Date:         Wed, 27 Mar 2002 03:33:23 -0600
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject:      Re: Roof racks, kayaks, and wind
Comments: To: Steve Sullivan <steveis@SPEAKEASY.ORG>
In-Reply-To:  <B8C66AD2.3B18%steveis@speakeasy.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Quick N Easy makes a set of 4 cast aluminum brackets that clamp to the rain
gutter via cam action.  They run about $45 a set.  Then you add 2x4"s for
you bars etc.  If the pop top  becomes a problem, use the Yakima side
loader brackets and reinforce the top where the bolts go through.r

A 16' sea kayak won't freate near the prolems that 2 Tandem canoes will creat.

Max

At 06:13 PM 3/26/2002 -0800, Steve Sullivan wrote:
>I'm buying a sea kayak soon, and therefore will need a rack mounted atop my
>westy pop top.
>
>For those with experience in these matters, how much worse is the handling
>from being blown around by the wind with a 16-foot kayak sailing along
>attached to your roof? It's windy around here and oftentimes I've nearly
>sailed out of my lane without anything strapped to the roof.
>
>And...anyone know of an option to the Yakima/Thule racks and typical setups?
>Once I saw a rack bolted to the rain gutter within an inch of the rear of
>the van, and another at the rear of the luggage rack, allowing for a low
>rack height and the pop top to open when the rack is attached (but not with
>gear like a kayak tied on obviously). The van was a Westy here on vacation
>from Germany, and I've never seen anything like the rack here. It seemed to
>be constructed of square aluminum, unpainted. I'll attempt to create a
>drawing of it here:
>
>             __
>            /||  < Roof rack "tower" and "cross-rod" to hold gear.
>           //||
>_________//_||__ < Top of pop-top roof
>         //  ||  |
>_______//___||__|
>________________|< Raingutter
>                 |
>      VAN REAR   |
>                 |
>                 |
>
>
>Steve
>
>--
>Steve Sullivan
>Mount Vernon, Washington
>
>Calvin, the 84 Westy
>Hobbes, the imaginary Westy Syncro