I wanted to install a surf rack on the side of my ford transit van conversion.
Unfortunately I needed to do this after the internal conversion was complete which meant access to install the surf rack would not be easily possible, after a lot of thought I realised I could solve the issue with rivet nuts or plus nuts as they’re called in North America.
Vans are moving structures and do create a lot of vibration which over time can make things work loose that’s why it is IMPERATIVE to conduct regular maintenance checks before and after journeys to items like surf racks, bike racks and solar panels to make sure everything is secured to the vehicle to ensure your and other peoples safety.
I have decided not to use Kanulocks on my surf rack as I saw they’re a little more rigid and harder to work with, my board isn’t that expensive and I believe if someone wants it that much they’ll invest in some decent cutters anyway.
If you’d like to install a surf rack like this on your van then these are the products I used in the video, please also do your own research on sheer strength, the best type of rivet nuts to use and the safest way to secure a surf rack to the side of a van.
At the time of posting I have driven the van more than 1000 miles with the board on the side of the van through high winds on a mixture of roads through Europe, up to speeds of 80MPH and have had no issues with the board causing issues, I check the surf rack each time before setting off to ensure it’s secure and nothing is loose.
Surf dome items:
Tarpie board bag: www.surfdome.com/Ocean-and-Earth-Barry-Basic-Longboard-Surfboard-Bag/sd5065680.htm?colour=Tarpee
J style board rack: www.surfdome.com/Ocean-and-Earth-Wall-Van-Mounted-Surfboard-Racks/sd5078608.htm?colour=Black&sku=550883&productid=155942&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx8bim8CJ_gIVE-ztCh2WQgSWEAQYASABEgI1qfD_BwE
Other items used from Amazon:
Riv Nuts: amzn.to/3zstv4N
Riv Nut Tool: amzn.to/3K2GGhM
Drill: amzn.to/3zlXxqS
Step drill: amzn.to/3M3UxHc
Bosch drill bit: amzn.to/3KpsYXr
Tie down straps: amzn.to/42WLSwc
Kanulocks if you want to lock your board/sup/kayak to prevent them from getting stolen: amzn.to/431kfSP
I may receive affiliate commission for amazon purchases, this will not cost you any more and helps to support my channel.
Hope you’ve found this video on making a surf rack for your van helpful.