Date:         Sun, 7 Jul 2002 13:30:57 -0400
Reply-To:     SpaceKommander <jboldway@BEE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         SpaceKommander <jboldway@BEE.NET>
Subject:      Westy roof rack installation tips
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hello, just got done installing a Thule roof rack on my Westy
"Panzerkampingwagen." Took a little over 2 hours. Thule rack parts used:
542 artificial rain gutter, 300 feet, 58"? bars, 877 rollercoaster (kayak),
875 hydroglide (kayak), locks, front wheel holder, and a fork mount long
tray bike carrier sold to be at a good deal by a fellow list member. First,
some thoughts about what should go where. The Westy is a tall vehicle and
the trees offer lower clearance on the right hand side of the road, so the
Kayak mounts went on the passenger side and the bikes on the driver's side.
You will need a fold-up stool to get the bikes on top anyway - standing in
the open side door won't help load the bikes.
Tools needed: 5mm allen wrench (for bike tray), grease for threads, drill
bits, drill, locktite, ratcheting box end 10mm wrench (a MUST) - found at
Sears. After doing this install I'd recommend getting 1/2" shorter carriage
bolts for the artificial gutters, or if nothing metric is available
switching to English and getting the appropriate nylock nuts and ratcheting
box end driver. The carriage bolts supplied are so long it took
aproximately 90 1/4 ~ 1/3 turns of the ratcheting wrench for each nut (8
total). A non-ratcheting wrench would take FOREVER to install the nylock
nuts. I wedged a 2" wastebasket between the top and the front locking latch
to partially raise the top to gain access to the bolts/nuts. I positioned
the artificial gutters up as high as possible so the top of the gutter
mount was just under the radius of the fiberglass top. Be careful drilling
the holes as you only want the drill bit to just penetrate the top - if you
just force the bit in to the fiberglass then let it plunge in it will drill
a hole in your canvas top! After drilling the holes I applied locktite to
the interior of the holes to seal the fiberglass and hopefully prevent
cracks from starting.
Make sure you position the front load bar far enough behind the skylight
that the rack accessories don't protrude forward of the load bar and
interfere with the skylight operation.