Removable stainless steel surfboard rack fitting instructions

Thank you for purchasing one of our New Zealand-designed and manufactured products, and for supporting local business, rather than imported products. 

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 they vary by country.

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

Choose a location that does not affect the structural factory steel rivets. Start by putting down some masking tape along the gutter at the top of the roof, roughly where the brackets will be mounted. This is so you can move the brackets along the roof edge without damaging the paintwork as you decide where to mount them. Temporarily assemble the brackets and hang them in place. Stand back to confirm the location is correct before you drill any holes.

Once you know the acceptable location, remove the masking tape and draw a line around the first roof bracket with the pencil.

There is a factory sealant line in the inner corner of the gutter. This must be removed to ensure a snug fit for the bracket. Mark the area where you will remove the sealant with your pencil to avoid confusion.

Using a sharp chisel or blade, remove the sealant so that the inner corner is clean and free of product. Then, try the bracket in that location. If it is not snug, remove all remaining sealant until it fits perfectly.

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

Drill the holes through the roof using a sharp 4.8mm drill bit. Be careful not to press too hard and drill through the vehicle's inner roof lining!

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

Ensure that the pop-rivet holes are fully 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 installation of the side bracket

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

Before you start fitting the side brackets, you can mask the gap between the glass and the van panel to prevent any metal filling from falling behind the glass and causing rust in future.

Make sure both brackets are parallel before you mark and drill the holes for the star port bracket. The holes should be pilot holes only, and you should use a smaller-diameter drill bit than the stainless-steel square-drive Tech screws provided.

Dry-fit the star port bracket to the side of the van with the Tech screws, and test whether the locking device on the star port works properly. See if the bracket removes and relocates properly. The stainless-steel brackets will need a light pull-down to locate under some tension, preventing them from rattling in transit.

Remove the star port bracket and clean up any metal filings. Remove the masking tape and apply sealant to the holes. Be careful not to use too much sealant, as we don’t want the locking device in the star port to be covered in it.

Fit a strop around the square tube above the start port of the stainless bracket and leave it for future use. Then, when you are at the beach, you will not need a ladder.

Enjoy

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 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