Hi Doug and gang,

I too use the foam blocks, without any trouble so far. I remember shopping around and finding two Thule racks, one particularly tall to fit in the existing rain gutters, and one that required drilling into the top to fasten fake rain gutters. Besides being concerned about drilling, I had heard from someone who used to leave their canoe on top when raised that it ruined the springs in the rear ('there are springs in the rear?' I thought to myself) and became more difficult to raise.

And the foam is friendly to my student budget.

Jeff 85 Westy

----- Original Message ----- From: Doug Alcock <dgalcock@HEWITT.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 2:54 PM Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Roof Racks on Raingutters

> Hey gang, > > I carry my 16' fibreglass (62 lbs) on foam canoe blocks > that are available in most paddling stores for a couple of bucks. These fit on > the > gunwales of your canoe and raise it off your poptop (or > car roof). I tie it with two ratchet tiedowns over the top and a couple > of friction buckle ties at each end. I've used this system for years (with two > different canoes and two different vans) --- it's cheap and effective. > What I'd like to know is: Has anyone found a way to carry a canoe so you can > raise and lower the poptop without untying and unloading the canoe?? > > Cheers, > Doug > '84 Westy > Toronto Canada > > >Hi George, > > > >I carry my 16' aluminium canoe (63 pounds) on my '87 Westy using a Thule roof > >rack which I bought way back in 1988. The rack attaches to the "rain gutters" > >and is tall enough to clear the pop-top easily. As a matter of fact, I position > >the rack far enough towards the rear of the van, which enables me to pop the > top > >without removing the rack. Of course, I remove the canoe first! > >The rack cost about $250 Canadian back then and was a special order. It must be > >in a Thule catalogue somewhere. > > > >Good Luck! > > > >Roy Olynick > >'87 Westfalia GL > >(till death do us part) > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: Brent Christensen <brent@VANAGON.COM> > >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > .Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 1:25 PM > .Subject: Fw: Roof Racks on Raingutters > > > > > > Please respond to George if you have some suggestions. (This was sent to me > > at http://www.vanagon.com and I don't have a good answer). Thanks! > > > > Brent Christensen > > '89 GL Syncro Westy "Klaus" > > Santa Barbara, CA > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <Gamercer@aol.com> > > To: <info@vanagon.com> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 12:14 AM > > Subject: Roof Racks on Raingutters > > > > > > > I would like to be able to carry a 60 pound canoe on my Vanagon Camper. > > Both > > > Thule & Yakima claim to not have roof racks for campers. They have them > > for > > > regular Vanagons. > > > > > > It seems to me they could make an extension that would keep the cross bar > > > above the rear part of the pop top roof while it is down and another cross > > > bar about the luggage carrier. Both of these would be attached to the > > rain > > > gutters. > > > > > > The roof racks from Yakima and Thule for campers are attached to the roof > > top > > > and are not recommended for anything other than skis or bikes. > > > > > > Do any Vanagon Camper owners have roof racks attached to rain gutters for > > > carrying 60 to 100 pounds of weight? Did they use a standard roof rack > > > setup, modify a standard roof rack setup or build their own design? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > George > > > > > > > > From: "Roy O." <keepsake@PANGEA.CA> on 09/06/2000 02:36 PM > > Please respond to "Roy O." <keepsake@PANGEA.CA> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > cc: > Client: > Subject: Fw: Fw: Roof Racks on Raingutters > > > > Hi George, > > I carry my 16' aluminium canoe (63 pounds) on my '87 Westy using a Thule roof > rack which I bought way back in 1988. The rack attaches to the "rain gutters" > and is tall enough to clear the pop-top easily. As a matter of fact, I position > the rack far enough towards the rear of the van, which enables me to pop the top > without removing the rack. Of course, I remove the canoe first! > The rack cost about $250 Canadian back then and was a special order. It must be > in a Thule catalogue somewhere. > > Good Luck! > > Roy Olynick > '87 Westfalia GL > (till death do us part) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Brent Christensen <brent@VANAGON.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 1:25 PM > Subject: Fw: Roof Racks on Raingutters > > > > Please respond to George if you have some suggestions. (This was sent to me > > at http://www.vanagon.com and I don't have a good answer). Thanks! > > > > Brent Christensen > > '89 GL Syncro Westy "Klaus" > > Santa Barbara, CA > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <Gamercer@aol.com> > > To: <info@vanagon.com> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 12:14 AM > > Subject: Roof Racks on Raingutters > > > > > > > I would like to be able to carry a 60 pound canoe on my Vanagon Camper. > > Both > > > Thule & Yakima claim to not have roof racks for campers. They have them > > for > > > regular Vanagons. > > > > > > It seems to me they could make an extension that would keep the cross bar > > > above the rear part of the pop top roof while it is down and another cross > > > bar about the luggage carrier. Both of these would be attached to the > > rain > > > gutters. > > > > > > The roof racks from Yakima and Thule for campers are attached to the roof > > top > > > and are not recommended for anything other than skis or bikes. > > > > > > Do any Vanagon Camper owners have roof racks attached to rain gutters for > > > carrying 60 to 100 pounds of weight? Did they use a standard roof rack > > > setup, modify a standard roof rack setup or build their own design? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > George > > > > >