Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000 20:20:14 -0700
Reply-To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Hatch-mounted carrying rack?
I've carried them front and I've carried them back.
Front - you can see the bikes. You can't forget they're there, and it makes
it easier to judge where they are when parking, etc. They do not offer
significant air blockage to the radiator (I've carried four on the front
before, and had no overheating problems. They do block vision a bit, but
not a lot.
Back - Make it hard to open the back end, but you learn pretty quickly that
you really don't NEED to open the back end. Be careful to not have tires,
etc. in the exhaust stream. I actually had an aluminum rim melt between LA
and Phx. It's hard to judge where the bikes are when in reverse. I kind of
get an uneasy feeling with the bikes on the back. Having worked in a bike
shop, I've heard a lot of horror stories of bikes falling off and not being
noticed. I've always used a separate tie down (in addition to all of the
stock ones) attached to the front of the van. I use 1/2" nylon webbing in
fluorescent yellow run over the entire top of the van and attached to the
front tow hooks. I keep this just a bit loose, so that if the rack drops,
it will only go down an inch or two, and I'll have a bright yellow indicator
in front of my nose. This has never happened, except as a test in my
driveway, but it's good to know the back-up system is there.
Karl Wolz
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Davidson" <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: Hatch-mounted carrying rack?
RE: Hatch-mounted carrying rack?I notice a lot of interest in rear-hatch
racks, when I've been hoping to mount a front bumper bike rack on my '85
vanagon. Compelling reason: it keeps the rear hatch accessible.
My rear hatch will go up with my rack and bike on it... with a little
muscle.. and will stay up with the pvc catch on the struts.
Are there downsides to the front location? reduced visibility?, less
aerodynamic?
Could interfear with cooling on water cooled vanagons.
Bill
I'd love to hear if you have tried mounting a front bike rack on a vanagon
or a type II
N i l s R a i n
( 4 2 5 ) 7 0 3 - 1 3 4 6
n i l s h @ m i c r o s o f t . c o m
-----Original Message-----
From: K. Taylor [mailto:ktaylor@premier1.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 7:33 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Hatch-mounted carrying rack?
When I bought my '90 Westy Multivan, the dealer was selling a rack that
mounted on the back hatch and could hold anything from a storage chest to
a
couple of bicycles and, when not in use, folded up flat against the hatch.
When I went back to their parts department a year, I found out they were
no
longer available in the U.S. They are manufactured by a Canadian company.
Does this sound familiar? Anyone know what the brand was/is, or where I
can
find a used one in good condition? Are there other 'back-mounted' racks
available?
-- Ken
