Box body surfboard rack fitting instructions

Safety first

1.       Please remove the SUP rack brackets when they are not being used to prevent anyone from being injured by the rack protruding from the side of the van.

2.       Always ensure that the skeg is not a danger to others, remove it or turn the board so the skeg faces inwards

3.       Because the SUP rack is removable and not a fixed part of the van and is designed to carry a specific item (a surfboard), it is considered a load, and loads may protrude from the vehicle further than its width. Please always adhere to the road rules of the country you are in, as different countries have different rules.

4.       Please ensure the boards are securely strapped before travelling, as passing trucks and fast-moving vehicles can create substantial wind forces.

5.       When fitting the SUP rack, please use a safe ladder or scaffold and appropriate tools, and follow safety at heights practices during the installation.

6.       If unsure about the installation process, contact a mate with skills in this area or have the SUP rack professionally installed.

Things to be aware of prior to fitting

The brackets are usually installed on the driver's side of the vehicle. This is because the sliding door is on the passenger side, and the brackets would interfere with its opening.

The brackets and the surfboards should always be visible in the driver's side rearview mirror.

You will have to drill some small holes to pop-rivet the roof brackets and screw the side brackets to the van. Please ensure that all metal shavings from drilling are removed with a magnet or a vacuum cleaner; if left, they will initiate oxidation of your paintwork.

You will need a ladder, a battery drill, a 6.5 mm drill bit, a pencil, and some polyurethane sealant (PU) such as Sika 291

The installation of the roof bracket

You can only install the brackets on the Fiat Ducato in the locations Fiat provides. As shown in the image below.

Fiat has specific roof rack mount attachments. Temporarily assemble the brackets, and you will find that the factory sealants are too high and need to be trimmed to get a nice flat mounting surface. Using a sharp chisel or blade, remove the sealant so the inner corner is clear of any product, then try the bracket in that location. If the bracket is not snug, remove all remaining sealant till the bracket fits perfectly. Dry-fit the brackets temporarily, and if you are happy, proceed.

The mount bracket has predrilled holes. Mark the holes in the paintwork with your sharp pencil, then remove the bracket.

Drill the holes through the roof using a sharp 6.5mm drill bit. Be careful that you do not press too hard and drill through the inner roof lining of the vehicle

Vacuum all metal filings or remove them with a magnet, clean the surface well with an alcohol based cleaner.

Ensure that the pop rivet holes are well covered with sealant

Bed the brackets down on the sealant and pop rivet them in place.

Leave the sealant to set for a few hours or till the next day, then remove the excess product.

Now seal the tops of the rivets to prevent water ingress.

The image shows a ring at the top of the square tube. The new racks no longer have the ring. We redesigned it, and it is better to run the strop around the square tube above the board when tying it down because that pulls the strop down the tube to the width of your board

 The installation of the side bracket

After attaching the black star port bracket to the stainless-steel frame, locate the whole curved square tube assembly into the slotted holes at the top of the roof and line it up with the vehicle body panels. Do not line them up with the vertical glass joints, as the glass panels are sometimes cut at a slight angle.

You can mask the gap between the glass and the van panel work to prevent any metal filling from falling in behind the glass before you start fitting the side brackets.

Make sure both brackets are parallel before you mark and drill the holes for the star port bracket. The holes you drill should be pilot holes, using a smaller-diameter drill bit than the stainless-steel square-drive Tech screws provided. At this point, only drill the top 2 screw holes; we explain why later.

The grey lock tabs on the star port should always point down. This is important for its proper operation.

Dry-fit the star port bracket to the side of the van using the top 2 mounting holes with the Tech screws provided. Now, try to locate the curved tube on the roof and test whether it releases and re-engages properly into the star port before drilling and screwing in the lower mount screws. When fitting the stainless-steel curved tube, you must pull it down lightly to locate it, applying a little tension on the tube. This prevents it from rattling in transit. Mounting the star port with just the top 2 screws gives you a second chance if you need to slightly readjust the star port location. Once you are happy, fit the lower screws as well.

Now, remove the star port bracket and clean up any metal filings. Remove the masking tape. Apply sealant to the holes on the side wall of the van. Fill the back of the star port with sealant, but be careful not to get any sealant into or near the grey locking device in the back of the star port.

Loop a strop around the top of the star port and leave it for future use. Then, when you are at the beach, you will not need a ladder.

Enjoy

 

Warranty

The SUP rack has a one-year return-to-base warranty from the purchase date. Please check the product carefully before installation and contact us immediately if you find anything wrong. All products are thoroughly inspected before being packaged and dispatched.

 

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If you need any assistance, email tech@vantagerv.nz

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