[QUOTE="Consider a rigid traction device that can also perform as a bridge like the waffleboards or other true ladders. Mine also function as a standing platform on the roof with no rack at all. Then they can also become under tire blocking for camping leveling.
@jwest
Would you be willing to post some pics, or give some details on how you did this?
i have been thinking about trying to configure something similar.
I have a ProSpeed rack, but essentially all I use it for at this point is a platform to put some lawn chairs on to watch my girls lacrosse games, or similar. Otherwise, it is largely useless and dead weight and extra height at this point.
Would really like to hear any details on what waffle boards, or bridging planks you found, and if they will support the weight of your truck if you actually need to use them for bridging or getting a tire up on a rock ledge or similar.
I have a couple of mats that I take on trips to difficult trails, but they are absolute beasts. They weigh over a hundred pounds combined, and would literally support a semi truck. They were made for decking on off-shore oil rigs, but found their way to me for about $15.00 many years ago.
If I could find an appropriate waffle board, or bridging ladder, my thought would be to take two or three of them, and just span them across the factory short roof rails and then secure them with a square nut inside the channel on the roof rails.[/QUOTE]
I assume by "how" you mean the roof mounting? You have to have the factory tracks. okoffroad carries the waffle boards in standard and HD. You have to get the HD. 48"x12"x2" Not super light but they are super useful in various ways.
Imagine how a Thule or Yakima "landing pad" sits on a track. They have a small bolt that threads into a little plate after you've dropped it into the track. Tightening snugs the pad into place. There are 2 per pad. This is where I got the idea:
I took aluminum flat strap, 1" x1/4" I think. Cut a piece roughly to 1.25x1" but similar to the yakima plate, just thicker obviously. Reason for 1/4" thick is the aluminum which won't rust and it's what I had. Steel would ruse into a mess. Stainless would be sweet but it's a little harder to fabricate and I didn't have any.
This was to be a prototype test, then it just kept working for 10 yrs LOL
So, before making the little drop-in plate, tap it to a thread you want to use from above the waffle board. I chose, again because I had things around, a threaded rod cut to length. Enough to thread into the plate but still be above the waffle after running through a hold-down bar (more luminum strap cut about 6") a split lock washer, and a wing nut.
Procedure to mount:
1-roughly set plates in tracks where you plan to center the waffle. Ideally you cannot get the plate in by simply dropping it there, you have to utilize the wide area to barely get it set inside the track. This way you know it cannot lift out, ever. Slide over to spot.
2-set waffle board CAREFULLY on roof, there is glass! VERY careful. I set it there enough to not flop off side of car, go around to other side, reach over, slide it over to overlap the side nearest me. This leaves roughly 2" overhang each side. Do not let it drop onto glass roof!
3-using the roughly 3.5-4" threaded rod, by hand locate the plate in the track, thread in by hand. (***I used stainless rod). A little dry lube can help. I thread it until the rod actually bottoms out in the track which keeps the plate right there with no way to wobble around.
4-hold-down strap you made from aluminum slips over rod (drilled out of course), locking washer (I used stainless split washer), stainless wing nut the largest scale you can find. Tighten by hand should be sufficient. If you use a tool, I'd be careful not to add more than a 1/4 turn as the plate is aluminum and this only needs to stay in place, not really do much work.
I used either M6 or maybe 5/16 but I don't recall. You'll need a tap.
I had thought as some point a cut down version of a bicycle hub quick release would be sweet and I may go to stainless track plate at some point too. This "test" has worked w no issues for 140,000 miles so far though
Two of these under a front wheel adds 4" blocking and on almost any surface or slope. You could have 4 and actually piggy back up huge ledges by setting the steep one to the top first, then the lower one into mid point of the steep one if the base edge is locked into the ground.
On the roof I stand on these all the time for photos but you have to be mindful of the flex in the middle and the glass just 1/4" below at the center.
You could, and I may do this sometime, add a spacer to the rail to set the waffle board higher. It would only take a1/4" or so to gain enough that most heavy people couldn't flex the center enough to even touch the glass. Mine have never touched. I weigh 170 but I also stand closer to the side 1/3 just to be safe and/or split my foot over two of them. I have two across and they are separated by about 4"