In 2010, I had the pop-top completely rebuilt because of a massive leak (causing rot and mold) which was caused by a bad installation of a cargo rack by the previous owner.
I am beginning to question if cargo racks should ever be attached to pop-top because cargo contents either based upon weight or size could weaken the structural integrity of the pop-top when driving either at freeway speeds or off-road with sever wash-boarding.
Thoughts?
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Jeff in Seattle
2001 Ford E-250 RB50
I used a Yakima Mega Warrior, and I used a Thule cargo box, on my penthouse top, as part of the tracks on top of the roof. No issues, but I didn't exactly do high speed washboard runs either.
Herb
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SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
I don't worry about it. There are millions of good sealants for vehicle roofs and more importantly RV roofs. I think I used black silicone around my roof rack bolts, and no leaks so far. I believe the key is to check things out on occasion. Get up there and take a look, do some preventative maintenance as in resealing them every year or so. You do live in Seattle, though, where I've heard it rains all the time. Does your van stay outdoors 24/7?
If you're worried about holes in the roof you can always have Aluminess build you a rack. They mount on the sides of the top so no leak issues. I had them build it so a cargo pod could be installed on the rack. Expensive though.
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2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer
My concern is not the weight of the cargo pushing down on the pop-top, but the torque created by the cargo pulling on the rack fittings while off-road.
Since my last repair job on the pop-top was expensive primarily because of pervious owner did not install cargo rack correctly causing massive leaks, I have decided to remove the cargo rack completely, and seal it over (TBD either Raptor or Line-X)
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Jeff in Seattle
2001 Ford E-250 RB50
Jeff the Aluminess rack mounted on the side isn't an issue at all and nothing like top mounted bars and racks. About the only problem is the weight when lifting the top.
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2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer