Hello there, before I dive into the route I decided to take and why, let's first talk about what a roof rack is, for those who don't know.
Roof racks are essentially large pieces of metal that mount directly to the roof of a vehicle (in this case a van), which items can be mounted directly onto. This adds stability, looks better, and in some cases increases available roof space.
The Ram Promaster has several available roof rack options by a handful of vendors. They all function and look similar, but come at different price points and may include different materials. The most common roof rack brands found in VanLife specific builds are Flatline Van Co, Orion Van Gear, and Unaka Gear Co. All of these run about $2,000-2,500 for most models. With roof racks, you get what you pay for, and when you're mounting hundreds or even thousands in equipment and components up top, you want to make sure you're getting quality materials that will stand the test of time.
In my case, I fought myself for several weeks on whether or not I wanted to spend that kind of money on a roof rack. It came to a point where I was only days away from the first build day and I had to make a decision. I ultimately decided to bite the bullet and spend the money. Why? Fewer holes, more mounting flexibility.
The roof rack itself mounts directly to mounting points already on the van. There are no holes/drilling required to install the rack. If you compare this to mounting items individually, each item may require several holes. The problem? More opportunity for leaks. The second issue, mounting options. The Promaster (and nearly every other van) is not level/flat. A roof rack provides a platform that evens out the curve of the van, which creates a flat surface to work with and mount equipment to.
That flat surface makes a huge difference when you’re trying to securely mount solar panels, a fan, Starlink, lighting, or even a roof deck. Without a rack, each install is more complex, and more importantly requires sealing a dozen different spots with questionable long term durability. With the rack, everything is centralized, solid, and, frankly, cleaner-looking.
I ended up going with the Flatline Van Co rack. Reviews are solid, it's made from lightweight aluminum, and comes with integrated crossbars that simplify mounting without needing extra brackets. I was also a fan of the modular approach, they make it easy to add accessories later if I want to upgrade lighting or add a decking platform up top. From the looks of it, all 3 of the brands mentioned are reputable, and seem well built/high quality.
What's being mounted on the rack?