After buying some skinny roof rails and roof rail extensions on eBay (my son's '04 had those nice looking but totally useless fat rails), then waiting almost 18 months for someone on this forum to provide me the dimensions of the drill guide needed to properly mount roof rail extensions, I got tired of the extensions lying around my garage and decided to try and make make a guide myself.

It took about $3-4 of parts from Lowes (guessing you could find the same from Home Depot).

Here's the parts list:

8 - 3/8" fender washers
1 - 1/4" ID, 3/8" OD bushing (from the specialty parts bins where the nut and bolts are)
some 1/2" heat shrink
5 minute epoxy (or superglue)

Cut the bushing to a length of 7/8" to 1" (I cut my longer, too long, then ground it down after it was all glued together until it fit properly with the fender washers flush in the hole on inside roof frame -- see the notes on installing the roof rail extensions to see what I mean)

Glue/epoxy the 8 fender washers together with the bushing inside it, being sure that the bushing is as straight as possible inside the stacked up washers.

Then you start adding heat shrink to the bushing nipple sticking out of one end of the stacked up washers until it fits snugly in the roof frame hole where you need to drill. I think mine took 3 layers of shrink wrap until it fit tighly enough that wouldn't fall out of the hole.

Once you are done, put the guide in-place, hold it so the fender washer is flush on the inside roof frame and using a 1/4" bit thru the bushing, take a deep breath and drill thru your roof.

Mine turned out fine, the mounted rails lined up perfectly.

Attached are pictures of my finished drill guide.

Hope this helps others who have/find some used rail extensions but no drill guide.

 

Where did you get the actual roof rail extensions?

 

On eBay. A set shows up for sale every now and then (3-6-12 month) for $75-100.

 

I figure an update on the going rate is in order. I've missed out on several eBay auctions over the last year, but I finally got a pair of roof rail extensions last week for $175, including shipping and handling. The going rate these days appears to be in the $150-$200 range.

Scott

 

Darn, sold my last pair for $40.00.

 

$40? Someone stole those.

Actually spoke to the owner of British Atlantic months ago, suggested he find someone to make these rails for him to sell as they really make the roof of the D2 useful without having to buy one of those industrial $1,000+ rain rail mounted racks.

 

How much weight can you put on the rear rails?

 

I can’t image it would be a lot. The roof sheet metal is pretty thin. A gutter mount rack would hold more.

 

Actually, the portion of the roof that the rails bolts too, is where ther inner structure of the roof is reenforced (two layers of sheet metal). And, once you tie the two rails together with crossbars and add larger washer inside at each mounting area, she becomes pretty stout.

Put over 30K on this set up, with tools and replacements parts in first two containers and bedding and lighter stuff in rear containers (probably 150/220 lbs).



No, probably not as good as a drip rail rack, but worked for me.

 

Check classifieds, there's a set for sale there now, along with some LR accessory(?) aero rails.