I"m glad it was helpful, good luck with your solar install!

Glad it was helpful, it is always great to meet another Transit owner. I've got a playlist of my Transit modifications (see the pinned comment), perhaps I'll catch you at another video in the future. Thanks for watching!

Thanks. I looked at the promaster and it was really hard to make a decision. I ended up with the transit because I really needed the rear seats. I've got other van conversation videos on the channel. Please feel free to check them out. Thanks for watching!

I'm glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!

Glad you like it, thanks for watching!

Glad it was helpful, good luck with your build!

Hockey pucks, that’s a great idea. How’d it turn out.

I'm glad it was helpful, I hope the van videos are useful, thanks for watching!

That is great to hear that you've got a similar van, I hope you like it (I really like the Transit). In case it is helpful, I've got other van projects at kzfaq.info/sun/PLxdnSsBqCrrF5nO7cmNTc4cct0miFWdO6, I hope to see you at another video, thanks for commenting and watching!

That is great to hear you have a Transit also, I love this van. In case you are interested, I have a bunch more Transit videos at kzfaq.info/sun/PLxdnSsBqCrrF5nO7cmNTc4cct0miFWdO6. Feel free to check them out, thanks for watching!

Same for me! I really appreciate the thought Ford put into their roof mount points and cable penetration points, and the fact that the rack designs can be "open source" and don't have to use some sort of proprietary bracket. Thanks Christopher for sharing your design!

@@bnbailey Yeah, that is really nice although it is interesting that the American car uses metric bolts :).

Christopher Lum As I understand the history of the vehicle, Ford built the Transit and Transit Connect in Europe for a number of years before it was ever sold in the US. I think that explains why it was a relatively refined design before it came to America, it uses metric fasteners, and it’s sometimes lumped into the category of “euro-vans”. It also explains some “foreign” design concepts like the battery under the seat, which I believe it shares with the Sprinter.

@@bnbailey, thanks for the insight, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for watching!

Ursula, you are correct, the paint is mostly for aesthetics. If I were going to do it again I might invest in powder coating rather than enamel paint as the enamel has flaked off in some areas of high traffic.

I've been pleasantly surprised with no additional water incursion for over a year. In case you're interested, I've got all my Transit van videos at kzfaq.info/sun/PLxdnSsBqCrrF5nO7cmNTc4cct0miFWdO6. Feel free to check them out and let me know if your experience with the 2017 Transit is similar. Thanks for watching!

Hi Michael, are you referring to the bolt and spring nut I installed at 15:00? I simply used a spring nut on the bottom and then passed a bolt with washer through the crossbar. Note that these are not M8 bolts, they are the bolts that are matched to the spring nut. Basically there are only two bolts holding the crossbar to the main rails. This has been super stable for the past year. I hope this helps.

All the pads where I mounted the aluminum tower are actually in the same plane as each other so as long as you make the towers tall enough to clear the rise as you move from side to side, the cross bar will sit flat. Good luck with your build!

@@ChristopherLum Gah! That's awesome, thanks so much. So the rectangular pads that the tower sit on are designed to be level? Sounds great! Thanks again

It has been great. A little paint has chipped off but otherwise no real issues. You'll see I have a few other videos on the channel where I added additions to the rack. The additions seemed to negatively affect my gas mileage but I don't hear any harmonics at any speeds. Thanks for watching!

Douglas, thanks for the detailed comment. I think what you are suggesting is viable although you'll need a way to bolt the side rails to the top of the block/towers. If you try it out, let me know, thanks for watching!

@@ChristopherLumWhat I mean is the bolting process is two steps; bolt your aluminum riser/block with a shorter M8 as necessary through the middle of your (lets say 4") aluminum block and then your sidebars to the at 1" and 3" part of the block and through the sidebar otherwise, when your bolt down your entire 'system' with the one M8 bolt, the block may/will have the tendency to compress/bend. Here, the M8 only holds the block and the other (5/8?) bolts and nylon lock nuts hold the rail to the block separately. Me, I like your system and my plan is to integrate the solar panels into it rather than onto it so there is still much to research electric wise which will dictate my (affordable too) rack. Liked yours the best from the multitude of DIYs viewed too.

@@higbeedoug Great, keep me posted on your build, good luck!

I think the mounting pads are actually pretty flat and in the same plane as one another. I didn't have to make any angled spacers and it all just fit as shown in the video. Did you see somewhere that they are angled?

I used an M8 bolt with a shaft that was just shy of 2.5". Of course, you might need a different length if your towers or side bars are a different dimension.

Surprisingly, they are pretty quiet. There is a low hum at high speeds, but I suspect this would occur with any bluff body such as a square tube. The slotted channels actually don't make much noise.

Hi Wade, wow you have a great eye and you nailed it exactly! You must be a local :)

Surprisingly, there is very little noise from whistling. There is a barely noticeable, low hum at higher speeds but given the other road noise, I really don't think it is much of a problem. I really like that the channeling has multiple attachment points, I've used it many times. Thanks for watching!

I'm glad it was entertaining. I ended up not putting solar panels up there as I'm never boondocking for extended periods of time so for me, the roof space is better utilized by cargo boxes, bikes, kayaks, etc. I've got a bunch more van videos on the channel, please feel free to check them out and let me know what you think. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the comprehensive comment, it was a pleasure to read. My original sealing job worked out OK. I ended up adding another bead of sealant around the bottom of the towers and now it has held up great for the past 6 months. Let me know when you have your video up, I'd love to see how you approached the problem. PS. I've got other van videos on the channel, please feel free to check them out and let me know what you think. Thanks for watching!

​@@ChristopherLum Today here in Altamonte Springs, Fla., its a nice sunny and very hot day. Roof temperture tested using the temperature feature of a multimeter showed 105 degrees at one point. Its funny, I can tell how much power the solar panels are pushing into the vehicle just by feeling the temperature inside of the van. I haven't bothered with interior paneling or customization yet, I'm working on utility systems first (solar, power, water, etc.). So the van has no insulation in the roof yet. I think this is good though so one can guage the default temperature first as a base line, then improve up from there. I finally ordered a roof fan (1st) this weekend since it has moved up to the next priority purchase in the list. Later I am going to install an AC, but it will have to move up the list for budgeting purposes. Before any AC, a generator system will most likely be first. Why? b/c the AC will most likely most effectively be used used with the vehicle off, hence - off generator power. I can't see running that off solar batteries. Generators are around $5-800 hundred range for a decent 2000 - 2500 watt unit. Acquisition of the generator is just the first part of, because a mounting scheme will need to come next. Off the shelf mounting aparatus is like roof racks pricey to (a rip off) for a simply alluminum box. Well, us do it yourselfers will take care of that problem - won't we.. Getting back to my leaking roof rack supports, and what the strategy will be not that I've got the materials in front of me, at least 90% for just over $300. I've seen other DIY roof racks, using struts, and looks like between 200-400 is around the range for a basic setup - not including the time, space, and energy to built it - especially painting. Since I don't have a garage or practical work area, I think I'll simply fortify the roof brackets using butle tape, and rubber sealed 8mm bolts (which I want to get longer one's anyway) for my brackets. The system I got is here: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBWGFML If you look at the install manual here: bit.ly/2X24V76 You can see the manual and hardware dosen't get into any sealing requirements in depth, if at all. Which is the case once you remove the plastic caps on the roof. In my install video, I pondered about that hole as I continued the install. I suppose I could have shined a light up from inside the cab to verify that the hole is through-and-through to the interior of the van. Luckly, there was only the light rain yesterday, which was enough to prompt me about the problem - which I noticed only indirectly. Because I had not interiorization inside the van yet, I was able to quickly see little drops coming down the sides of my naked van interior walls. Imaging if I had liners, wood paneling, cabinets, etc. all ready up, I would have not noticed it quickly, and the water damage would have continued - hopefully not affecting any electronics. So beware readers of this post, yes, the holes go through into the inside of the van. Now, I appreciated what this guy did for his sealing (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/brSlpbNeyaezk2Q.html) (he didn't use a sealant, other than strategic butle tape and the rubberized bolt heads. Which is what I pan on doing pretty much over the course of the next few days. I'm waiting for my telescopic ladder which I will also do a review on to see how it works for that project. Kill two video review birds with one shot. Getting back to the vent fan I ordered. I decided with MaxxAir 2500 model. This model does not have the remote features, but everything else that the MaxxAir 7500K model has. Yes, I imaging just relaxing away being able to click the remote and have the MaxxAir fan cover raise and lower, or some other fan speed adjustment take place. Or, I can just get my ass up and move the five feet and press the controls on the unit above me. The main selling point for the MaxxAir was basically that it can be left open during driving, and during the rain. It has a hood combined with the system. Other than the next popular brand, Fan-Tastic (what a trademark name there!) which, I was amazed by one reviewer, pointed out that basically if you 1) leave it open, the rain will get in (leaving open is what you would do to keep temps down if parked remotely somewhere); and 2) you are at risk driving with it open - of breaking the support arms, etc. Also, I don't think the fan works when the lid is down either vs the MaxxAir. Three key things which are totally important. The fan is coming in this week, so I probably don't want too many roof projects to do at the same time, so I would like to fix the bracket sealing insue, and be ready to then cut into my van's roof (14x14 hole) for the fan on another day. I'm curious to know what the mouting strategy would be as to where to install the fan regionally on the roof front, middle or rear? I may be doing the rear (1st) because idealistically, two fans working together one in and one out, are the complete package. Maybe that 2nd fan could be the deluxe model for $300 while this fan is the well equipped (10 speeds, thermostate, etc) manual model. What would your thoughts be for regional mouting of all air system accessories such as a fan and AC unit?

@@mikesmultimedia I've decided not to add a fan or AC unit to my van so I haven't thought too much about where/how to mount it. It sounds like you have a good approach and I'd be interested to see how it goes. Sorry to hear about your rust problems, I hope the RMA goes ok!

what size spring clamps for the 90 brackets did you use

I currently have a 100W solar array but this is a freestanding system as opposed to a permanent roof mounted solution. I'm trying to get a video up detailing the electrical system soon so please stay tuned. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to adjust this on future videos.