Pop top with roof rails

[harrihammo]

Hi,
I’m quite new to the world of T6’s- end of last year we bought one (fully converted camper) and now I’ve set up a business to hire it out (we are in Cornwall so daft not to, right?!)
Husband thinks it’s not a good idea to add roof rails (surfboard/kayak transport) as he said someone he was chatting to said you’re not supposed to carry anything on a pop top.
Our roof is an SCA 194 panoramic

Anyone got experience with roof rails on this top?

 

[Ozi]

You definitely can carry on a pop top. It’s just a matter of not overloading and there are specific roof bars for pop tops too. Here’s one example, although there are others:

SCA ROOF RACK SYSTEM

<div class="mainContent"> <h2>SCA Roof Rack System</h2> <p>IMPORTANT NOTE - SHOULD BE FITTED BY A SPECIALIST - YOU WILL NEED TO DRILL THE ROOF AND IT SHOULD BE PREPARED BEFORE PUTTING THE BOLTS IN I.E ACTIVATOR, PRIMER & SEALER TO PREVENT ANY WATER

www.banwy.co.uk

Having an SCA roof fitted to mine currently and will be adding roof bars too. So definitely possible if you want to.

 

[Ali-G]

You definitely can carry on a pop top. It’s just a matter of not overloading

That would be my main concern if I was hiring out the van because you just know that eventually someone will put too much weight on it, bit different if it’s for your own use.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

I've just recently figured out how to do this and be able to carry up to 100kg of canoes etc... Double reimo rails... On both sides then Thule feet that are gutter attachments only downside you have to take off to raise pop top... But I'm not happy putting rails on pop top

 

[JonriceT6]

SCA 194 has a weight limit of 70kg according to slidepods who fit them.

 

[xpfloyd]

Came here just now to ask the same question. I also have an SCA pop top on my LWB and was looking for an option to carry a kayak. I found the bar system linked above from Banwy but it talks about the rails being set into the rain gutters on the pop top which is confusing me as there are none. Has anyone got this setup? I don’t hire my van out so would make sure I didn’t exceed the 70kg max load (need to check the weight of the kayak)

 

[xpfloyd]

Sorry just double checked the roof when I woke up in the van this morning and it does indeed have a rain gutter channel either side, going to have a closer look at those rails from Banwy now. I noticed it says must be fitted professionally but how hard can it be?

 

[Ozi]

Haven't actually got my van yet, so can't check myself, but from what the convertor told me, the rain gutters are outside the canvas area on the SCA roof, so any drilling to fix rails in the channels doesn't actually compromise the weather tightness of the pop top at all. So from that perspective, wouldnt have thought its complex at all

 

[DXX]

Hi,
I’m quite new to the world of T6’s- end of last year we bought one (fully converted camper) and now I’ve set up a business to hire it out (we are in Cornwall so daft not to, right?!)
Husband thinks it’s not a good idea to add roof rails (surfboard/kayak transport) as he said someone he was chatting to said you’re not supposed to carry anything on a pop top.
Our roof is an SCA 194 panoramic

Anyone got experience with roof rails on this top?

View attachment 112903

Hiring out a van is always going to be a risk, adding roof rails / rack to a pop top is going to increase the risk to possibly the most expensive component.
You’ll have no control over what actually gets loaded on the roof and I wouldn’t think it will increase the rental value.

 

[xpfloyd]

Haven't actually got my van yet, so can't check myself, but from what the convertor told me, the rain gutters are outside the canvas area on the SCA roof, so any drilling to fix rails in the channels doesn't actually compromise the weather tightness of the pop top at all. So from that perspective, wouldnt have thought its complex at all

Yeah that’s correct, the gutters are in the section beyond the tent so seems pretty straight forward to me

 

[Kev Liddle]

I've just recently figured out how to do this and be able to carry up to 100kg of canoes etc... Double reimo rails... On both sides then Thule feet that are gutter attachments only downside you have to take off to raise pop top... But I'm not happy putting rails on pop top

I'm wanting to do this too (for the same reason as well haha!) what Thule feet/attachements have you used?

 

[xpfloyd]

I've just recently figured out how to do this and be able to carry up to 100kg of canoes etc... Double reimo rails... On both sides then Thule feet that are gutter attachments only downside you have to take off to raise pop top... But I'm not happy putting rails on pop top

How did you get the 100kg limit figure? I was considering this option but the rail is just screwed into the van and bonded with sika flex, I would be concerned about popping it off with too much weight

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

I havent done it and i forget where i researched it... Have you ever tried to take something apart which has been sikaflexed.... Had a right job decommissioning seat rails which had been glued and bolted... Not sure id load to 100kg two kayaks is prob 60kg

 

[xpfloyd]

Thanks, food for thought

 

[Outback]

Don't forget that if you add roof bars with a pop top it is worth changing to heavier load pistons used in raising it. Check with the company that installed the pop top to your vehicle to see their recommendations. I am in Aus and we can use Rhinorack for roof bars or roof platforms. They have a number of different ways to attach their products to different types of roofs. The maximum weight is 100kg.

 

[D34NNO]

Sorry to jump on this post. I have T6 Lwb and want to carry a kayak (36kg) a friend of mine fits pop tops (West Dubs and Skyline) West dubs say 40-50kg and I have an email from Skyline saying 60kg on top of roof bars fitted to roof rails. My question is has anyone fitted roof rack or rails to a west dubs or Skyline pop top? If so how did you go about it?
Thanks

 

[MikeB]

Sorry to jump on this post. I have T6 Lwb and want to carry a kayak (36kg) a friend of mine fits pop tops (West Dubs and Skyline) West dubs say 40-50kg and I have an email from Skyline saying 60kg on top of roof bars fitted to roof rails. My question is has anyone fitted roof rack or rails to a west dubs or Skyline pop top? If so how did you go about it?
Thanks

I appreciate you asked this a while ago, but if you're still researching this, consider whether the Reimo "active rail system" would suit. This would then allow easy fitment of Thule footpacks and cross bars. We have this on our Reimo and I can't see why it wouldn't work on others. The picture shows a Zoelzer rack system which is in turn mounted on the Reimo rails.

For the OP, as long as the roof is capable of taking the load, there's no reason not to fit racks. This said, you're then going to find the eejits who overload it or can't be bothered taking the load off before trying to lift the roof. But there are lots of people, especially those into kayaking etc, who are looking for just this ability. At least one hire coy I know of offers rails / racks, and it's a question I'm often asked on the kayaking forums I'm involved with.

 

[D34NNO]

I appreciate you asked this a while ago, but if you're still researching this, consider whether the Reimo "active rail system" would suit. This would then allow easy fitment of Thule footpacks and cross bars. We have this on our Reimo and I can't see why it wouldn't work on others. The picture shows a Zoelzer rack system which is in turn mounted on the Reimo rails.

For the OP, as long as the roof is capable of taking the load, there's no reason not to fit racks. This said, you're then going to find the eejits who overload it or can't be bothered taking the load off before trying to lift the roof. But there are lots of people, especially those into kayaking etc, who are looking for just this ability. At least one hire coy I know of offers rails / racks, and it's a question I'm often asked on the kayaking forums I'm involved with.

View attachment 125901

Thats great thank you, i have my west dubs pop top at my mates just waiting to be able to get it fitted with him, I've bought a standard 3 bar roof rack and will run a strip of stainless steel up the length which i will tig weld the uprights and attach the cross bars and use the hinge plates to sandwich it with adhesive and bolts.