Gun Rack Installation Time: 24 Hours

[LATiger]

I received my Big Sky BSR-2 gun rack from Cheaper Than Dirt on friday afternoon. So, I'm thinking maybe a couple of hours installation time with taking down the headliner, marking my drill spots, replacing headliner, and then drilling and installation of the rack. Wrong! I'm up before daylight on saturday to beat the heat and have the headliner out in about 15 minutes. Whilst removing one of the trim pieces, which is held in place by what is basically a plastic color matched screw in rivet, I lost the rivet. I saw it fly towards the front of the RTV when I removed the trim piece, and heard the landing, but didn't see the landing spot. So, I put everything down and begin looking for the rivet. I look on the dash, on the floor, in the door trim, under the floor mat, on the seat, behind the seat, and outside on the shop floor all to no avail.

So, the search becomes a little more serious. I noticed the A/C vent on the dash is open and at about the right angle for the rivet to easily pass through. A quick flashlight search of the visible section of the duct reveals nothing. The vent is easy to remove, so I removed it and reached down the duct as far as I can get my arm which ain't very far. Then I had my 11 year old son reach in as far as he could. Nothing... So then, I got the shop vac out and sucked out the duct. Nothing.

Next, I open the the front glass and take the rivet from the opposite side to size any other holes for possible passage. There is a space between the defroster duct and the dash which is big enough for rivet passage into the space under the dash. By this time Mrs. LATiger is awake and looking to see what I'm up to. I shared my predicament with her, and she joins the search. She thought it may be a good idea to rock the RTV back and forth to see if maybe it would fall out of the dash wiring onto the floor. This and a good flashlight search of the wires came up empty again.

So now I'm about half a day into this installation and decide I may never find the rivet. So, I marked my drill holes, replaced the headliner, put the floor mat back in, reassembled the A/C vent, and started drilling the installation holes. I got a scare when the drill bit started winding up the head liner fibers and pulling them all towards the bit. So I cut all the fibers against the bit with an Exacto. Oddly enough, I managed to find the inner metal roof panel, and did not drill a hole through the roof.

The stock metal screws supplied with the rack are not long enough to reach through the headliner to the metal panel. Luckily I had some of the same diameter, just a little longer. The rack screwed in without any problems.

Still vexed by the missing rivet, but finished with the installation, I started my yard work and did a few other things,but returned to the RTV several times during the day as I thought of some other nook or cranny where the rivet may be hiding. No luck.

This morning I went back out and just sat in the drivers seat. I'm sitting there thinking about the rivet and other places I haven't looked. I look to my left and see something peeking out of the rail the door window slides in. I lean over and there's the rivet! So, I reinstall the rivet and the installation is finally complete after 24 hours.

I've included some pics of the installed rack and the sliding window rail. Looking at the rack, it doesn't look like a 24 hour project, does it?

 

[TWO GUNS]

Sorry, but that sounds like something that I would !!!!

Look at the bright side. You know more about your RTV than you did
when you started >>>>

 

[Peanut]

perfection takes time and it looks like you done a very top notch job there .better to take your time and do it right .

 

[chickenmanbota]

I simply dropped my head rest and installed a single rack at the top screw hole on my1100

 

[XTROOPER]

LATiger

I thought I was the only one who could change a simple job into a 24 hour deal. Thanks, I feel better. Bottom line is it looks great. How about a pic with some great looking firearms in the rack. I have a single rack located behind the head rest (I guess like chickenmanbota) however I carry a Savage .22/20 gauge Camper's Special rifle shotgun combo. I do like the way your rack works. It looks like it will keep your firearms secure.
XTROOPER

 

[LATiger]

Two Buxom Babes

That sweet looking babe on the left is the Remington R-25 in .308, my favorite deer rifle for the last couple years. On the right is my turkey hammer, the Mossberg 500 3 1/2 inch 12Ga pump. They rode well in the rack on my test ride yesterday.

 

[TWO GUNS]

... fine set up.

For what it's worth. You might, in time if it ever shows up on you, like it did Mrs. Two Guns
& myself. Bring a extra strap and throw it under the seat ( or wearever your storage is).
For do you see where your handguard is sitting on the .308, right there if your on some
ruff or very bumpy ground, will try to work it's way out of the " U " shape support.
All you have to do is wrap it into the support. No big deal. We don't want your weapon
bumping out and knocking the zero off on your scope.
These gun racks ( BIG SKY ) , are the best on the market for what you and I use them for.
But the heavy rifles, on ruff ground, will try to ease out.
The rifles that we carry are bull-barrelled 26" sniper rifles. As you know, they are extreamly
heavy, then we have the steel bases & rings, slings. So that might a major effect on it staying in
place. We never had any problems with other rifles and shotguns.
Just a helpful thought >>>

...... two guns

 

[TWO GUNS]

.... also, pulling the weapons in and out of the supports. In time, the padding will try to "undo".
Just get a ZIP tie and zip it. Easy Fix. Wish I would of Zipped mine when it was new.....

 

[LATiger]

Hey TG, experience is the best teacher. That's what I love about this forum, guys like yourself sharing your valuable experience with newbies like myself. I'll throw in an extra strap. Don't want that .308 knocking the zero off my noggin...

 

[TWO GUNS]

... our little strap is just a old military 1" cotton web strap, maybe about 8-10 inch long.

We have a 900 rtv, and I know you have a 1100,,,,,, do you have any extra space
under the hood ????

 

[LATiger]

The A/C unit takes up most of the under the hood space. Why?

I forgot to mention above during my search for the missing rivet I came across a sticker in the door frame that read "2nd shift". I recall someone complaining about the sloppy weld job on the door frame in a unit that was completed on the 3rd shift. I'm happy to report the welds on my 2nd shift unit all seemed very smooth as I ran my finger along the door frame looking for the rivet.

In the negative column, when I pulled out the floor mat I noticed there was a crack in the painted caulk where the floor plate joins the side wall on the drivers side. When looking at the right angle you can see out to the floor. Not a big deal in my opinion, but I do plan to recaulk that seam to keep out mud and water.

The orange in the photo is not rust. That is light from a flashlight I used to illuminate the spot so the camera would focus.

 

[TWO GUNS]

oh yes, they didn't start putting A/C in the RTV's until a few months after we purchase ours.
Just thinking about storage

 

[TWO GUNS]

OK >>>>
LATiger,

Finally got around to it. Got you a pic of what I use on the Kubota Gun Racks for extra
protection on your rifles & scopes.
This is EXACTLY what I use. There very frienldy on gun blueing and works. Get blood or
mud on it, just wash it off and let it dry.
You can pick 'em up at any military surplus. Might want to get some extra's, and maybe some
longer ones. We use the longer ones for ties downs in the back of the RTV.

 

[Peanut]

i find that some good old vacume cleaner belts work great in holding them guns in place too.

 

[JayMyers]

LATiger - I recently took delivery of an 1100 and after looking at the pics you posted re your gun rack installation I decided I want to have a rack installed in my rig exactly as you've done in yours. I will have the dealer to the work because I don't trust myself to do it. I've never seen what's up behind the headliner. From what I read in your post it seems there are some sort of rails to drill into in order to prevent drilling through the roof? Is that correct? Also, now that you've had time to use your rack do you have any further comments regarding it's use? Thank you. Jay.

 

[LATiger]

Jay, Congratulations on your new 1100!

To answer your question, yes, there is a metal frame the ceiling rack is bolted to. The frame extends around the perimeter of the top of the cab, with a rectangular void in the center. I removed the head liner to see what was there, and once that was done it was not too difficult to drill holes to have the rack attatchment points span the void. I also installed two gun racks on the steel headrest rails, one below and one above the headrest pads.

With regard to use of the racks, it seems I use the ceiling rack almost exclusively for my bow. The bow won't fit in the headrest frame racks, but fits and rides nicely in the ceiling rack. I rarely use the ceiling rack for guns mostly because its easier to get them in and out of the headrest racks and a little more difficult and time consuming to get them in and out of the ceiling rack.

If you're transporting only guns, you might want to start out with the head rest racks and see how it goes. If you're also carring around a bow, you'll probably want the ceiling rack. Just my $0.02.

Please post pics and brag on your new machine once you get it rigged up how you like it. Take care, B.