Rain Gutter Shape question from a Hospital bed..

[ricardo]

Background first...

I learn from Polar Bear my land cruiser that the roof/rain gutter contour/shape may look kind of straight but is far from it so I improvise this "Caliper"

Polar bear roof is so Kaddywumpus.. - ricardo kuhn (patineto)

Hi, I'm Ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to BALDY and the guys at ADVrider is growing really fast. A few of my projects are bicycle racks for motorcycles and the most famous is my Pro-Taper...

patineto.smugmug.com

Current times, in 2015 i broke my spine and since then Lifting motorcycles just for S#@$ and giggles had to stop so I start tinkering with a crane to lift heavy items that will be impossible to do my hand..

Thanks to Bucky and his triangulate thingies (Just kidding A Frames have been around for millennia,_

Crane Guesstimation length #One - ricardo kuhn (patineto)

Hi, I'm Ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to BALDY and the guys at ADVrider is growing really fast. A few of my projects are bicycle racks for motorcycles and the most famous is my Pro-Taper...

patineto.smugmug.com

the system works extremely well, but still scare the crap out of me, is noiseless, not even a creak, even filing a K12LT that is 920pounds (20 times 1 netter high), regardless i think is time to spread the winch load into the whole rain gutter, teased of just four mounting points..

the Yakima towers I'm using for R&D Are Peunny and made of injected plastic..

A frame Crane to load the Van - ricardo kuhn (patineto)

Hi, I'm Ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to BALDY and the guys at ADVrider is growing really fast. A few of my projects are bicycle racks for motorcycles and the most famous is my Pro-Taper...

patineto.smugmug.com

In any case I think is time to build something more permanent, so i need to CONTOUR of the van roof at the rain gutters, I know is NOT straight, I just don't know the shape of the bend and since I'm the hospital is not like I can go home and measure it, so I was wondering if somebody has a File or the curvature so i can make a more precise profile..

I don't know about you guys, but to me the lowest profile possible is a really big deal, not only to diminish noise, aid on lifting items but more than anything because I don't want to riff the roof of the van if I mess up, so the shape need to be very precise so the cross beams "Variably clear"(The Thule BEAMS are hard core rigid, zero defection under a 500 pound load) with out touching the roof of the van..

Tent & A-Frame Brainstorm - ricardo kuhn (patineto)

Hi, I'm Ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to BALDY and the guys at ADVrider is growing really fast. A few of my projects are bicycle racks for motorcycles and the most famous is my Pro-Taper...

patineto.smugmug.com

long term I want to make a "Play Station" for my Girls, this are part of a simple brainstorm

Tent & A-Frame Brainstorm - ricardo kuhn (patineto)

Hi, I'm Ricky, industrial designer by trade, inventor by passion and necesity. I have a very small motorcycle design company, that thanks to BALDY and the guys at ADVrider is growing really fast. A few of my projects are bicycle racks for motorcycles and the most famous is my Pro-Taper...

patineto.smugmug.com

Turns out Hospital beds are a brain aphrodisiac for idas )Or maybe is the drugs) but the possiblities are endeless, all of them ultra light weight, and pretty easu=y to set up, pretty much you pull on two straps and you can make it as right as you desire, with out the need to many other rigid members beside the two aframes (made of old windsurf mast)

 

[damarshall7]

If i am understanding you correct, the best answer would be "it varies." From my experience building my roof rack, the highest spot on the roof was near the center of the van and it tapers down from there both front to back and side to side. My roof rack sits may 1/2" above the roof at the center point, but is several inches above the roof at the side and front and back. Also working off memory, but the back of the van seemed to taper off more than the front. You will probably need to get on top o the van and find the high point and measure and build off of that. My van is also a RB, not sure if the longer van has a different countour.

 

[ricardo]

If i am understanding you correct, the best answer would be "it varies." From my experience building my roof rack, the highest spot on the roof was near the center of the van and it tapers down from there both front to back and side to side. My roof rack sits may 1/2" above the roof at the center point, but is several inches above the roof at the side and front and back. Also working off memory, but the back of the van seemed to taper off more than the front. You will probably need to get on top o the van and find the high point and measure and build off of that. My van is also a RB, not sure if the longer van has a different countour.

First thanks for the effort to try to understand my comboluted incoherent request..i wish i can blame it on the drug but is a life long problem..

yes, exactly what you say, I'm aware the rain gutter has a "drop" like the roof of the house so when the van is not moving the water those not collect..

i'm getting out of here soon, so i will ask a friend to measure it with a home made "straight edge" (a hang glider tube)

the issues is that since I'm plan to use a single element from the front to the back (so the load is spread in between all the Clamps) the curve need to match to perfection (Because is going to be silly rigid) and my cad skills are not up to create such a minute curve so i can send it to the laser/water cutters (unless i spend a day cutting it by hand or borrow a plasma cutter.

 

[ricardo]

Randiness is awesome..

I ask my Metal man about a shop Capable of bending my rails, I get there and start to tell the owner how the shape of the roof was curved and he say "No problem" we use to have the same exact van and build a roof rack for it so we already have the file (He tell me that is was very complicated since they need to make a very rigid exact template and then trace with a plotter for the cutter to to the job..

he is not even changing for it, awesome, I show you version one in a month if not less )for sure the labor rate is not cheap so I need to wait for the next paycheck)