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Best Roof Rack System for 2001 Ford E350 Van  

Question:

Im converting a Ford E350 extended heavy duty van to a week + camper. I plan on having three or four solar panels on the roof and I really dont like the idea of clamp on type roof racks to hold the panels. Ive heard tales of the clamps failing and gone are the panels. I dont mind bolt on racks however I would like your opinion and any recommendations you might have Thank you

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Expert Reply:

The gutter mounts we have are actually really sturdy if you get the right ones and install them right. Technically, you should have more weight capacity off the gutter mounts since the weight is distributed vertically through the gutters vs racks bolted onto your fiberglass roof.

A good system for your 2001 Ford E350 Van is the Rhino Rack system with Square Crossbars # RB1800B-2 and Gutter Feet # RL150S10. You can switch the square crossbars for aero ones with 71" Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRVA180B-2 in Black or # RRVA180S-2 for Silver.

I recommend the gutter mounted roof rack option. I know roofs on Ford Vans get drilled into to install fans and other accessories, but I'd try not to poke too many holes into it if there's a better and stronger option. Now, if you really want to install crossbars directly to your roof since you're only carrying solar panels, here's how that would work.

What you need are mounting points, towers, and crossbars. For bolt-on, you have the choice of fixed points or tracks. An example of a full set-up from Yakima is:

-54" Tracks # Y01127
-Landing Pad 1 # Y00221
-SkyLine Towers - Qty 4 # Y53TR
-70" Long JetStream Crossbars # Y00427

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Evangeline M
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Instructions for Y00221Instructions for Y01127Instructions for RL150S10

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