Roof racks for campervans can be super pricey! Since we are building on a budget, we knew we needed to create a DIY roof rack that was both effective and inexpensive. We managed just that with the roof of our Promaster 157 DIY roof rack.
Maxxair Fan
In a previous post, we talked about how we installed our Maxxair Fan. It’s worth mentioning here that we installed that fan as far to the rear of the van as we could to give us plenty of space for solar panels. Installing it as far back as possible also gave us some flexibility when we had to make some roof layout changes late in the build.
Solar Layout
We knew we wanted to fit as much solar as possible on this build since we have 900 amp hrs of lithium batteries that will need to stay topped up and a fully electric kitchen. We have had awesome luck with Rich Solar Panels on both of our boats, so we started looking at what Rich Solar formats would fit best. We landed on their 250-watt panels, which fit perfectly width-wise. We knew we could fit 3 panels with all the space we had. This would give us 750 watts of solar, with the potential to squeeze in a smaller panel when we were done.
DIY Roof Rack
The next step was figuring out how to mount the panels to the roof without spending an insane amount of money for a roof rack.
The promasters have t-studs on the roof for roof racks from the factory. When Andy started looking at the options on the market for mounts to use the studs, he was really not happy with what was available. Most of the options put pressure down on the sheet metal roof and up on the t-stud. This can cause problems if they are overtightened, and can trap moisture and dirt under them.
Andy ended up designing a brand new mount that we are calling the Penny Promounts. The Penny Promounts sandwich the t-stud between layers of stainless steel and don’t trap dirt or moisture. They make it easy to attach two unistrut rails where we could attach solar panels. The total cost was just over $200.
We wanted to provide the DIY campervan community with a more effective and less expensive alternative to what was on the market. We’ve spent the last year testing and perfecting our roof mounts and we’ve now made our Penny Promounts available for purchase in our store!
Solar Panel Brackets
Now that we had somewhere to attach the solar panels to, we had to tackle the how! Andy also designed up solar panel brackets that made it super easy to attach our metal framed solar panels to the unistrut using unistrut nuts.
We’ve also made these solar brackets available for purchase in our store. They make installing metal-framed solar panels so much easier!
Air Conditioning
We thought we would eventually put in an air conditioner unit, however we didn’t think it was in the budget right away. After our first shakedown trip, I quickly realized that I was having a ton of anxiety around leaving Aiden in the van. Even in just 65 or 70 degrees. We also came in around $5000 under budget initially, so we decided to take some of that money and install an air conditioner.
We picked the Dometic RTX 2000 because it was the only model with good reviews that would fit without us losing any solar. It wasn’t pretty, and the interior of the van looked like a scene from dexter for two days. We had to shift the solar panels around to make space. There were also some real Gwen and Andy shenanigans involved in getting the 70 pound unit on the roof without breaking any solar panels or ourselves.
Installing the AC was one of the best decisions we made in this build. I can’t imagine not having it. We can leave Aiden without worrying and it’s really great for days you’re stuck in the van working when it’s hot.
Starlink Mount
The last item on our roof is starlink. Starlink is a necessary evil in our life. It’s the only form of reliable internet we’ve found for Andy to continue with his job on the move. We knew we wanted to have it mounted to the roof so he could work while I drove, but we also wanted to be able to move it off the roof if we had obstructions like trees.
We have modified our Gen 2 dishy to sit in a wedge mount that was designed by Jason over at Everlanders. That mount has magnets on the bottom, and then additionally is clipped to the unistrut rail. The extra wire is curled under the wedge mount so we can just pop the dishy off the roof, unravel the wire and set the dishy in a more open area. It has worked great for us! We rarely have to remove it from the roof but in places like Shenandoah, or here in New England it’s been incredibly useful to be able to move it around.
Ladder Access
The very last roof-related item, is our collapsible ladder. We decided against a mounted ladder. Primarily because of expense, and this collapsible ladder has turned into one of our favorite pieces of gear we carry with us! It is super light, easy to stow, and gets pretty tall! It costs a fraction of what a mounted ladder would have cost and still gives us all the access we need to be able to inspect, clean, and shovel the roof!
Cost Breakdown
Note: All Costs are as of April/May 2024
Previous Costs: $20,581.29
- Maxxair Roof Vent Fan: $309.00 (previously added to total)
- 3 250watt Rich Solar Panels $615.57 (previously added to total)
- 2 10 ft Unistrut Rails: $74.96
- 6 Penny Promounts: $104.97
- 12 Solar Brackets: $200.00
- Dometic RTX 2000: $2399.99
- Starlink Mount: $70.00 (We had to have someone else print it)
- Collapsible Ladder: $89.99
New Costs: $2939.91
Total Cost: $23,521.20
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