Want to know to professionally install a roof rack? Well, come and learn from a ‘Tradesman Pro’ as ‘Dave’ gives you best practice advice for installation.

At ‘Tradesman Roof Racks’ we don’t just make sturdy and stylish roof racks, we are also the professionals at fitting them. Today, James and Matt from ‘PRO-VENT’ have brought in their sparkling-new Mercedes-Benz X-Class fleet to be fitted with a ‘Tradesman Oval Steel Roof Rack’.

An in-store fitment of a new ‘Tradesman Roof Rack’ generally takes around 60 minutes (please be sure to pre-book a time for your installation).  Click below to watch the fitment video of the new X-Class and be sure to check out Dave’s handy ‘FITMENT CHECKLIST’ below!

DAVE’S FITMENT CHECKLIST

PREPARE – Use a hoist to lift the roof rack above the vehicle. Make sure to pre-drill holes in the rails and back them with a foam stripd so that the duco doesn’t get damaged.

BE CAREFUL – Make certain you use a drill with a stop. You don’t want to drill right through the roof of your vehicle. Get your rails in the correct position, then drill the holes. Also, you will want to place rivets in the drilled holes as you go; this will keep the rail from moving while drilling.

FIXING – Use sealant on the drilled holes in the roof or canopy, place the rails on top, then fix the rails securely to the roof or canopy with a pop rivet gun.

LEG INSTALLATION – Make sure you have your legs in the correct order. Leg heights can differ due to the profile of the roof or canopy. For the X-Class, Dave is using three different leg heights 65 mm (back), 60 mm (middle) and 70 mm (front).

ROOF RACK INSTALLATION – Slide Z-Nuts into the track rails, one for each leg. Then lower the roof rack onto the legs and slide the rack until it’s centred. A good tip to centre your roof rack is to line the central weld point of the rack with your rear-view mirror. Once an optimal position is achieved, tighten the track nuts. Then once you have it centred you can tighten the T-nuts.

FIT A WIND DEFLECTOR – Be sure to fit a wind deflector in order to reduce noise while driving.

LEAVE IT CLEAN – Make sure you blow off any debris such as metal filings from the vehicle. You don’t want to scratch the duco or windows. Be sure to check the window seals and windscreen wipers carefully.