Aftermarket roof rack options w/o rain gutters

[Gamma1214]

With the untimely demise of my rusty, trusty Ranger, I am left searching for tripping "truck" options. I refuse to pay $60K for anything smaller than 20 acres and I am appalled by even the prices of used trucks these days (honestly, if I'd have known Rangers were selling for such ridiculous sums, I'd have ditched mine before the crankshaft broke)

While waiting for the right deal on a replacement truck, I ran across an '08 Ford Fusion that was simply too cheap to pass up. With gas mileage twice that of my Ranger, I'm considering making it my tripping vehicle but it does not have roof racks or attachment points for them. Even though it was cheap, I hate to drill holes through the roof and DIY something but I see that there are some aftermarket racks that seem to clamp on (between the door openings?).



How do you attach roof racks if there's no drip rail? Do they stay secure enough that I can just check attachment at fuel stops or should they be avoided for long drives? (I tend to drive entirely too fast and stop only for fuel so I could probably check the boat every 450 miles or so)

 

[Keeled Over]

Hi Gamma,

I had this issue, solved it, and am currently in MI so I can't give you a name. I will get it when I get home, but by then you will have your answer, but I'll keep watching the thread.

 

[Punkinhead]

I've used base clamps and bars from Inno on several cars. I bought the cheapest square bars because that's how I roll. They worked fine with high winds and high speeds. Inno Racks Fitment

 

[memaquay]

I used a set of Canadian tire racks on my old Malibu, it was similar to your car. A clip just attached in the space between the roof and the door, they were quite secure.

I can tell you that the new Ranger has its own form of torture for figuring out canoe carrying. The bed rails on the box are decorative, basically plastic that has a 1 inch chamber of air in them, so there is no good way to tighten anything down. There are areas where you can put shims, but nobody sells the shims, so one has to try to fabricate something. It's a hot topic on the Ranger forums. I really like my new Ranger, but it has been a total flop for canoe transport. I'm thinking of roof top racks too, I hate to do it on a new truck, but Thule makes some pretty good ones that have nice reviews, but very pricey.

 

[Gamma1214]

Thanks guys. The car is in unbelievably good shape so I hate to mess up the paint with clamps that might rub or foam blocks that might move around but it's encouraging to hear that the racks are secure. Even though it's got the stomp and steer transmission, I might just keep it and wear it out (Like the old Ranger, these cars are plentiful in the salvage yards so parts are likely to be readily available).

Mem, can you put a cap on your Ranger? A '94 Ranger is a completely different animal than a '25 but the racks on mine were mounted to the cap. I really liked the double bars on that as they worked great for hauling boards below the canoe. I hope to be able to do the same by '26 as I'm planning to head back up your way and you should be ready for more lumber by then. (Crossing guards might really look at me funny with boards laying on the center console and sticking out of the trunk)

 

[Pseudonym]

Here’s a close up of a rhino rack stanchion on my F150. It clamps into the space between the roof and the door, as described by @memaquay. The stanchion has a rubber foot and the clamp has a rubberized coating too, so I’ve seen no adverse impact on the paint.



I don’t keep mine installed permanently, only when hauling boats, so I can’t say if there’s any long term downside. I balked at the cost of the Rhino rack branded bars and used a couple pieces of Unistrut instead, but had to put Gorilla tape on the top because the unistrut holes “sing” at highway speeds like blowing over the top of a beer bottle.

 

[MrPoling]

I've drilled two vehicles now. In both cases I was far happier with the results than the factory racks, or aftermarket with those clips the tops of doors.

The best part about drilling is you can get longer spread. The bad part is modern vehicles, with airbags and sunroofs require a little more work.

I understand folks don't like to drill, but if I was going to upgrade it would include drilling mount holes.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Gamma, do what I have done - find the Yakima round bar rack requirements for your vehicle (some retailers still have the Yakima fit guides for the older round bar racks) and start watching Craigslist, FB Marketplace, etc for used stuff. I have outfitted a few friends older cars with Yakima round bar setups which seem to be widely available cheap. Yakima stopped making them in 2016 or so when they switched to aero bars which are real pricey, even when used. When I have sold or bought used Yakima round bar stuff you pay for or sell it for fairly small amounts, often $50-75.00.

I just helped a buddy install Subaru raised roof rails on his late model Jeep Wrangler 4 dr. He brought the rails new online from a dealer at 25% off and we watched Craigslist-Milwaukee and found him a lightly used Thule square rack setup that straps to the rails for $60.00. He is happy with it but I think he needs to watch the weight he puts on the rack since the removable roof on his Jeep appears to be made out of thin plastic (my guess).

Going this route may take awhile to find the parts you need: rack feet and bars are standard but you will need to get the door frame clips designed for your make/model of car to ensure a secure fit. But you can’t beat the price if you can find the older round bar (Yakima) or square bar (Thule) stuff.

My current 2021 Subaru Forester with the Yakima racks I have used on the last 3 (as I recall) Subarus 2021/2015/and possibly the 2005.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Gamma, here are the Yakima parts you could use on your car. The Q Towers (need four) and Q Clips (need four specific to your vehicle make/model)
Correctly installed Yakima racks are very secure. Regarding damage to the vehicle finish or body, I have found that over time loading/unloading your boat on a vehicle will result in some damage which I just accept as the cost of car topping boats. The finish damage is often slight and easily touched up. Or maybe I have just been klutzer than the usual car topping boat owner.

 

[Halpc]

I used Yakima towers and round bars on my 2016 Tundra for nearly 10 years with no real problems but a close call last year. One of the clamps worked its way loose, but the canoes tied on top and front and rear kept it from falling off! I started checking them at every stop and never did regain full confidence in the system. I found that some old Yakima bed rail racks actually work well on my new Ranger. I don’t think that this exact model is made anymore-due to the switch to “aero” bars. The latter are not wide enough and I have a lot of accessories for the round bars. I worried about the rail strength issue after I saw the warning stamped in the vinyl cover, but it seems to be very solid. It is high enough that even a fairly rockered canoe should fit. I haven’t tried my ME playboat yet, but no problem with the Indy or Wildfire. These racks may show up on EBay sometimes. Mine came with a vintage canoe that we bought a few years ago. The photo of the underside shows the metal brace and the “j” hook clamp system.

 

[memaquay]

Halpc, what year is your ranger? Are the bed rails solid, or squishy like mine?

 

[Halpc]

It is a. 2025- build date 2/25. There is a metal bed rail with a gray vinyl?grey cap over it. Ford supposedly strengthened the attachment points (floor to sides) on the 2025 trucks after getting a lot of complaints from customers who wanted to put racks or camper tops on them. The J-braces are reportedly not required in order to hold >88 pounds. My rack has 16” long steel base plates and 6” metal rectangular “boxes” which go under the rails. The cap is compressed in a little at the edges of the rack base plates-but hey- it’s a truck. The rack is solid and with double lock nuts on each clamp has given me no problems. I only have about 50 miles on it with a canoe on top at freeway speeds so far. I really like the truck-my first departure from the Toyota ranks in many years!

 

[memaquay]

Thanks for the info. They had corrected the J Brace thing by the time mine was built in Oct of 2024, but it sounds like they also corrected the bed rail problem in yours. I guess I'll send the dealership an email, see what they can do. I have a set of racks ready to go, similar to yours.

Other than that, I'm really liking the Ranger too, first time I've actually had feelings for a truck, lol.

 

[Alan Gage]

I had a Ford Focus. Thule and Yakima made brackets which were plenty solid but when placed in the specified locations the bar spread was, in my opinion, much too small for a 16'+ canoe.

I partially removed the headliner, drilled holes in the roof, and installed some aluminum angle I had laying around. To these I bolted 2x4s that were about 6 feet long and cantilevered over the hood. To these I bolted 2x4 cross bars. It was a banger of a setup. It gave me long bar spread and excellent stability.

The car was already not worth very much money and I knew it would be worth less money by the time I wore it out so the holes in the roof did not concern me.

20150918_001 by Alan, on Flickr

Alan

 

[Gamma1214]

At this point I might go that route Alan. I didn't pay much for the Fusion and, if I run it for 10 years or so, it won't be worth any more than my Ranger now is (scrap price). My only reservation is that I have 2 buddies in the car business who are watching for a used Prius that I can grab ridiculously cheap. You know as well as I do that they'll find one about an hour after I drill holes in the Fusion.

I absolutely agree that the cross bars will be pretty close if I install clamp-ons in the front & rear door openings so another option that I'm considering is to use a front clamp-on rack and fabricate a receiver for the rear. I could then install a T post when hauling the canoe & remove it when I'm not. That would also be better for hauling lumber although I have yet to figure out how to haul both lumber AND canoe like I do when I head North.

I'm missing the old Ranger already but we're also watching for a 2wd, stick shift, regular cab, long bed that nobody else wants. At times it seems like I'm standing on my head to avoid having a car payment but I'm trying to keep the streak alive. (payment free since 1988)

 

[Halpc]

Thanks for the info. They had corrected the J Brace thing by the time mine was built in Oct of 2024, but it sounds like they also corrected the bed rail problem in yours. I guess I'll send the dealership an email, see what they can do. I have a set of racks ready to go, similar to yours.

Other than that, I'm really liking the Ranger too, first time I've actually had feelings for a truck, lol.

I did remove some of the screws/plastic nuts which hold the plastic cap on so that I could get a secure metal to metal connection. I managed to get the spacer bar under part of the bracket with the threaded holes but the width of the rack didn’t permit me to get it on top of the holes. Good luck with yours- is an old fixed height rack or one of the newer adjustable ones?