Started discussing this in the Home Grown Solutions thread and figured i'd start my own so that doesn't get taken over with my posts.
Basically, I hate how the OEM cross rails are so high above the roof. When mounting cargo baskets up there on top of them it makes the basket look too "detached" from the vehicle... and in Sal's case, he had to drop his down to get in his garage.
What I've decided to do is make my own cross tail stantions out of 6061 Aluminum. Below is a quick 2 minute sketch I made to just get an idea of where I wanted to go with it.
Next step is to start modeling the concept. Once I have a working 3D model I can start thinking about other ideas such as making it lockable. I have a few ideas for that... but I also like keeping it simple. In the end, I'll determine my "locking" method based on which roof rack I end up getting and how I attach the rack to the cross rails. That's another thread though
UPDATE:
CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO POST #51 <---- Starting to make my stanchions here