mounting rails on camper shell

I found a sweet ARE camper shell on FB marketplace but I wanted to install the prinsu extended rack to it.

how does one go about installing mounting rails on camper shells?

 

That’s a good question. Does it have a frame under the fiberglass on the interior?

 

Just drill holes and bolt in place. May be smart to use a large washer on the inside. Be sure and put silicone around the bolts, I would put silicone between rack and shell before bolting it.

 

It doesn’t

 

I’m not sure about how to mount one with just the fiberglass. Maybe someone else can help out with that.

 

Both my '06 TRD OR and my '21 had/have Leer 180 caps equipped with racks.
If the cap did not come from the factory with the rails, I would recommend against adding them as the roof is not likely reinforced to accept the rails. You should inquire of ARE to understand what they do when making them BEFORE you start drilling holes.
The Leer 180 on my '06 started developing cracks where the sidewall meets the roof which caused the clear coat to peel. It WAS equipped with the rack from the factory.
Proceed cautiously.

 

I was in your same position recently - got a sweet deal on a Leer 100R on FBM but it didn't have roof rails. Just purchase the Yakima (or similar) roof rails for ~$100 and a tube of clear RTV, that's basically all you need. Make sure you don't skimp on the RTV - push a big squirt into each hole before installing the bolts and wipe down the excess. After installation I taped off the roof rails and the area around them except for just the edge and applied the spray on FlexSeal stuff to make a good seal around the outside edge of the roof rails. This was probably overkill but that's pretty much how I do everything.

One note from my experience (my mistakes) is to make sure you don't put the rails too far on the outboard edge of the rack. The topper has a very slight curve across it so if the rails are too far outboard the rack will not be able to sit perfectly flat. I had to use a couple of washers on the roof rack attachment points on one side to compensate. Not a big deal but it could have been a little more perfect if I had mounted the rails a little further inside. I'm sure Prinsu or whatever rack company can give you specs on minimum distance between the roof rails you can go and still meet the attachment points.

 

so I contacted ARE and they said I'd be able to install mounting rails at a local dealership, so that's what I'm gonna do before I attempt it myself

 

Make sure you look over their work really well before you drive off

 

what should I be looking for?

 

I would check that the rails were mounted straight and are fully seated against the topper. Make sure they use all the provided attachment hardware and didn't skip holes to save time (this makes the rails as secure as possible). And check that they didn't leave excess RTV on your rails or topper.

Oh and the bolts that come with the rails are hella long so you're probably going to want to have them cut down those bolt ends, or do it yourself later with a dremel.