DarbukaDave

Here's what the strip light looks like currently:

It's a power hub/switch for LED lighting that I am adding to the back for more cargo illumination.

I built a storage platform to go where the third row seats used to be. It is sized to fit plastic storage bins, and bolted into the floor. It will have a fold-out board that will allow comfortable sleeping with plenty of room to stretch out. Paint is Rustoleum enamel with Majic hardening catalyst. Not quite finished yet, but you get the idea.

I think the vantech universal rails are the sharpest looking option (see post #37 in that thread) and they allow a variety of foot and crossbar options.

The factory roof rack system is expensive if you buy it after the fact (mine came with it) and I don't think it's the best way of doing it anyway. I would much prefer a system with feet mounted to the roof directly. I think Thule has feet for our vehicle. The only thing you lose would be the ability to move the crossbars forward and backwards, but I really think the Thule rack is a better option (as far as I can tell, they make the official Ford crossbars anyway).

Looks great! Is the box bolted in somehow?

Sorry to resurrect a somewhat old thread, but I am doing something similar now. Did you consider pulling the carpet entirely?

Worked this up this weekend. Now that I know it works, tarp will be replaced with something longer-wearing, and the roof rack attachment bar fabbed from aluminum. I made up a bow of fiberglass that fits in the alignment holes at the top of the doors. It keeps the awning from sagging in the middle. This way you don't get the dreaded "sack of water" effect. It shed water quite well, kept me nice and dry while doing interior work and removing the 3rd row seating. The guys are attached to rigging counterweights (aka stage weights) that I borrowed from my day job. Adding two more will allow me a more taught setup, but I frankly couldn't be arsed to carry them today (50lbs each!). Obviously, having the roof rack makes this pretty easy, but I'm still happy with the results.

I appreciate the info. I looked at those, but I just didn't like the look of them. The RAM mounts appeal to me more aesthetically. I ended up gluing a ball mount to the underside of the trim piece that is above the sync screen. That piece comes out very easily so I could clean and prep it, and Gorilla gel CA glue should hold it for the long haul. I prefer the gel for dealing with textured surfaces like this. I was concerned that it might rattle or bounce, but even when I tried to make it happen by using 2 arms end-to-end, it was fine. The placement is perfect in that my phone clears everything I need to see, and I can glance at the GPS with one eye on the road. Close enough to touch if I need to but far enough to not be tempted to play around.

My crossbars are mounted to what are basically artificial raingutters. Those stay on. I don't know the answer for other years.

I wondered if that square rod was a wrench. Thanks!

Can anyone tell me how to remove the stock crossbars from the roof rack on my 2015 TC? There's no info in the manual and a search here doesn't show anything. I've never removed a rack before, so I'm not sure where the feet can be loosened. I'd like to take them off until I need them.

After using it for a 1400 mile drive, I prefer the position of the second mount. I think I'll permanently mount a ball somewhere on the radio console so I can use the arms I have. I imagine I will need to fabricate a backing plate so it doesn't pull through the plastic

The second mount is a RAM suction cup base and double-socket arm (basically forming a ball-and-socket joint at each end). I don't like windshield mounts in general, and in this vehicle they place the phone too far away for my taste anyway. Shown here is my temporary solution. If I decide I like where the phone is, I will mount a base plate somewhere on the passenger side of the radio console that will allow me to place it similarly. Because of the airbag, I would not be comfortable using this mount with my wife riding next to me. I took a piece of 3/32 lexan and cut it into a circle larger than the suction cup. This was mounted on the dash with 3M "extreme" mounting tape. You will notice the disk is mounted with three stripes down the middle and not all the way to the edges; this is because the dash is not flat in that plane, and the suction cup needs a flat surface. Past experience with this tape tells me that this will be a semi-permanent installation. It will stay as long as you want, but with care and a good cleaning solution it can be removed without permanent damage. The best way to get it off is by working fishing line behind it and then using goof-off or really any citrus-oil based cleaner. The RAM suction cup mechanism is very strong, in fact I have lifted my microwave with it! (I saw someone do it at a boat show, and of course I couldn't resist.) I think this position is where I will end up wanting the phone, but again, I will probably mount a permanent base-plate to the side of the radio console. I need to look at some pics and video of the TC's airbags deploying just to be sure I pick a spot that won't endanger my passenger. Pics of the suction mount and disk: (Please ignore the messy floorboards! That's just debris from the various installs I was trying)

I drive alot, and I use my phone for navigation and audio. Google maps works really well, and there are plenty of options for online and offline audio. I have a brand new TC wagon (just broke the 200 mile mark) and a gig in D.C. this weekend (about 700 miles away), so I was eager to get a mount of some kind worked out. I'm trying two to see which I like. They are both made by Ram Mount, and both are super solid. The first is a flex-arm universal no-drill mount. The bottom of the mount (forgot to get a pic) is held down by one of the bolts in the seat rail on the passenger side. You take out the bolt, place the mount, and then bolt it down with the seat rail. The "flex arm" is a 1/2" aluminum rod, bendable enough with a knee or a cheater bar but stiff enough that it won't move unless you want it to. I replaced the arm on mine with a much longer rod, to raise the level of the phone. It's routed over to the little space between the dash and the console, and then up. I put a couple bends in to clear my hand while driving and shifting. The top is the typical RAM ball socket, easily adjusted and then once the wignut is tightened it's not going anywhere. I use a magnetic attachment for my phone, but you can get a RAM adapter (or make one) for pretty much any cradle you might want. This is an unorthodox mount, but I like it. The phone is not in your eyeline, so you do have to glance down at it, but it is within easy reach to control the audio. In spite of being a big presence, it doesn't really impede on the passenger-side space. I'm gonna split the post so the pics are easier to understand. Pics of the flex-arm mount (the magnetic cradle isn't attached, but you get the idea):

It is the LWB. I'll have to change my sig! I love the new ride. Used to drive a big Chevy conversion van, this thing feels so civilised! Things like this little hook sometimes drive me crazy, because they are never mentioned anywhere. Makes me wonder what everyone knows that I don't! Pics when I'm able

Hello all! Just picked up my new LWB wagon yesterday and I have a couple of questions. I couldn't find anything in the manual, and the search terms I tried did not yield results. On the center console there is a little hook molded into the passenger side. Is there some ingenious use for that that I should know? Secondly, I discovered a fold - down convex mirror in the overhead console. Is this intended to be used for monitoring of passengers, or as a secondary rearview? Just curious. Pics attached of both items.