Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 21:45:57 -0600
Reply-To: Blake Thornton <thornton@MATH.UTAH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Blake Thornton <thornton@MATH.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: Re: roof racks for Westy with NO DRILLING
In-Reply-To: <3BAFB79D.27210.463C1C@localhost>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
I have these towers too. I originally bought them to do it without
drilling for my bike and I had planned on putting then above the luggage
rack. My plan was tha the bikes could sit there and the top could still
go up and down.
I was totally excited when I put them on and everything looked great. I
then went to shut my drivers side door and the clearance wasn't for the
door to shut without fiddling with it. So, I put the racks above the
poptop and left them there for a while. I finally drilled the holes and
my rack is now bolted to the roof.
b
On Mon, 24 Sep 2001, wolfgang wrote:
> I just wanted to let the list know about my roof rack solution. I
> know the subject comes up sometimes, but I've never seen this
> answer.
>
> I had put a Yakima rack on an 89 Westy by using the drill+bolt-on
> fake raingutters. Carried three whitewatewr kayaks no problem
> many, many times. But it's too hevay to lift the top with the load
> on.
>
> So when I got my next Westy, I decided that drilling wasn't the
> answer. If I had to take the boats down to lift the top, it was no big
> deal to remove the rack too. So I went looking at all the systems
> from the two big manufacturers, Yakima and Thule.
>
> Yakima made no rack towers that could attach to the real
> raingutters that would clear the top. Even the 1A Hi-rise towers,
> which barely clear the roof at the top, won't clear the sides of the
> top.
>
> So I looked at Thule. Their fit-list book, like Yakima, said the
> Westy needed the bolt-on artificial raingutters. I told the dealer
> forget the book, I wanted to do visual fits. Thule made a hi-rise
> tower too. I tried it but no dice. But then I saw a super-high-rise
> tower. Dealer said it won't work. I said I don't care I want to try it.
> It cleared the top with good room to spare, and cleared the sides
> by a half-inch. So I bought them. Work great. Only downside is
> that the racks must come off before popping. I initially thought that
> if I mounted the leading rack forward of the poptop, then I only need
> to remove one. But then the load extended out over the front
> windshield. This is great to get the visual warm-fuzzy feeling that
> your gear is still there, but it acts as a air scoop pushing up on the
> boat, so I chose to mount further back.
>
> I think the extra trouble is worth it to save myself from the extra worry.
>
> If you're interested, the part is "953 - Super High Foot Gutter".
>
> I can also send digital pics of my installation. Maybe I'll put them on a
> web site.
>
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