was brilliant. You could do it with an angel grinder, but the accuracy may be difficult to achieve. Cut your cross members at this point. As you will see from the pictures that there are a couple of non-Unistrut cross bars. This is because I balls-up a cut 2 cross bars short. Thankfully I had a couple of old roof bars that I repurposed.
Once this step has been completed you are ready for either assembly or painting.



Click image to enlarge



5. I decided to paint my rack in U-Pol Raptor Coat. This is not the cheapest product on the market but is hard wearing and easy to apply. I first rubbed everything down with 100 grit, cleaned with thinners and applied etched primer and . Once dry I then rubbed down the parts with 180 grit cleaned with thinners and applied a single coat of Raptor Coat. I left my parts dry for over a week just to be sure that the coating had gone off properly.




Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



6. The next step is to assemble the roof rack. I took my time with this as I wanted to make sure that everything lined up correctly in terms of where the rack gutter brackets where going to go. The brackets I bought required a hole to be drilled in them so that the right angle tee centre bracket could be attached. Each gutter bracket is attached to the cross bar with 2x bolts. The assembly of the cross bars to the rack is as follows - a is bolted to the 41x21 2.5mm channel. Offer up the cross bar to the tee section and insert a long spring channel nut so that the holes align. The roof rack bracket is then offered up to the tee section with the cross bar below. Bolt together. Repeat this for the second bolt, but you will need a spacer - I used a M8 square plate washer for this.



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



7. Once assembled it is time to fit. This will require a couple of pair of hands and I managed to put a couple of nice scores on my roof trying to man handle it onto my wagon.

8. To finish it off I added plastic bolt caps to cover up the silver bolt heads.



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



If I am honest you could probably use 41x41 1.5mm channel for the cross bars as it is plenty strong enough and it will save weight - it can happily support my 14 stones when I walked on it. In addition, I have taken the rack on a road test and there is very little noise due to its low profile.

I hope this is some use to some of your who do not want to pay astronomical amounts for a 44kg Front Runner rack. Good luck with your own project and I am sure that mine can be improved upon.


Last edited by Edpike on 29th May 2021 7:46pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #905647 29th May 2021 7:40pm
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
Posts: 4787

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Great thread and very informative Thumbs Up 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90
2000 XS TD5 90
Post #905648 29th May 2021 7:42pm
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Matt110



Member Since: 29 Jun 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 670

United Kingdom 
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for sharing. And dare I say could extend the approach to internal racking, dog guards, shelving etc dramatically lower cost than some of the resellers can do, and to be honest with no loss of function. Bow down
Post #905663 29th May 2021 8:42pm
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Edpike



Member Since: 04 Jul 2020
Location: NI
Posts: 35

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Tonga Green
Thanks for the support. My next project will be a drawer storage space for the rear load area. I have seen some threads on this forum that are interesting, but I want to keep the weight down as it can start to add weight to your wagon.

I have also seen a DIY 270o awning on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2lcv6eP4t8) that I would like a crack at - need to learn how to weld first though... Mica (the channel owner) sells templates for the hinge which can be downloaded from here - https://www.overlandunderbudget.com/produc...pping-list

Unistrut looks pretty versatile, but can be quite agricultural in looks. I am sure there are better and more refined ways of connecting it. This will have to wait for the MkII.
Post #905691 30th May 2021 7:32am
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nitram17



Member Since: 08 Jun 2014
Location: newcastle
Posts: 2260

Re: DIY Unistrut Roof Rack for c.£300
Edpike wrote:
Time taken - 3 days (not including paint drying times).
Tools - Socket set and spanners, drill (with metal bits), tape measure, angle grinder with metal cutting disc, mitre saw with metal cutting blade and sharpie pen.
Materials - U-POL Raptor Coat x3 bottles. 100x M8 Zinc Plated Long Spring Channel Nuts, 12x M8 square plate washer.

4 Hole Flat Plate bracket (HDG)× 4

Right Angle Tee Centre Bracket× 12

Nyloc Locking Nuts (Zinc Plated) - M8× 2

Hex Head Set Screws (grade 8.Cool - M8 x 30mm - Box of 100× 1

Hex Head Set Screws (grade 8.Cool - M8 x 40mm - Box of 100× 1

41 x 21 2.5mm Slotted Channel (3m)× 3

41 x 41 2.5mm Slotted Channel (3m)× 3

Weight - Approximately 57kg.

General
I have been in the market for a roof rack for my Defender 110. After much research I was either going to have to spend c.£750 - £1,500 to get a decent one or spend a less and get a rack that would rust in a blink of an eye - I live by the sea so this was not an option. So I decided to make my own.

Initially I started looking at aluminium extrusion (strength to weight), but by the time I had costed all the parts and shipping I was well into the more expensive roof rack sector. I have been working on a project were we were using Unistrut channel and I have notice that this is used for van roof racks to so I decided to build it out of that.

I placed an order with Strut Channels Direct (https://strutchannelsdirect.com/) who were very helpful. I also placed an order with Direct 4X4 for the roof rack brackets (https://direct4x4.co.uk/products/replacement-9-inch-brackets-for-roof-racks?_pos=3&_sid=14ae234f2&_ss=r). All in all the raw materials came to £230. I have included a scan of my design which did change as I progressed, but it gives you the rough dimensions I worked to during the build.

Before I go into the detail of the build I will stress now that I am not a metal fabricator and have never done anything like this before. Could I had done things better? Of course, but with limited skills and this being my first time at this sort of thing I thought I would share with the forum so that other can use my design and improve upon it.

Build Steps

1. On your workshop floor draw out the outline of your roof rack. This was a tip I was given by a metal fabricator friend of mine and it makes life a lot easier as you can ensure your dimensions and angles are all correct before you start cutting metal. As you will see from my design I have a tapered front to my rack and by drawing it out on the floor made getting these angles correct easy.



Click image to enlarge



2. I took the 41x21 2.5mm channel and fabricated the front and rear sections of the roof rack. I cut notches out that would allow me to bend the channel to the correct angles. Once these notches had been cut out I bent the channel into shape. Before you do any cutting make sure where your bend is going to be is not mid slot in the channel as this will make of a weaker angle and look a bit odd. You may have to adjust your design by a few mm to make allowances for this (see pic below).


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



3. I cannot weld, so I took the front and rear sections to a fabricator to weld for me. 15mins later and a 6 pack of beer and it was all done!

4. Next I cut two 41x21 2.5mm to complete the sides of the rack and bring it to the correct length. To join these side lengths to the front and rear sections I used four 4 hole flat plate brackets. I cut these down in width with the angle grinder so that they would slot inside the channel and not be seen from the outside. Again when you are cutting these lengths be mindful of where the final cut will be as you may have to adjust so not to cut over a slot. To perform these cuts I used a mitre saw with a metal cutting blade which was brilliant. You could do it with an angel grinder, but the accuracy may be difficult to achieve. Cut your cross members at this point. As you will see from the pictures that there are a couple of non-Unistrut cross bars. This is because I balls-up a cut 2 cross bars short. Thankfully I had a couple of old roof bars that I repurposed.
Once this step has been completed you are ready for either assembly or painting.



Click image to enlarge



5. I decided to paint my rack in U-Pol Raptor Coat. This is not the cheapest product on the market but is hard wearing and easy to apply. I first rubbed everything down with 100 grit, cleaned with thinners and applied etched primer and . Once dry I then rubbed down the parts with 180 grit cleaned with thinners and applied a single coat of Raptor Coat. I left my parts dry for over a week just to be sure that the coating had gone off properly.




Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



6. The next step is to assemble the roof rack. I took my time with this as I wanted to make sure that everything lined up correctly in terms of where the rack gutter brackets where going to go. The brackets I bought required a hole to be drilled in them so that the right angle tee centre bracket could be attached. Each gutter bracket is attached to the cross bar with 2x bolts. The assembly of the cross bars to the rack is as follows - a is bolted to the 41x21 2.5mm channel. Offer up the cross bar to the tee section and insert a long spring channel nut so that the holes align. The roof rack bracket is then offered up to the tee section with the cross bar below. Bolt together. Repeat this for the second bolt, but you will need a spacer - I used a M8 square plate washer for this.



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



7. Once assembled it is time to fit. This will require a couple of pair of hands and I managed to put a couple of nice scores on my roof trying to man handle it onto my wagon.

8. To finish it off I added plastic bolt caps to cover up the silver bolt heads.



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge



If I am honest you could probably use 41x41 1.5mm channel for the cross bars as it is plenty strong enough and it will save weight - it can happily support my 14 stones when I walked on it. In addition, I have taken the rack on a road test and there is very little noise due to its low profile.

I hope this is some use to some of your who do not want to pay astronomical amounts for a 44kg Front Runner rack. Good luck with your own project and I am sure that mine can be improved upon.


Brilliant job fella ! Thumbs Up Whats the gap between the roof and the rack as its hard to tell on the pictures?If i could source brackets that made the rack close to the roof as possible i would be following you by making my own !
Post #905700 30th May 2021 8:46am
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Edpike



Member Since: 04 Jul 2020
Location: NI
Posts: 35

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Tonga Green
The gap is c.850mm. I used the 9" brackets for Direct 4x4 as the 5" did not clear the roof.

Good luck with your project. Love to see how it turns out.
Post #905716 30th May 2021 10:56am
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
Posts: 4787

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
You can also get stainless steel unistrut too Thumbs Up 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90
2000 XS TD5 90
Post #905723 30th May 2021 12:13pm
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Edpike



Member Since: 04 Jul 2020
Location: NI
Posts: 35

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Tonga Green
Yes - I looked at it, but slightly more expensive and I wanted a black roof rack. That said I think it would look quite smart.
Post #905735 30th May 2021 2:14pm
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