>I'm looking to carry 2 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes (16 inch and smaller). I have carried four bicycles, three adult, and one 20" wheel pint size MT bike under a variety of configurations. - On my former 81 Westy I carried three adult bikes on Thule racks and crossbars that were attached to Thule "artificial rain gutters" bolted to the sides of the poptop. The pint sized MT bike was carried inside. - On a trip to Cape Cod in April of 1999 I carries two bikes on the back of my 84 Westy with a Thule adjustable "hatch mount" carrier that clamped to the hatch with six straps. The other two bikes were on Thule carriers, long load bars, and tall rain gutter uprights mounted along the front and back edges of the luggage rack. The bikes were outboard of the luggage rack which remained fully accessible and usable. - About a year ago I was lucky to find a Paulchen four bike setup available used. This clamps on the rear hatch using custom Vanagon brackets. The bikes are supported by the wheels so funky frame designs are no problem. All in all I like the current Paulchen setup the best. Once you figure out how to nest and pad the bikes with pipe insulation at points of contact, it is simple, convenient, and secure. I have carried four bikes this way many times with no worries, and no damage to the bikes or the vehicle. The other setups worked adequately but getting bikes on and off of the roof was a pain in the butt, and increased the wind resistance noticeably. The rear Thule hatch rack worked just fine but was not as secure as the Paulchen. Ride on, Tony Anthony L. Mourkas <-- Who likes to ride his mountain bike on the groomed snowmobile trails Hampden, Maine, USA <-- 18" of fresh snow, the mailbox is buried, the roof leaks. 1984 Vanagon Westfalia "Gertrude" 1986.5 Quantum Syncro Wagon "Wolfgang" 1991 Jetta Eco Diesel "Liesel" |
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