Electrical conduit roof rack?

[ZmOz]

I was thinking PVC type conduit, what are you guys talking about? Thats why I was wondering wtf people are thinking!


-Red

Galvinized metal.

Are you talking about EMT or Rigid conduit? That would make a huge difference.

I don't know...the stuff I was looking at @ home depot was 10' long, galvinized metal. That's all I know about it...

 

[Jump This]

I want to see the PVC one. Although I built my own out of 1" square and smaller tubing... Inovative thinking gives me a ........
Rick
(maybe I should stay away from this site for a while...its becoming my Jeep porn site!)

 

[Gil BullyKatz]

the guy had a question, and everyone blows it out of proportion...
yes conduit will work
no it won't hold alot of weight
i don't see many aftermarket racks being strong enough to be an intregal part of an exoskeleton
and if i had to drag my wife, kids and obviously alot of camping gear with me everywhere i went, i would probably just buy a winnebago or stay home,

Fortunately for ME... I don't have to DRAG my wife and kids anywhere... They go willingly...
The dogs I tie to the bumper
sub-humans get staked on the roof

Alot of different materials WILL work...just depends on what you intend on putting on it.
Alot like building bumpers out of water pipe or wood...
will it work? to a degree.
Is it pretty? depends on you
Cheap? yes
considered booty fab? yes

 

[Kejtar]

I don't know...the stuff I was looking at @ home depot was 10' long, galvinized metal. That's all I know about it...

I think it'd be too flimsy. Look at how they "sag" if you lay them from each end and leave them be for a while. Even though you'd shorten it, think about what happens when you add weight to it. Then how would you do the corners and turns and so on? Weld? If you're going to weld, as someone said, go with some square tubing. If you're going to use the electrical elbows and such... welll they slip out and they are loose which would allow for a lot of play.

I have a ConFerr rack that I got for real cheap of someone: look for deals, they are out there


Oh yeah, if you're thinking electrical tubing as not to spend a lot of money, look into those enclosed fiberglass carriers: They are not that expensive and the sit right on top of your stock rack.

 

[ZmOz]

I think it'd be too flimsy. Look at how they "sag" if you lay them from each end and leave them be for a while. Even though you'd shorten it, think about what happens when you add weight to it. Then how would you do the corners and turns and so on? Weld? If you're going to weld, as someone said, go with some square tubing. If you're going to use the electrical elbows and such... welll they slip out and they are loose which would allow for a lot of play.

I have a ConFerr rack that I got for real cheap of someone: look for deals, they are out there


Oh yeah, if you're thinking electrical tubing as not to spend a lot of money, look into those enclosed fiberglass carriers: They are not that expensive and the sit right on top of your stock rack.

I picked up a peice and tried to bend it, it was pretty damn strong. Strength is not the issue here. Like I said, anything heavy enough to cause problems should not be on your roof to begin with. I haven't decided how I'm going to put it together yet, but it will mostly be bent. That's why I was asking for pictures...still designing it. Also, any place for me to buy steel is a long ways away from me through heavy traffic, and I just don't have the time or energy to deal with that...

 

[96country]

If you think you can hand bend a piece of 3/4" Rigid conduit, your either a bodybuilder or an idiot. Anyone that has ever used a conduit bender can tell you that it takes plenty of leverage to bend. If the guys wants to use conduit, fine. It will work. It's his decision as to whether it will be strong enough or will suit his needs, but if you ask me, rigid conduit would be plenty strong enough and would definitely be different than what everyone else has on their roof. I say go for it.

 

[ZmOz]

I've got a conduit bender.

 

[BPB]

I think that I will try building one out of 1 inch pvc, if I used "T"'s and ran enough cross peices It would probably work. By the way I can't weld and am a cheap-ass, are there any other options?

 

[96country]

OK, PVC is plastic. I don't think PVC would be very good in a roof rack application. It has a hard enough time holding itself up in spans, much less holding anything else up.

Here are some pics of an EMT rack. Looks like it holds that spare pretty well. EMT rack pics

And a link to a thread about it. EMT conduit racks

 

[biscuitboy87]

EMT is galvanized. I don't recommend trying to weld it. i, personally, wouldn't trust the screw together joints...unless you have good insurance. there are innovative people who use EMT and PVC and it seems to work. of course, since i can weld and combine that with highway safety issues, bulletproof is the only way to go. some engineers i know use a safety factor of ten just so they don't get sued. like alot of guys here say, it can be done, and it will work, but will it be safe? you say you're going to bend it, but there will have to be joints/attachment points somewhere...i suggest you pay particular attention to them. for around town and off-highway EMT will work, like somebody else here said, i wouldn't want to be behind you on the highway... thats just my opinion...

 

[Buck Jackson]

Blah Blah Blah!
Lots of opinions here, but I don't see anything written by someone who has actually done it....
ZmOz, I built a roof rack (and front brush guard and rear light guards) out of cheapo galvanized conduit. I bent it on a conduit bender and welded it with my MIG. Then i fabbed up some mounts to allow it to bolt onto the factory roof rack rails and painted it black. Mounted it all in 2000 and have logged tens of thousands of kms since then with all kinds of crap strapped up there. It has never bent, broken or been dented, and i had no problems welding and painting. So i say just do it and forget the peanut gallery and their "internet expert" opinons....
Buck. :canada:

 

[87woody]

i buily a roof rack for my 87 wagonner out of emt and it works just fine i have lights up there and a shovel and axe. a nother guy i wheel with did the same thing and he also has his hi-lift up there. i built mine out of 1" EMT and he built his out of 3/4" EMT. as far as the cross members i went to a local electric supply house and got some uni-strut and bolted the thing together. the thing works great and for you guys that are just saying it is a bad idea why don't you try it before you say it is a bad idea.