New Product Update: Roof Rack and Internal Rack

Raingler has finished the design for the external soft roof rack for the Xterra, and is finishing up the internal rack.

Here is the redesigned roof rack. It has been changed to 1" webbing, and uses much stronger steel tie-downs. The old design slipped too easily with the plastic buckles. The rings at every intersection of the webbing were also removed, and only run around the outside rows.
The final product will have 5 rows of webbing running front to back as opposed to 6 in this picture (the outside rows ran into the plastic crossbar mounts).



Here is the rack supporting my 80 lb. toolbox. There is some sagging due to the small footprint of the toolbox, but it still has 2 inches of clearance to the roof. Putting odd shaped objects like this on the roof is not recommended, but the rack will easily support a spare tire.



The rack was designed with stuff like camping gear in mind. Here's a bunch of stuff bungeed to the rack. Bungee cords can be attached to any ring on the rack or to the webbing itself.



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Moving inside we finally see the new internal rack. This rack will undergo a change next week, since it was a bit too long front to back (notice it is attached to the grab handle). It will be shortened by one row so it attaches to the ceiling tie-down correctly.
This rack is designed for lightweight items, and items you always want to keep in the Xterra (blankets, tow strap, books, etc.).



Without overloading it, the rack does not hinder rearward vision in any way, and makes good use of the 4-6 inches of unused space.



Raingler will begin production of these products this week.
Orders will be made through their web site.

Final pricing will be posted here shortly.

I would get the exterior rack, but I still want to wait and see if I can get my own design built. The interior rack looks great as well. I think some hooks on the ends of the straps so I can take it out and install it quicker would be the only thing I would change besides the length.

OMG, the inside one kicks ass! I already did a roof rack in a similar fashion, but would be VERY interested in that interior rack.

Looks great. One question on the interior though. I've got the basket net up there right now, which probally sags considerably more than this new one, even with out much weight on it and being pulled tight. With that in mind, my rear passangers always complain about it, as it rests on their heads, and they're not all that tall [all 5'10 and under]. So will this new rack have the same effect?

The basket net was never designed to carry weight, only to contain items in the basket. This looks like a much better load carrying net.

That is one minor problem. Eddie will be removing the front row, which should help a bit.

I can't image needing to store stuff up there and having 4 adults in the Xterra, so to me the only issue is how quickly our dog will chew through it.

If you have people in the back, take it out.

It installs and removes in a few minutes.
Using hooks would not really allow it to be tightened enough to avoid sagging.

Love the look of the interior rack. Will be buying one when it comes out.

i definately would want the interior one. i've got no more room in the back for anything right now.

The interior rack looks great...perfect for carrying around a blanket, extra sweatshirts/fleece...note that you probably could not put anything heavy up there for safety reasons (i.e., a quick stop resulting in the contents rocketing out to the front seats). But for my purposes, looks great.

Keep us updated Ian, and thanks...

ChrisW

Already answered.

It decreases it where the rack is, since the rack sits lower than the headliner. One row is being removed, so the front edge will sit back a bit further.

hate to ask this, but suppose you have to make a quick stop, is there anything to keep say a book or whatever from flying forward?

Have you been drinking again? I don't understand the words coming out of your mouth.

ALAN

Beanik,
From the looks of it, and considering that it will be pushed back due to one less row, the only way stuff might not fly out is through the webbing being flush with the roof height of the front half of the cabin. This is by no means a reliable way of keeping stuff in, but as long as there is not too much sag and the webbing lines up well enough with the front roof, it would help a little. Myself...I wouldn't put anything too heavy in there, unless you want it stuck in the the back of your head.

Ian, you've seen this up close and personal...any details on this?

ChrisW

Hey that looks familiar!



Hey Ian did you paint your rack or buy an 02 rack?

Nope.
Only soft items should be stored up there (that's a softback Atlas in the picture, and the shovel is for demonstration purposes only.

I have a bunch of stuff I always keep in the Xterra, gloves, hats, rain jackets, blankets, swimsuits, and now they have a nice, out of the way place to stay.

I painted it the day I ended my lease and purchased my Xterra. I've been waiting to paint it for 3 years.

I like it

Will the straps wear against the roof rack tube paint if they are tight enough? and what size tire would the webbing hold? will the webbing bottom out on the roof with the spare? and will the spare tire shift around even if properly secured?

Sorry for so many questions, but that looks to be something I'd invest in so I wouldn't have to get another 'rack.. if it could hold a 31" tire (when I finally buy a set) I'd buy it in a heartbeat, dependant on price..

The interior one is cool, but I doubt I'll put anything in that space anytime soon.

Thanks for the pics Ian! definantly cool.

Later

Finalized pricing is as follows: 64.95 for the interior rack and 74.95 for the exterior unit. Each unit will add 8.50 S+H and if you buy the set of both interior and exterior it will be 129.95$ plus S+H. Thanks for all the emails, I will let the reviewer (Ian) answer all the ins and outs once he is done. Kudos for all the suggestions and input, we expect to start shipping these Monday July 29th for pre order customers first.

I don't know If I'd sell the interior piece. It only tales one moron who buys this thing and later has a wrench go through the windshield or someones skull to bring on a nasty legal battle. As a damn happy Sgt Lobo shelf/dog gate mod user I'm playing devils advocate here.

It should not wear the paint on the roof rack any more than a Mighty Mount would.

It will hold a tire up to the width of the rack, which is about 34 inches.

The webbing did not bottom out with my 80 lb. toolbox up there, and a tire has a much bigger footprint to spread the weight around.

Shifting of the tire will depend on how well you secure it.

This is just FYI to those interested; the interior unit is available for immediate shipment! http://raingler.com/shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1&cat=Raingler+Nets (scroll down, it's the newest one) We'll be needing some nice product pics asap, and the exterior unit will start to ship by week's end. Thanks again for all the feedback, and again, this is for soft items only, please don't try to put your toolbox up there!
Note until end of August 02' if you get the exterior along with the interior unit at the SAME time, you will get 10$ off the total. This is for XOC members only, enter "RHR10" as the coupon code at checkout.

Order placed!! It is great to add another vendor and aftermarket option to the mix.

$64.95

I like the interior rack the best. Would I be able to pick this up rather than paying the S&H?

mail sent!

Raingler? So what is the time from money sent to product recieved? I sent payment last night for two interior nets.

Thanks, Rick

Well, that depends on if the mailman has a GPS for those coordinates or not :p 4-6 days, email if you would like the tracking #'s

Raingler is now shipping the new interior rack. I ordered mine a week ago and it shipped this past Monday (7/29/02). Regarding things flying out during braking and such, I am planning to attach items to the rack with metal clips. That'll do it.

Next product request: I'd like a vertical cargo net that I can use with the seats down. I'd like to drop the rear seats and put my dog on top of them, and then store the gear in the regular cargo space. But then I need something to keep the gear from squashing the mutt. Cargo net?

Hed

uhhh... why dont you just put your dog in the back seat?

I just put all my gear into the footwells, it also helps fill the void between the headrests of the rear seats when folded down. It becomes a paw trap when the seats are down.

My dog sheds, and I get tired of having to constantly vacuum out the back seats so that passengers don't get hair-coated. Plus, he's a messy german shepherd, and his mud-paws screw up the interior.

Meanwhile, I put my seat cushions in the footwells in the back seat. Doesn't everyone do this? Fat side goes down, thin side goes up. They fit perfectly. It leaves a little room for some other stuff. Fishing rods and whatnot.

BUT, when I say gear, I'm talking like when I go camping and fill the back with coolers and tents and sleeping bags, and all the other misc camping crap. I use bungee cords to keep the junk from sliding forward, but that's not really a very great solution as it only really works on the big stuff. Any odds and ends (dog bowls, etc.) still tend to slide around.

A cargo net seperating the back from the front would keep the dog (and people) safe from sliding gear, and still allow me to drop the seats for the dog so he's not messing up my back seat. I also think that even for the big stuff, a nice cargo net would be more secure than a few bungee cords.

Hed

Raingler interior net is great! All the light stuff that was in the back is now up in the net!!! More room for beer when we are done wheeling for the day!!!!

Raingler, I got my net, installed it and it looks great. Installation was a bit of a problem because I didn't have the pictures from this thread in front of me (yes, the truly webbing impaired can attempt to install it upside down and backwards). I'm also having a little problem getting the straps tightened up as much as they should be. Once again for the webbing impaired, what is the right way to thread the webbing through the spring-loaded grips? I have never known whether I was doing this right, regardless of what I was trying to strap down. A diagram or picture would be greatly appreciated.

Apologies to anyone that had any difficluties w/ this. The label goes facing down to floor so it is veiwable and the two rings that are closest together are to be at the rear by the hatch domelight. Here is some pics of the buckles showing webbing path and tie off.




(Shown on Frontier.)

Just ordered my roof rack yesterday, and anxiously awating it's arrival...

Something you may want to think about throwing together though (if there's enough interest of course, I know I would buy them!)... I don't think I'm the only one who does this... and I'll get pics to post later (forgot to bring my camera with me) is side nets for the back.

Currently I have about 4 bungees on each side in the back, using the floor tie downs, and the ceiling tie downs (well... my sgt. logo rack, but it can use the tiedowns) as well as the seat back hooks to keep stuff flush to the sides of the rear cargo area. I have jackets, small bags, shovel, hiking pole, etc. that I have in my truck, where I have no other room for... and I at least 2 times a week, have the back (with seats down) filled with junk, so I don't have room for anything else in there... so I use a system of bungees to keep those items flush ot the sides of the truck so I have room for cargo and/or people. And usually I have stuff in the footwells to, so I put my rear seat cushions in there as well...

I guess it's better explained through photos... so I will snap a few after work and post them... something like a side net for the wrangler...

anyhow, enough usless rambling, I'll blab more when I take a few pics

Thank you, Raingler, those pix are most helpful. Honestly, the installation really is not that hard, I was just in too much of a hurry to be thinking effectively. Getting web buckles right, however, has always been a problem for me.

A quick note on the interior installation.

Make sure the ceiling tie-downs are facing the correct way.

The front and back pair should have their largest opening facing fore and aft, while the center pair should have the largest opening facing center.

i bought the prototype when it was posted on the buy/sell forum, and i love it. it was really easy to install after looking at the other pics real close. here is a pic.

i started another thread with the same pic a few days ago too. sorry for the double post.

I think I will give the interior net a whirl, But i am monkeying with the idea of integrating some karabiners for easy removal/install. I reckon I should be able to clip them into the rings and then run the straps through the 'biners.

I envison keeping a dog towel, a frisbee, rain gear and atlases up there, rather than under the dogs feet.

A

'Bout the roof-rack . . .

Ian, you said the rack didn't bottom out with the 80-lb toolbox. Was that under movement, or while y'all were doing a static test in the driveway?

If you put a spare tire on the roof, and took the truck wheeling, how stable is a load on the new rack under those conditions? Is there enough give in the rack to allow the tire to contact the roof?
There appears to be some decent slack in the pics with the toolbox . . .

The interior rack looks slick. If I needed one, I'd be buying it today . . .

I got my interior net the other day and installed it in about 3 minutes. It's awesome! I'll try to take some pics ASAP.

Thumbs up to Eddie and Raingler.com. Got my interior rack. Installed in about 4 minutes but that's because I took step by step pictures during the installation. Only mod I needed to make was the way I installed it the rear straps were long. I put velcro at the end of the strap to keep it from dangling. Overall an excellent product. Quality construction, easy to install and customer service was top notch. Now, for those of you wondering about where to put the dog. . . why not order the exterior net from them? Even my Saint Bernard will fit up there!

Raingler went long on all the straps, just in case. They offer a good grip for snugging down the net. They can be trimmed, and the edge sealed with a lighter, or left as they are. I just tucked them back through the corner of the webbing and through the metal ring. People can also pick up some of those clips for straps from REI or similar stores.

Make sure the front and rear ceiling hooks face fore and aft, and the side hooks face side to side.

My toolbox has a very small footprint compared to a tire, so it did deflect the net quite a bit. It was just for demonstration though, and we did not drive anywhere with it.

I don't think a spare tire would touch the roof at any time. I'll be reviewing both racks in a week or two, and will test it with a 32" spare.

Does anyone have a pic they could post of the new smaller version of the internal net that shows the net from the front seat looking back? If not, can someone who bought it let me know about the available rear headroom with it installed? I'm interested in the net as long as it doesn't interfere with the back seat headroom because I regularly have rear passengers.

Thanks.

It's tight.
I'm 5'10" and my pointy head touches the net.

You can take it out in 3 minutes though.

It would be sweet if Nissan had put one more ceiling tiedown in the center. any ideas?

Ian, is that pic of you sitting in the front or rear seat?

Looks to be rear seat to me. There are no tie downs that far forward in the cab to be front.

Saw one installed last night. That would be the rear seat.

Looks very well built. Just ordered mine today.

Just got the interior rack today! Granted do lose a little head room, but if you only put short people back there you'll be fine. Just need to get some carabiners to hook stuff up there. Wish they would have included a sticker. They have a pretty cool symbol. Minor technicality though, they might not even have any. Just a thought since I like stickers.

That is a feature for the '03. (to use the exterior basketnet in the same way as above, so I'm told)
A quick solution is to pull out the the ceiling liner caps and install hooks. I've done it long ago, used mirror mount anchors and nylon electrical loops. Helps when I use a net as a pet divider.
I've also done the same for most of the carpet caps behind the rear seatbacks.

xcanuk - got pics of this?

Edit: Saw them on your website. Thanks.

I use a lot of straps and I have
found that small paper clamps (the little black thingy's) work great for securing strap ends.

Toy Man

Sort of
When I installed the bin for a short time, I installed the anchors, once I removed the bars, I replaced it with hooks
http://www.geocities.com/x_canuk/rbin.html
other pics here for the seat backs or the dividing net
http://www.geocities.com/x_canuk/interior_mods3.html

Don't think a close up is needed, but I can snap a few if needed... its rather simple.

edit to add.. my site is with geocities.. too many hits and it may shut down, just go back later,, sorry

XOC, I really like how you mounted your roof lights on the side of the bars. What kind of clips are you using to hold them on. Also, what kind of lights are they and did the wiring give you any trouble. It looks great though!

As per usual, thanks Ian for going to the trouble of posting the pic (particularly w/ a "model" as a reference for dimensions-- ). And I hope I didn't make you go out to your garage & take that pic at 5:30 in the morning. Do you ever sleep since you post on here at all hours? Or are you just one of those people that can function on 4 hours of sleep?

That's exactly what I did

The lights are just bolted through the basket.
Wiring still isn't complete, since I'm a poseur (actually, now that I own it, I plan to run power up through the roof at the second rack pedestal to a set of connectors).

So that explains the "please hurry and take the f-ing picture" look on your face!

Kidding

I took the picture myself. Talented aren't I ?

Yes, it doesn't have that funny concave look self portraits usually have. You didn't need to run out and take a pic for me, but I appreciate you doing it.