Thule Observation Deck (Drunk Deck)

I attend the Rolex 24 in Daytona and the 12 hours at Sebring.
Spectating is only half of the experience.
Being ridicules, sneaking in the pits and sitting in parked race cars, drinking heavily, and looking at everyone else's cars is the other half.

[Sebring is the real reason for this idea, if you've been, you understand...it's insane. It's like everyone brings a bunch of crap that is funny, and drives it around on their cars.

In years past, we had a sofa on the roof of a liften jeep on 37" tires...they made us take it down after the second year, when someone spray painted a huge black veiny....well you get the idea...I told you it is ridicules. By the way, we fit almost 13 people on that jeep....but that was ok, just no huge veiny wangs. This is a family event....right....]

So a few months ago, I got a thule rack and fairing and decided, I needed to put a deck up there for my viewing and spewing pleasure, after all the race is nearing. So i got a 4 twelve foot lengths of 5/4x6" PT cut them in half and, well you will see. It's a full on deck.

I'll post pictures as soon as I figure out exactly how to do that.

This is ridicules, and sweet at the same time.
(I'm not sure of the load rating for these babies, but I have a second set of bars just for the heck of it)


So what do you all think?
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Comments

  • JDMWago666JDMWago666 Senior Wagonist
    Get it done! Sounds crazy but I'm digging it. I wanna see this.
  • So you are building a deck on top of your wagon? Correct?

    If so then sounds like a neat idea for a couple of people to sit/stand and watch events.
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    i honestly think the wagon roof/side pillars will not be able to hold that much weight. i know my Yakima rack is rated at 100 lbs, so assuming you have two set of these rails you got 200 lbs. that is barely one person..

    Honda sheet metal is basically a foil, i am 99.99% sure it will dent, or worse..
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    wagodizzle wrote:
    Honda sheet metal is basically a foil, i am 99.99% sure it will dent, or worse..


    Agreed.

    I can't tell you how badly I want a roof top tent for my car. Unless you reinforce it somehow, you'd be lucky to get one person up there without it cratering.

    Though I would love to see you reinforce it somehow and do it :)
  • Build a cage into the pillers..Gusset it in
  • leWolfleWolf Senior Wagonist
    This sounds terrible, I would say just use a truck and not damage a wagon. The roofs are not strong enough to hold weight of that caliber. Sorry If I sound like a dick.
  • It's built, and I was standing on it, with just the one set of racks.
    It seems stable, and I had my buddy keep a close eye on the channels, and he said it looks surprisingly stable.

    I know I should use a truck, but ridicules is the name of the game.
    Plus, it looks sweet.

    I know I have been warned. And I agree this could have some really bad outcomes. it might. If it dents, can always fix it. If it caves in, yea that'll be bad. But for now I'm only gonna rock it one person at a time.

    I like the idea of reinforcement. The tent idea is another reason I thought about this, saw a comanche in JP magazine with one, got excited.
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    Let's see some pics!
  • I will!
    Right now, technology has got me down, i'll post em up as soon as I can figure out how to use this new fangled macbook.
  • img0019kb.jpg

    the beginning

    img0023ebz.jpg

    the rack

    img0025by.jpg



    I've got one more rail, I've just got to remove the fairing.
    Did another test, seems fine with me on it. But it's still not finished. I'll post more when I get there.
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    lol

    I can't wait to see pics of people on it!
  • Car surfing anybody?
  • 503Wagon wrote:
    Car surfing anybody?
    Exactly. What good would it be serving only one purpose?
  • iboymaiboyma Wagonist
    your deck looks pretty dope, should have got the picture with you testing it out!
  • FakeJDMEF8FakeJDMEF8 Senior Wagonist
    this is ridiculous. good for camping in the african safari, too. no need for a rover! haha.
  • img0029mz.jpg

    This is it...
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    Lets see someone on it
  • Two people, with a BBQ.
  • thinking about a recliner, lamp, and mini-fridge
  • MJFMJF Band Wagon
    This should hold? 200kg-ish shouldn't cave someone's roof in? I'd be more interested in how you're gonna fitttt more than one person up there haha.
  • JDMWago666JDMWago666 Senior Wagonist
    I'm actually pretty interested to see how you're going to stay up there and not fall off when you're drunk.
  • JDMWago666 wrote:
    I'm actually pretty interested to see how you're going to stay up there and not fall off when you're drunk.

    Exactly what I was pondering.
    Maybe I will flip the u-bolts, add threaded rod couplings to the u bolts threads and some threaded rod hanging a length of kendorf (unistrut). I can make it as high or as low as I want by trimming the threaded rod. Then angle bracket the strut together at the ends. It's like a reverse trapeze.

    Or I could drink responsibly. :lol:
  • JDMWago666JDMWago666 Senior Wagonist
    Drink responsibly? :roll: Right LOL
  • 17003218694662466117310.jpg

    me and iboyma drinking responsibly

    BTW: we had three up there, no van damage, standing room only
  • NZ-DB8RNZ-DB8R Moderator
    Great idea.

    When you say ridicules do you mean "ridicules" or "ridiculous"? It makes my brain itch :lol:
  • hmmm, not sure...kind of a lazy speller
  • The drunk deck was a total success!
  • HabmxHabmx Band Wagon
    needs a fold down mini ladder to get on top!
  • or a rope ladder would be awesome :)
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    Better pics or fail!!
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