Luggage rails for Expedition

[Keydo]

Our 1998 Lincoln Navigator had rails that you could place luggage or a pack on when strapping things to the roof.

I noticed the Expy has nothing except the bare roof itself.

I was thinking of ordering Navigator rails as I thought they were just adhesives, but it turns out they are actually bolted onto the roof.

Does anyone know an alternative to creating some rails on the roof of the Expy to prevent things sliding around on the roof (and possibly scratching it up).

Having difficulty searching truck accessory sites since my search results seem to yield roof rack accessories and so forth.

Any suggestions?

 

[Guest]

What model expy? My rig has them, just not as tall and chrome like mav.

 

[Keydo]

I have an '03 Expy.

I have the roof rack, but on our 1998 Navigator, there are also these strips that run down alongside the length of the roof and they provide an area for a pack or luggage to sit on. This way, when the luggage or whatever is up there shifts, it is not directly in contact with the roof, but rather these strips.

I'll see about trying to get a picture up to better explain.

 

[Guest]

My 04 has the strips you are talking about. If yours is missing the strips, something isn't right....

 

[Keydo]

Do you really have the strips or are you referring to the parallel indentations in the roof?

That's a bad picture, but see the two silver rails on each side of the roof. Between the two silver rails of the previous generation Navigator, there are also rubber/vinyl-like strips that are parallel and equal in length to the silver rails and travel the length of the roof. They are not merely indentations in the roof. They act to "raise" luggage or whatever slight above the roof line so that whatever you place on the roof does not come into contact with the paint.

My '03 has indentations in the roof with no protective rails. I do have the roof rack to tie things down on though, but nothing to prevent whatever gets strap down from making contact with the roof.

I wish I had a picture as this is difficult to explain since some people may be confusing the roof rack with the rails (and I honestly don't know what the proper term is for the rails).

 

[Guest]

Does the 04 Navi have this? Maybe you could buy the rails of the 04 Navi to hook it up to your 03 expe

 

[Keydo]

I think the '04 Navigator does have this, but from the looks of them (and it they're anything like the previous Navigator), the rails are actually bolted into the roof.

 

[bnvus]

FWIW -- You can go to your local Autzone, Pep Boys and pick up a roll of Body molding. It is cut to fit and will look factory if you right. My .02