Fitting My Roof Rack: Crossbeams, 2020 Rails and LED Mounts

On Day 95, I moved my Flatline roof-rack crossbeams to suit the solar-panel length, added 2020 extrusion above the rack and made aluminum plates for two small LED lights. The useful story is in the fitting sequence: an existing rack, another layer of rails, panels brought up for a trial fit and small mounts made to lift the lights.

The Day 95 diary records a 12-hour session that also included junction boxes, conduit and wiring work. The overall roof project was still in progress. These photographs show the mechanical arrangement during that session, with tools, leads and other work still on the roof.

The Flatline Rack Was My Starting Point

I was working on the Flatline Van Co Low Pro rack on my extended Transit. The Day 95 changes involved its existing extrusion crossbeams and the additional 2020 extrusion I attached above them. The original rack and the added rails were separate parts of the arrangement.

That distinction is visible in the photographs. The wider rack structure remains underneath, while the added profile and its corner connection sit above it. A photograph of the whole roof gives the location; a close-up makes the joint understandable.

The Rack And Panel Fitting Sequence I Recorded

My numbered diary steps put the crossbeam move before the added extrusion and the two-panel trial fit. They then record cutting 2020 extrusion to size, followed by making the small-light plates and mounting the lights. The panel visit to the roof was explicitly for fitting.

The Mechanical Work Within My Day 95 Entry

Diary Step	Work Recorded	Part Of The Arrangement
7	Move the Flatline crossbeams to fit the solar-panel length	Existing rack
8	Install 2020 extrusion above the existing rack extrusion with corner brackets	Added rails and their joints
9	Bring two solar panels onto the roof for fitting	Panel trial position
10	Cut 2020 extrusion to size	Extrusion fabrication
11	Cut and drill flat aluminum plates to lift the small lights, two plates per light	Light-mount pieces
12	Mount two small LED lights on the passenger-side 2020 extrusion	Light positions on the rail

The 12-hour total belongs to the whole day's roof work, including the electrical tasks. The table isolates the mechanical entries so I can follow the crossbeams, rails, panels and light mounts through that larger session.

Adding 2020 Extrusion Above The Rack

I recorded using corner brackets to attach the 2020 extrusion on top of the existing Flatline rack extrusion. The close-up below shows the bracket at the connection, with a fastener visible on each face. The wider view places that same type of connection in the surrounding rails.

IXGNIJ 2020 extrusion appears in the materials for this work and in my purchase catalog. My materials also list an M5 T-nut and screw assortment. The diary supplies the actual use of the added profile; the close-ups preserve the connection I made.

Keeping both views together makes the connection easier to find again among the roof equipment. The close-up identifies the bracket and the fasteners. The wider photograph shows which rail and crossbeam meet there.

Making Plates To Lift The Small LED Lights

The small lights needed their own mounting pieces. I cut flat aluminum plates, drilled their holes and used two plates per light to lift the lights. I then mounted two small LED lights on the 2020 extrusion along the passenger side.

The light photograph shows the relationship between the light's own mounting bracket, its side fasteners and the rail below. My flat-bar stock record supplies the related material context. This was a separate fabrication task from moving the rack crossbeams.

One reason this part of the photo record matters is its scale. A wide roof view shows where the light sits; this closer view shows how much of the job is in the small pieces underneath it. The two-plate count comes from my written steps, alongside the photograph of the assembly.

Where This Fitting Stage Led Next

My Day 95 entry ended with more roof electrical work planned. The conduit, junction boxes and loose leads shared the same work area as the fitting changes. Keeping them in the wide photograph helps preserve the stage the project had reached.

The next session became the roof-camera bracket work on Days 96–97, with more extrusion, drilled brackets and small fastening pieces. That guide follows the camera attachment and the problems I recorded with T-nut positioning and bolt lengths.

My main takeaway from Day 95 is the sequence of changes to an existing rack: move the crossbeams, add another profile, bring the panels up for fitting and work through the light mounts. For the broader equipment layout, my roof-vent planning guide puts the fan, panels, rack and cable routes on one plan. The roof-solar page follows the panels within the electrical system.