Trailrax Mounting Question

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

Here's a very long thread with lots of people's experiences and suggestions. Take your time and read it.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/trailrax-modular-roof-rack-for-your-bronco.40436/page-49

I removed all my crossbars, and slid four 1/4-20 stainless T-nuts into each slot. Then re-assembled the crossbars, and tightened them down. The T-nuts shift this way and that, no problem, and don't rattle (none which I can hear). They're recessed, so never catch on trees, carwash brushes, or anything.

Then I bought an assortment of 1/4-20 fittings: stainless and rubber washers, nuts and rings, and threaded posts of various lengths, etc. keep them in a small organizer washers Now I have a good variety of things I can attach straps, mounting plates, farm jacks, etc. to when I go off road. Then everything comes off and is returned to its proper storage place when I'm back to my daily drive.

Obviously, I don't have a RTT. But I can mount a Thule roof carrier. I removed the M6 fittings, and drilled out 1/2 holes in their place. Then I set up my fixtures as follows:
First, discard any M6 or metric fittings. You've been converted to SAE standard, halleluiah!

A) slide T-nuts (see above) to the approximate location of where the 1/2-holes in my roof carrier are likely to be.
B) screw in (four) 2-3" threaded studs (posts); leave them loose enough so they can slide around.
C) Put a rubber washer on each one.
D) Screw a 1/4-20 stainless washer onto the threaded stud, leaving it loose enough to slide around.
E) Drop the roof carrier onto the four threaded studs. I can do it myself, but two helpers on ladders will make a big difference, as you slide the threaded studs and manipulate the box.
F) Once the box is sitting on the threaded bolts, use a skinny open 1/4" wrench and tighten the nuts down.
6) Inside the box, secure the carrier with 4 wide fender washers and tightened 1/4-20 nuts.

Maybe an arrangement like this will work for your RTT. Be inventive!

I have used fittings like these to load all sorts of cargo, for example strapping lumber down to eye bolts, etc.

Check out that thread. Bet you find your solution somewhere in all those posts!

Edit: I had the same frustration factor with drop-in nuts. Sometimes they pulled out. That's why I went to full-time T-nuts which stay permanently in the crossbar slots.

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[CalvinT]

T-slot framing is very adaptable. This link will give you an idea.

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/t-slotted-framing/t-slotted-framing-and-fittings~/

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

McMaster-Carr has a better selection than Amazon. You want to order hardware for 1" t-slot rails.

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/t...aming-fasteners-4/system-of-measurement~inch/

McMaster-Carr is reliable. I wasted money on maybe two Amazon orders.
I'm fortunate to have a local old-time-local hardware store which has a basement wall of bins with single-item stuff: screws, bolts, washers, various nuts, cabinet fittings...etc. It's an honor system: find what you want, write the price down on a small bag, pay. They don't mind if I take items out to the parking lot to see if they fit on my truck, as long as I'm careful to return them to the correct bin. A great setup, and if you have one, you'll find just what you need.

 

[lakesinai]

Hi Friends-

Would anyone be able to help out with the inevitable extra items I will need to buy to mount this to a Trailrax Trmr? I find it very hard to mount anything to this rack. I have purchased endless junky 1/4-20 slotted T-Nuts etc. and they all seem to be trash that don't work correctly for one reason or another. I called American Adventure Labs and they said they couldn't confirm it would work as is (nothing does) with the included M6 hardware. I'd rather carry my tent than call Trailrax but I did anyway and they just recommended Amazon T-Nuts which I have and I've never been able to get anything to screw into them.

I have seen several threads here where people are piecing parts together for different uses but I'm never positive what will work for me and am trying to avoid another round of the 1/4-20 lottery if possible.

https://americanadventurelab.com/product/sleeper-keeper-large-tent-mount/

Thanks in advance!

There seems to be something wrong with your approach. Perhaps you're missing a step. I've found a wide range of 1/4" bolt heads that fit into the slots on the crossbars on my half-rack. You do understand that you have to remove (free up and raise) an end of the crossbar in order to slide the heads of the 1/4" bolts into the so-called "T" slots?

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

Going through my albums, I came across a few images that might help. Remember, inside each crossbar I have 1/4-20 T-nuts.
Using a "lifting bolt" (eye bolt with threaded stud) to strap down lumber:

Using threaded studs to secure recovery boards. The install is: 1/4-20 stud screwed into T-nut, rubber washer, stainless steel washer, 1/4-20 nut.

Now, with the recovery boards mounted:

My set-up in progress. The thing is, be imaginative with common hardware. You don't have to buy expensive mounting plates and attachments. Everything comes off when I return home from backtrails, and goes into an organizer box. I use a commercial carwash, and I couldn't go through that with those studs sticking up!

 

[MidwayJ]

Going through my albums, I came across a few images that might help. Remember, inside each crossbar I have 1/2-20 T-nuts.
Using a "lifting bolt" (eye bolt with threaded stud) to strap down lumber:

Using threaded studs to secure recovery boards. The install is: 1/4-20 stud screwed into T-nut, rubber washer, stainless steel washer, 1/2-20 nut.

Now, with the recovery boards mounted:

My set-up in progress. The thing is, be imaginative with common hardware. You don't have to buy expensive mounting plates and attachments. Everything comes off when I return home from backtrails, and goes into an organizer box. I use a commercial carwash, and I couldn't go through that with those studs sticking up!

Thank you very much - this is a huge help. This probably would have been a lot easier for me if I could have walked into a store and seen things in person. Really appreciate the pictures - those hooks are one of the things I want to do.

 

[MidwayJ]

Here's a very long thread with lots of people's experiences and suggestions. Take your time and read it.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/trailrax-modular-roof-rack-for-your-bronco.40436/page-49

I removed all my crossbars, and slid four 1/4-20 stainless T-nuts into each slot. Then re-assembled the crossbars, and tightened them down. The T-nuts shift this way and that, no problem, and don't rattle (none which I can hear). They're recessed, so never catch on trees, carwash brushes, or anything.

Then I bought an assortment of 1/4-20 fittings: stainless and rubber washers, nuts and rings, and threaded posts of various lengths, etc. keep them in a small organizer washers Now I have a good variety of things I can attach straps, mounting plates, farm jacks, etc. to when I go off road. Then everything comes off and is returned to its proper storage place when I'm back to my daily drive.

Obviously, I don't have a RTT. But I can mount a Thule roof carrier. I removed the M6 fittings, and drilled out 1/2 holes in their place. Then I set up my fixtures as follows:
First, discard any M6 or metric fittings. You've been converted to SAE standard, halleluiah!

A) slide T-nuts (see above) to the approximate location of where the 1/2-holes in my roof carrier are likely to be.
B) screw in (four) 2-3" threaded studs (posts); leave them loose enough so they can slide around.
C) Put a rubber washer on each one.
D) Screw a 1/4-20 stainless washer onto the threaded stud, leaving it loose enough to slide around.
E) Drop the roof carrier onto the four threaded studs. I can do it myself, but two helpers on ladders will make a big difference, as you slide the threaded studs and manipulate the box.
F) Once the box is sitting on the threaded bolts, use a skinny open 1/4" wrench and tighten the nuts down.
6) Inside the box, secure the carrier with 4 wide fender washers and tightened 1/4-20 nuts.

Maybe an arrangement like this will work for your RTT. Be inventive!

I have used fittings like these to load all sorts of cargo, for example strapping lumber down to eye bolts, etc.

Check out that thread. Bet you find your solution somewhere in all those posts!

Edit: I had the same frustration factor with drop-in nuts. Sometimes they pulled out. That's why I went to full-time T-nuts which stay permanently in the crossbar slots.

Thank you very much, bud.

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

Lastly, my roof box. I abandoned the M10 hardware, and drilled a 1/2" holes in the bottom of the box. Getting it onto 4 posts is tricky; I recommend three people. But I mount it over 2-inch threaded studs, then put down a good, wide fender washer, then a 1/4-20 twist knob.
(It's a Thule box. The guy I bought it from [I'm cheap] put a Mercedez Benz decal on it--Mercedez is is thing.)

 

[jaeggernaut]

@SeptuagenerianSasquatch do you use the rubber washings INSIDE the slot? i can't tell from the photos.

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

@SeptuagenerianSasquatch do you use the rubber washings INSIDE the slot? i can't tell from the photos.

Oh--just noticed this unread post. My mounting system is as follows:
1) my stainless T-nuts are permanently in the crossbeam slots.
2) I take a 4-inch 1/4x20 threaded post, and put a 1/4x20 nut on it, about a halp-inch from the bottom-facing end.
3) I put a stainless washer next to the nut on the threaded post, and a rubber washer next to that. Thus, the washer and nut have a little padding between them and the aluminum crossbeam.
4) Now I screw the threaded post into the T-nut finger tight.
5) I repeat that three times, approximately where the holes are located in the bottom of my roofbox. (Carefully measure and plot out your front-to-back distances. The left-to-right locations can be more flexible.)
6) As it's tough to get the 4 posts lined up correctly with the holes in the roof box, I get a friend (or two) to jiggle and manipulate the roof box until all four threaded posts have worked through their assigned holes in the bottom of the roof box. The roof box is now mostly "set."
7) I use a skinny open 1/4-inch wrench and tighten down the 1/4x20 nuts onto the cross beams. (All four posts) (Note: You're tightening steel down onto aluminum--careful with the torque!)
8) Inside the roof box, I put wide 1/4-inch fender washers on the exposed threaded studs, then tighten the whole thing down with 1/4x20 knobs.

The whole system is pretty simple and straightforward. I do it in about 15-20 minutes. The trick is having a friend or two carefully lower the box onto the threaded posts while I jiggle them this way and that. A step-ladder or two is a big help.

Hope this helps--and that it came to your attention!

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