wi_taco DIY extrusion style camper shell rack v1.0

Thread to document my DIY camper shell rack build and share back to the TW community that inspired the build in the first place.

Table Of Contents

1. Design and Inspiration
2. Parts and Costs
3. Mockup With Plywood Templates
4. Fabricating Aluminum Side Plates
5. Final Assembly and Installation
6. Mounting Shower Awning (optional)
7. Mounting Maxtrax (optional)
8. Photos Of Final Outcome
9. Final Thoughts & Comments

 

Design and Inspiration

Without a doubt, one of the most comprehensive DIY rack build threads can be found here. This is the one I saw first and got my gears turning on doing my own build. Thanks to @paranoid56 for kicking that one off, and everyone who contributed down the line!

Other honorable mention threads/posts:

Low profile diy topper rack by @Johnnyhcakes
This post regarding the step tread and radius bars by @masterwacker
This post with list of common materials by @Newlife
Fancy side plates post (now defunct but good for ideas)
Excellent thread with DIY router machining by @TheTacomaInn

And Then What Happened?

Originally planned to do the fancy wood router machining route and intended to draw up something in CAD. Then I saw the Sherpa Crows Nest on @BVita 's stupid sexy truck which ultimately trashed my previous ideas. And then I procrastinated on the whole project and simplified it even further because that's what procrastinators do. So what you'll see here is pretty much as caveman simple as you can get because ADHD or some shiz like that forces me to do that sometimes.

Before ordering anything I did a quick mockup using an off-cut piece of plywood that was 60" long and 2" wide. Between that, and the big megathread linked above, I felt the proper dimensions for my personal tastes were 55" wide and 3" high.



I then ordered two pieces of 60" x 3" x 1/4" 5052 aluminum plate because I forgot it should have been 55" (no big deal, can easily cut it shorter), a total of (7) 2x1 extrusions, (2) quarter round extrusions to play around with for aero, and some other misc supplies. Made myself some 55" x 3" plywood blanks for templates out of scrap 1/2" birch plywood and set my mind to the build.

 

Parts and Costs

Here is a moderately accurate list of parts and costs to give an idea of what this takes. I really dislike tallying up receipts and parts lists so I'm not going deeper than this. No doubt still a costly project, but a huge discount from the $1,000 it would cost me to buy the rack alone from a vendor. If you have the time, tools, and patience I feel it is 100% worth doing yourself.



I also have this parts list sent to me by CBI / Prinsu so that I could mimic how they mount things up using the Prinsu feet that I am using. My hardware shopping list was quite similar in the end, other than using unfinished stainless fasteners because the local stores don't carry black finished on the shelf.



Ways You Can Save Even More Money:

• Buy unfinished aluminum extrusions and paint them yourself. Minimal savings.
• Buy your side plate metal from a local shop. I couldn't find any that had 5052 else I would have gone that route. Big savings potential here.
• Fabricate your own mounting feet. Lots of ideas in the threads linked above - square tube, door hinges, fab your own. Sky is the limit. Buying these pre-made from vendors gets pricey quick. I owe much of my economy on this project to scoring a used set on a screaming deal.
• Buy all the small fasteners all at once from a single source. This is like death by a thousand cuts if you piece it together slowly. Just don't do that, I did that and it's painful.
• Use less expensive paint. I only used the KBS because I have it spare from my sliders and that way it matches my other stuff perfectly. Would've used good old Rustoleum if I had to go buy paint, it's just aluminum after all.

 

Mockup With Plywood Templates

I played around with spacing on the plywood templates, and ultimately decided I want the top of the crossbars to sit flush with the side plates, and I want the crossbars all the way out to the front and rear edges for support. I don't remember exact spacing, but for (7) total crossbars on a 55" long plate it's something like 8 13/16" on center of each extrusion. Don't quote me on that but pretty sure that's what I used and it should get you within 1/4" of perfect which is close enough for this project. Notice those squares drawn all the way down on the end piece? Those are all 1" and let me to choose an angled cut of 1" high and 3" long. More on that later.



I used some short screws and screwed together both pieces of wood, then drilled out the crossbar holes using my small benchtop drill press. I could have done it by hand, but was trying to be as precise as possible to save work later.



Doing this on thin plywood is quick work, and in no time at all I was doing a test assembly. Crossbars and the 1/4"-20 x 1" hardware all came from Tnutz. My advice: go VERY SLOW the first time you are threading in the bolts because there is likely junk in there from the factory machining. You absolutely do not want to strip these. Take your time, and then after they get threaded in once it becomes much easier to do a second time. Do NOT use super fast power tools or impact drivers since it is easy to strip and gall between the dissimilar metals. You have been warned!



Just for fun to get an idea of how it will look, I threw it on my camper shell roof with blankets underneath to prevent scratches. It's starting to come together!



Time to transfer this from wood to metal and the real work begins.

 

Fabricating Aluminum Side Plates

I started off by cutting the angled piece at the bottom. In hindsight, I should have done this after drilling the holes but it's no big deal either way. This was done using the metal straight edge out of my combination square because it was thick and rigid enough to use as a fence/guide for the jigsaw. Instead of marking the cut lines using marker which can be inaccurate, I used a carbide scribe to etch it into the aluminum. An M18 jigsaw with a new metal blade makes easy work of this task.



The cut itself was cleaner than I expected, but even the cuts from the metal supply shop were a little scraggly. I did some touch up work with a flat file, and while working the metal decided to give the edge a simple bevel just to knock off any sharp bits. Doesn't take much time and I think the finish came out great.



Next, I transferred marks from my plywood templates to one of the side plates. Then I clamped them back-to-back for a mirrored match. I could have drilled them out together, but there was a slight variance and I felt doing them individually would still result in the closest fitment. Sounds silly but it worked out well in the end. What's the saying - six of one, half dozen of the other? Do what makes you feel comfortable.



Drilling was done with much more attention to detail this time around. I used a new drillbit (specifically a CLE-LINE C08222) with precision ground tip that came to a nice point in hopes it would give me good accuracy and I think it did. The weak points were the runout of my crappy drill press and small inconsistency in the cheap $40 vise. Either way, it still got everything drilled close enough for hand grenades, horseshoes, or roof racks.



Here's a closer view to show what I was doing. Used a Sharpie to lay down some ink, and then lines done with a carbide scribe for contrast. I did a small dimple with the drill press to check alignment and massaged it into place as close as my eyeballs could make it (I do have very good eyesight so this may not work well for everyone). Take your time during this part, it is possibly the most critical part to get right of the entire build.



I had some drill bits around to help make adjustments at the end. Didn't end up using the rotary file bit, but those saw drill bits actually worked surprisingly well to slightly enlarge holes without going nuts removing material. Would definitely use again.



I also drilled a couple small dimples at the front inside of each side plate so I knew which side is which. Again, you probably don't have to do this, but I did to help keep as close of a match as I could for final assembly. If you can fab yours with closer tolerance than I did then more power to ya and skip this step.



Here's how the evolution looks going from a plain plywood template, final wood template, rough aluminum side plate, and near finished side plate with a touch of sanding with a scotch brite pad. Satisfying.



Final mockup assembly just to check that I didn't screw up all the drilling and cutting. Whichever was the first plate I drilled needed more massaging with that saw bit, but by the time I drilled the second plate I got it close enough that only 1 or 2 holes needed adjustment. Again, spend time getting those holes precise and you'll thank yourself later.



Weight of the rack at this stage is 35 lbs. I'd estimate the final weight is 35-40 lbs once you add in the feet and other hardware. Really not all that bad. This is my first time working with extrusions and I have to say they feel really beefy and rigid. Surprised how strong it feels for not weighing all that much.



Final mock fit on the truck. It's looking so good at this stage I just wanted to put it on. But I held off and gave it the proper finish and it was well worth it.



So close to being done, let's wrap this one up!

 

Final Assembly and Installation

Originally I bought bare aluminum extrusions with the intention of painting them for the best match to the side plates. In the end, I ran out of time and decided to just buy the anodized black crossbars. Initially I didn't want to do this because some photos online show the anodized bars fading in the sun and looking purple-ish, but on my time cruch I decided to live with it. I think online photos of this are more camera voodoo than real life noticeable difference - mine matched up perfectly.



Plates were sanded using various grits of whatever I had onhand, then wiped with denatured alcohol. Primer coat done using KBS Fusion and top coats of KBS Blacktop. I think I ended up going through like 1.5 cans or maybe the full 2 cans of Blacktop which came out to 3 or 4 coats on the plates. Worked out very well.



My janky painting setup. Plates are hanging from baling wire suspended off my garage door track and a ladder. Normally I wouldn't do it like that but too much on other side of shop that I couldn't cover from overspray. It might look stupid but it worked out perfectly.



Weather was still in my favor with temps in the 70-80°F range and paint cured very quickly. I assembled the rack upside down because it seemed easier and the flat surface helped keep everything level and stable during that process. I am using (6) Prinsu 1.5" mounting feet that I previously scored on a great deal from the TW classifieds. I mounted these using 1/4" x 3/4" lag bolts from the local big box hardware store - you have to file down the heads ever so slightly, but after that I think they fit better than the fancy hardware you can buy from rack manufacturers. Some washers and lock nuts finished those off, and I used a little blue thread locker on the side plate bolts just for peace of mind. It's solid as a rock.



Rack mounted on the camper shell rails. If you have friends or helpers available I strongly suggest getthing them to lend a hand because doing this alone kinda sucks. But I put blankets down, threw it up there, and then aligned things before removing blankets to prevent destroying my paint and fiberglass. Would be way easier with two sets of hands. Here's how it looks while I was standing off to the side on a ladder. I used M16-1.0 x 16mm button head stainless bolts along with 2 stainless fender washers and it feels like a stronger connection than I expected. I think having 6 feet really spreads the load well - probably overkill but things worth doing are worth doing in excess sometimes.



Here's how it looks from the side while standing on the ground. You can see how the tracks on the shell are just barely visible. With the 3" side plates, there is only a gap of less than 2" to the shell itself, but I do still feel if you wanted a really really low profile look to it then going with 1" feet would look better. At least that's what I'd do, however if you are mounting awnings you may want to stick with 1.5" or taller so the awning doesn't rub on the sides as they seem to hang down a bit.



Here's a slightly closer photo. It mostly shows you the cool clouds in the sky and proves that I am an artsy-fartsy hippie or something lol. Nah just kidding. What you may be able to see is the rubber tread inserted in that front bar facing forward (or not, it's a little dark but it's there). I wanted to try this and see if it does anything to cut down on wind noise. Now that I'm doing this write-up from the future, I can say that overall I didn't even notice any noise from the rack on a 2,500+ mile road trip so it is probably a non-issue.



I do want to share one BIG oopsie I made while installing it. I was tightening the final mounting bolt from the feet to the shell tracks and I stripped out one of the Yakima "A" plates which is basically the nightmare scenario (especially when you are doing this as the final task before leaving on a road trip at 8pm when you should already be at camp, ugh). I had to drill and use a rotary cutoff to get it out. And then I had to remove every single other bolt on this track so I could slide in another Yakima "A" plate to replace it, and then re-do everything and pray I don't strip another one. This took a huge amount of time and I missed making it to camp that night. So don't be like me and don't procrastinate, make sure you do this well in advance and not the last minute!

 

Mounting Shower Awning (optional)

One of the big reasons I wanted a more substantial rack than just some Yakima crossbars is to mount a shower awning for longer trips. This mostly arose on a long New Mexico elk hunt one year where my dad was super cranky for not having a shower, and I think that trip would have extended if we had one. While this seems like a total splurge (and it is in some ways), it's a long-term decision to help not have to come out from the backcountry and therefore extend difficult trips where you really can't afford to not be in a certain place at a certain time.

I chose the 23ZERO Kestrel shower tent. It does cost a bit more than other options but it does come with a roof/top. Sounds silly, but totally worth it unless you like taking a dump in the rain or snow. Unboxed you can see it comes with mounting hardware, stakes, wrenches, and a shower nozzle holder. I mounted with the stock brackets which have 4 bolts each on the rack side and two nuts on the shower side. Very securely mounted.



I mounted it on the center of the rack and as far inboard as I could go with stock brackets. It sits in a very good spot, but I do wish I could extend it outwards when at camp for a little more clearanace since the truck/shell side slopes. I'll figure that out in the near future, not a big deal.



Sorry no photos of this in action, didn't really use it yet since it was raining all the time. I did open it one time and as soon as it opened it started raining. But I did change clothes in it that time and it worked well for that without flashing everyone at camp.

PS - Big shoutout to Tony at 23ZERO customer service. I called asking about lead times because I ordered this days before leaving on my trip. He made sure it was shipped promptly and was super helpful in the whole process. 10/10 good company to work with!

 

Mounting Maxtrax (optional)

I've had a pair of Maxtrax boards that I got from another TW member a while back but never mounted them anywhere. Also, because I sleep under the camper shell I don't throw the traction boards in there because then I'd have a muddy bed and that's not cool. Now that I have a full rack, I'm thrilled to be able to mount the recovery boards up out of the way but still in a great accessible spot. I did splurge and ordered the Overland Kitted mounts along with short 17mm short mounting pins from the Maxtrax website. I also picked up some small padlocks to secure them from casual theft a little bit (ignore the model number shown, the correct one that actually fits is Master Lock 131T and you can find them at Lowes right on the shelf). I am not impressed with the quality of powder coating on the Overland Kitted mounts, but I did choose them for the more flexible mounting holes as compared to pretty much all other competitors that I found in my search.



Comparison of the short 17mm pins ans the longer 40mm ones that I already had. The long ones would have sat too low and possibly scratched or damaged things if I wasn't careful. Could I have cut them down? Sure, but it would be a hack job. Sometimes it's nice to buy the right parts and just enjoy them. Those 40mm pins won't go to waste - might get mounted on my Jeep later so I can swap between vehicles.



Here's how it all looks mounted up. I'm very happy with how this turned out, and buying the specific mounts and pins made this a breeze. If I had more time I would probably fab my own mounts instead of coughing up the cash but it's one more thing to check off the build sheet. Done and done.

 

Photos Of Final Outcome

Gratuitous photos of the rack & accessories from the road trip right after initial installation. I'm pretty happy with how it looks and functions. Planning to add more accessories going forward. Next challenge for spring is adapting my kayak mounts from a previous Yakima rack to fit this one. I'd also like to figure out some kind of sliding mount for the shower awning so I can move it further away from the body when at camp without having to fiddle around with it for long. All fun things to come in time.

Right side showing the Maxtrax mounting profile:





Left side showing the 23ZERO shower awning:



Rear shots to see how it looks from behind:

 

Final Thoughts & Comments

Things that I like:

• I put off building this for far too long thinking it would be harder than it was. In the end, I only worked on this for a couple days after work during a single week. Just build it!
• WAY WAY WAY cheaper than buying one. Less cost = more money saved for other mods.
• This thing is much more beefy than I anticipated. Zero concerns about strength, other than the camper shell fiberglass itself.

Things that I dislike:

• If I were to do this again, I'd try and plan/figure out as much of the hardware fasteners ahead of time and buy extras to give safe margin. I did not do this, and made lots of small trips to the hardware store. This is easy for me since I live 5 blocks from Ace Hardware and less than a mile to both Menards and Lowes. May be a little harder if you live in the sticks so plan ahead! Especially get extra M6 16mm bolts for your camper shell tracks, you absolutely will have a few hiccups here!
• I wish I could have machined the crossbar holes more accurately. Do this as carefully and precisely as you can to save time!
• I wish I could have done a bit more creative machining of extra slots and holes on the side plates. Not a big deal and I can add stuff later as they arise, but it would be nice to have some flexibility. I don't lose much sleep about it though.

Things I would like to improve or add:

• I need to figure out some kind of sliding mount for the shower awning to get it away from the truck body at camp. Right now it's kind of annoying and you lose space inside but it still works. Something probably exists out there and I just haven't found it yet, there are so many accessories which is nice.
• I absolutely will be adding some kind of amber chase light facing the rear for safety during those dusty group expeditions. This should be a trivial project now that I have ample mounting points.

Thanks for reading and I hope this can help someone in the future!

 

Great write up! The rack turned out great.

I randomly saw this video the other day where a guy built an extension for his shower out of 80/20 to get it away from the truck. Hopefully it sparks some inspiration!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH8loofrvFw&t=508s

 

Thanks, appreciate your previous contributions which helped me build my rack! And double thanks for that video - can't believe I didnt even consider just using more extrusions, makes sense. Cheers!

 

Great writeup. Thanks!