Date:         Sun, 26 Mar 2000 07:24:51 EST
Reply-To:     TStone8359@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Stone <TStone8359@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Fwd: (Roof racks)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

<<
 Dominick DeGaetano  wrote:
 > Greetings,
 > Does anyone have any information as to where I can
 > find a roof rack (cargo style-- an
 > all metal one that is the full length of my van.
  >>

A rack made for a bay window bus can also be adapted to fit a Vanagon.  Need
to bend the legs in a few inches on each side to match the rain rails.  I do
this by first measuring the distance between the rain rails where each of the
legs will go and then lay the rack on the dirveway and wack the legs with a
small sledge hammer, protecting the rack finish with a piece of 2 X 4.  When
the distance between the legs is right, mount it.  My 3/4 length rack looks
good on our Vanagon.  But when the vanagon engine died, I put the rack on our
Dodge Caravan.  Because the Caravan roof is flat and the rain rails are close
to the top, the rack sits about 10" above the roof.  Looks top-heavy.

Tom
'71, '78 and '85 Westys (also an '87 GL)