Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2008 19:56:09 -0600
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] VW Campers and Kayaks
In-Reply-To: <E1JBgRT-0003pP-4E@elasmtp-dupuy.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I use a 50 lb skin on frame touring kayak. My photographer friend, when he
travels with me, uses a 17 foot wilderness systems, soon to be replaced by a
kevlar something-or-other exotic, and I have had about every wilderness
system model up there. Some of these boats have no rocker at all on the
keel, some have a keelson, some don't, some have considerable rocker.
I have loaded enough boats over thousands of road miles of travel to
consider that I am doing it right. You have to be the ultimate judge. I haul
the boat to the back of the westy and prop the bow on the back. Then I go to
the stern and hoist the boat to my shoulder while walking forward. To be
able to use the great $3.00/pair harbor freight 12 foot straps, the stem
goes to directly above the right front loop under the bumper (this is for a
single boat), allowing the shortest distance from loop (on the boat) to loop
on the car, beneath the bumper. It puts the boat at a convenient place where
I can look up and see if it is shifting in strong winds. All fasteners are
visible in the mirror or though the windshield (except those on the luggage
rack) so I can see if there's a problem while driving.
I cut a cheap swimming pool noodle in fourths and use a pair of these per
boat. At first I throw one into the luggage rack and then stand on the back
bumper and put one beneath the boat's contact surface the the "hump" nearest
the rear.
Then I grab two straps and stand over the wheelwell to access the luggage
rack. I put the forward foam padding over the rearmost solid part of the
luggage rack, not on the seal or poptup. I use one strap in each direction
(one looped around the boat to passenger, the other around the boat to
driver) securing the straps against opposing cleats. The idea is that when
the straps are tightened, the boats cannot shift up front. This is taken
care of in a different manner in the back.
After completing the midsection tie-down, I go to the front and run a strap
from the boat front handle (or over the bow, depending on the model... one
of the advantages of building your own is you can somewhat accomodate how
you're going to mount to your car) to the loop under the bumper, as already
mentioned. Tighten this down now.
Walk to the rear with two straps. One goes straight down from back loop to
the metal loop on the right (under the bumper), another strap goes from the
boat loop to the driver's side steel loop under the bumper. Tighten away,
you won't even need to check this rig on a long journey.
Mount a second boat in similar fashion. There are holes in the bottom pan
under the driver front that will allow you to route rope loops to attach
your straps through, though I have often thought of mounting a D-ring on
each side of the front bumper.
In the rear, you'll need another strap straight down from the second boat
stern on the driver's side to the driver side under bumper loop, then X it
across to the other under bumper loop with another strap.
The front should have two straps, straight down from the bows to the
fasteners. The back will have this with an X in between the two verticals.
The luggage carrier will have enough straps to its cleats to keep the boats
from shifting in the front.
Hope this helps,
Jim
On Jan 6, 2008 7:06 PM, Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net> wrote:
> What kind of kayaks are you
> toting? Whitewater Rodeo Touring Olympic Racing? That
> information will go a long way towards making a solid recommendation.
>
> DM&FS
>
> At 04:01 PM 1/6/2008, Loren Busch wrote:
>
> >A lot of paddlers on the list I'm sure someone will jump all over your
> >question.
> >
> >On Jan 6, 2008 1:53 PM, DAVID & ANGIE BUTLER <davangie794@msn.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello from Arizona!
> > >
> > > We have a recently acquired '87 Vanagon Westphalia camper. We're
> > > avid kayakers and are planning a long trip around the US beginning
> > > next spring with our rig. Can we learn from your experience about
> > > ease and convenience of carrying kayaks? Thanks in advance.
> > >
> > >
>
