Anyone running a UJoint roof rack?
- Thread starter Hound
- Start date
motovan_mn
Active member
I'm running one on my RB and am pretty happy with it. I haven't messed around with it since the initial install, but I like that it allows for a decent amt of flexibility. I'm planning on scooting my RTT forwards and moving the gutter rail clamps around a little bit to better support the front/rear ends of the rack.
I priced out building my own rack using 8020 extrusions and decided the small premium for the pre-designed kit w/ the welded corner brackets and gutter rail clamps was worth it. Plus I believe it's still a decent bit cheaper than some of the other options (Aluminess comes to mind).
I believe their standard rack is sized for the RB vans, but i wonder if you call and ask they would modify the kit a bit to utilize the full length of the EB. Doesn't hurt to ask.
I priced out building my own rack using 8020 extrusions and decided the small premium for the pre-designed kit w/ the welded corner brackets and gutter rail clamps was worth it. Plus I believe it's still a decent bit cheaper than some of the other options (Aluminess comes to mind).
I believe their standard rack is sized for the RB vans, but i wonder if you call and ask they would modify the kit a bit to utilize the full length of the EB. Doesn't hurt to ask.
HWY395ghost
Member
Have one on our 2010 E250. They build them like they will personally use them. Exceeds expectations.
CaptainBuilt
Well-known member
I have the UJOR corners and rack mounts. Used my own rails.
They work great!
They work great!
Hound
Sheepdog
So I decided to pull the trigger on a Ujoint rack. I plan to put it into service as soon as it arrives and will report back with my findings. I decided to add the flooring for half the rack, I haven' seen a lot of that configuration on the EBs. Very excited to get this build rolling.
I have one also. I had Chris add a fifth pair of feet and crossbar to my order, and then I sourced two 12’ sections of the same 8020 profile locally from Grainger to make my own continuous, longer side rails. In hind sight, I don’t think the fifth foot was necessary. But the longer sections of aluminum are a good option to make the rack overall longer. These pictures were right after I installed the rack. I’ve added a solar panel, lights, shower tent and cargo carrier since then. I love the ability to add accessories with the roll-in nuts and not having to take the rack apart.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hound
Sheepdog
So, I figured I would update this thread with my findings. I am not accustomed to documenting things so I apologize ahead of time for the lack and quality of the photos I did take. To start off, here is a pict of the Van "new":
Initial impressions of the rack upon delivery were top notch; the packaging was perhaps the most thoughtful I have ever experienced. The included directions were clear to understand and helpful. All necessary hardware was included and organized well.
In terms of assembly, the rack went together easily. As anyone who had worked with the extruded aluminum can attest to, there are some minor learning curves, but once understood, it is a great system to work with and you are really only limited by your creativity. Between the included instructions and the video that Chris posted on YT, I found the assembly process painless, although I was wishing I had some extra hands to help speed the process and adequate building surfaces (i.e. saw horses or a huge table). Instead I built the rack using 4 tires I had lying around...
The only real challenge I had with the rack was getting it up on the roof. I could not figure out how to lift the assembled rack up without compromising the middle joint that connects the two halves of the rack. I am sure there is a way but I couldn't seem to figure it out. Pressed for time, I made the hard decision to separate the two halves of the rack and lift them separately onto the roof, which created the problem of connecting them once on the roof. With a little help from ratchet straps I was able to get it done.
All in all, I am really impressed with the Ujoint rack so far and would not hesitate recommending to anyone looking for a rack for their E-series. I will be adding a cargo box, road shower and awning to the rack in the coming weeks and will update this thread with my impressions.
Initial impressions of the rack upon delivery were top notch; the packaging was perhaps the most thoughtful I have ever experienced. The included directions were clear to understand and helpful. All necessary hardware was included and organized well.
In terms of assembly, the rack went together easily. As anyone who had worked with the extruded aluminum can attest to, there are some minor learning curves, but once understood, it is a great system to work with and you are really only limited by your creativity. Between the included instructions and the video that Chris posted on YT, I found the assembly process painless, although I was wishing I had some extra hands to help speed the process and adequate building surfaces (i.e. saw horses or a huge table). Instead I built the rack using 4 tires I had lying around...
The only real challenge I had with the rack was getting it up on the roof. I could not figure out how to lift the assembled rack up without compromising the middle joint that connects the two halves of the rack. I am sure there is a way but I couldn't seem to figure it out. Pressed for time, I made the hard decision to separate the two halves of the rack and lift them separately onto the roof, which created the problem of connecting them once on the roof. With a little help from ratchet straps I was able to get it done.
All in all, I am really impressed with the Ujoint rack so far and would not hesitate recommending to anyone looking for a rack for their E-series. I will be adding a cargo box, road shower and awning to the rack in the coming weeks and will update this thread with my impressions.