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When I first started looking at roof racks for my Ram Promaster 2500, I was honestly blown away by the prices. Most of the pre-made racks I found were anywhere from $2,000 to almost $3,000 — and that didn’t even include installation or add-ons like a deck or solar mounts.
I get why they’re expensive: they’re lightweight, sleek, and bolt right up. But I wanted something simple, strong, and way more affordable. Plus, I love building things myself when I can. It feels good knowing exactly how something’s put together — and you save a ton of money in the process.
So after some research, I decided to build my own using Unistrut, which is basically industrial-grade metal framing channel. It’s strong, modular, and easy to find at home improvement stores or online. Paired with Vantech roof brackets that bolt to the factory mounting points on the Promaster, it turned out to be the perfect setup.
Here’s everything I used to put my rack together:
Each side rail is made from two pieces of Unistrut:
The crossbars are simpler — I took a 10-foot Unistrut channel and cut it in half to make two ~60-inch crossbars. I placed one crossbar at the back and one at the front of the rack, with two more spaced evenly in between.
I used a hand saw to cut all the pieces, but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend that unless you’re stubborn (or frugal 😁) like me. A circular saw with a metal cutting blade or an angle grinder would be way faster and easier.
Once everything was cut, I cleaned the metal and sprayed it with a couple coats of black Rust-Oleum for rust protection. You could also use a truck bed liner spray if you want a more durable, textured finish.
I assembled the full-length side rails first, bolting them to the Vantech brackets that mount to the Promaster’s factory roof tabs. Once both side rails were in place and aligned, I added the crossbars on top using strut hex head bolts, nylon cone nuts, and tooth lock washers.
The result was a solid, secure frame that spans nearly the full length of the van. It gave me a strong base for the redwood deck and solar panels I added later on (which I’ll cover in a separate post).
I built this rack back in the summer of 2020, and since then it’s been through countless road trips, storms, hot summers, and salty sea air. It’s held up amazingly well. No rust issues, no loose bolts, no weird flexing or rattling.
But looking back, there are a few things I’d tweak or recommend if you’re building your own:
I cut everything with a hand saw. It worked… eventually. But if I were doing this again, I’d grab a circular saw with a metal cutting blade, or an angle grinder. Cleaner cuts, way faster, and way less effort.
I sprayed my rack with black Rust-Oleum paint, and it’s held up surprisingly well. But for ultimate durability, truck bed liner spray would give you a thicker, more rugged coating.
I used tooth lock washers to help keep bolts tight, and I periodically check them — they’ve been rock solid. But if you’re adding a heavy deck or solar panels, check your fasteners once in a while, especially after your first few long drives.
At the time, I built this for a deck and solar panels. But if you’re thinking about adding things like roof boxes, awnings, or lights later on, leave yourself some extra mounting points or brackets.
It’s been about 4+ years since I built this rack, and it’s still going strong.
The whole setup has carried a redwood deck, solar panels, and occasionally me hanging out on top watching the sunset. It’s been steady and strong the whole way.
| Part | Qty | Est. Price Each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vantech Roof Rack Mounting Brackets | 8 | $26 | $208 |
| 10 ft Slotted Unistrut (12-gauge) | 6 | $23 | $138 |
| Nylon Strut Cone Nuts, Hex Bolts, Washers | — | — | ~$60 |
| Rust-Oleum Spray Paint | 2 | $7 | $14 |
| Estimated Total | ≈ $420–450 in 2020 |
Today’s prices are closer to $500–550. Either way, it’s still way cheaper than a $2,000–$2,800 ready-made rack.
For me, this rack became the base for a full roof build. I later added:
You could use a setup like this for:
If you’re comfortable measuring, cutting, and bolting things together, this project is 100% worth it.
The best part is the pride of building it yourself. It’s not always about saving money (though that’s nice), it’s about learning, figuring things out, and making something that fits exactly what you need.
Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll break down how I built a simple redwood deck on top of this rack and mounted my solar panels. Super chill project with a great payoff for van life.
