Roof rack/basket for suburban

Anyone built one? Looking at building one for mine, but would like some advice on dos/don't and any other advises far as size and materials to use. Also considering putting a ladder down the side for access to the basket. Thanks


jrg

What year suburban?

'97


jrg

My brother took out the last row of seats, left one seat in the second row and cut a hole in roof so two people could fit in. He built a lightweight aluminum cover for when he's driving it. Keeps the scent and noise to a minimum when setting up at night. It works great.

Yep done it a couple of times

Both the racks I've built have been 5'x10' which are great sizes for 3-4 people on top. The rack I built for The Camo Beast worked great but it was permanently bolted to the roof and the chairs screwed into 2" pipe collars. The rack for The Reaper bolts onto a luggage type rack that we built on the top so that it is removable. I much prefer the removable rack so that I don't have an air drag on top all the time.
If your suburban is only a half ton you will want to watch how big you make the rack, even expanded metal catches a ton of wind and in corners wind can do some wild things in a corner. That's why I always buy 3/4 ton suburbans, the extra springs help when the wind starts pushing you around.
I used the hold downs from the luggage rack on The Reaper and they work fine but if I redo it I will lower the headliner and run bolts through with LARGE washers like I did with The Beast.

I like the ladder up the side, is it attached all the way back to the frame at the bottom?

jrg

Used the bolts from the hitch receiver and built a receiver that mounts to the side so that it is removable