Roof Rails to Pop Top

Don’t forget to take into account the weight of the rails and rack system
My Reimo bathtub is pretty robust and that’s only rated for 40Kg, personally I think regular loads of a pop top is only going to end in tears. There are a lot of forces at play when the load is being buffeted with 70mph winds.

the Aurora is rated for 70kg, that’s what skyline told me anyway, I’m just using it for paddle boards locally and a top box with very little in it
 
Which pop top it is would be a good place to start as many of them have pretty low load ratings for stuff on the roof. Happy to help if I can.

apology for jumping in

have just picked up a T30 conversion wi the an electric Hilo would love to put bars on the top, is it possible, not intending to carry anything just for aesthetics as with the bilstein b14 she looks very low,(currently on 16s so that’s a contributing factor)

intending to put 18’ on once she’s got a clean bill of health
 
have just picked up a T30 conversion wi the an electric Hilo would love to put bars on the top, is it possible, not intending to carry anything just for aesthetics as with the bilstein b14 she looks very low,(currently on 16s so that’s a contributing factor)
Assuming you mean front-to-back roof rails, I’ve got OEM roof rails on my HiLo, which were fitted at install time. Have carried weight on them with roof bars fitted.
So yes.
 
I sure did, just got some really big washers to spread the load and then drilled some holes
Glad to hear it!

I was wondering, do you know if the width of the actual ‘roof bar’ be changed at all? i.e. to allow the rails to be fixed at a different width for different brands of pop tops?
 
I guess you can mount them wherever you want to accommodate cross bars but your limiting factor will be the pop top and the space you have to mount it without going inside the cab
 
Assuming you mean front-to-back roof rails, I’ve got OEM roof rails on my HiLo, which were fitted at install time. Have carried weight on them with roof bars fitted.
So yes.
Hi Ads, i presume the OEM rails are very low profile and the bars easily removed ? Im thinking about fitting some rails to my HiLo Sport sd well snd trying to find best solution. Want to be able to keep the low profile so easily removed rails would be good.
 
Any recommendations of rails for a HiLo sport roof ? Id like the rails to be fitted to the poptop rather than the van (like the reimo multirail) and the bars to be easily removable. Thanks.
 
Hi Ads, i presume the OEM rails are very low profile and the bars easily removed ? Im thinking about fitting some rails to my HiLo Sport and trying to find best solution.
Want to be able to keep the low profile so easily removed rails would be good.
Sorry I missed this question -
The bars and rails are OEM Omtec so not particularly low profile. Bar removal is easy, the hardest part being the stability to get up alongside the van on a ladder!
 
Hi guys - bumping this thread with a question as this is the most recent relevant thread I can find

Westdubs say "We do not supply or fit roof rails and after-market products. The recommended weight limit for our roofs is between 45kg/ 50kg" ISO Certification | Westdubs - VW T4 & T5 Conversions, Suckley, Worcestershire

im looking for a solution for a couple of surfboards, fairly lightweight on average 5kg per board max 3 boards so say 20kg, plus 5kg for the rack itself, so still well within the lower limit. ideally something low profile so i might still get under height barriers (without board on ofc) like this SWB Black Roof Bars by Leighton Vans - For VW T5, T6 & T6.1

or alternatively something where the cross bars stick up but can be removed without too much difficulty (?) like the reimo active rail with thule wingbars Thule WingBar & Active Rail Combo Pack for Elevating Roofs. | CMC Camper Shop

i also note you can go down the t-tracks or raised rails route - not sure of the pros and cons of either approach

any thoughts or advice ?
 
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Looks like the Karitek rails I linked to in post #8 are no longer available which is a shame.
Slot rails like the Reimo ones will spread the load and take standard Thule roof bars. These should be fine for a few prone boards in bags.
Have a search in the forum about the foot packs for Thule bars as there is a high version and a low one. The low ones look better but are not so good at stopping straps and bags rattling on the roof of clearance for ski and snowboard bindings
 
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