Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:02:25 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagonginity lost...
In-Reply-To: <832664.17104.qm@web110604.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
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I have a Yakima raingutter type, adapted to fit on the upper portion of
my rear hatch. Keeps the bikes out of the slipstream and also puts them
high enough above the street so that they aren't in danger from other
vehicles bumping them. I do not trust other motorists to keep their bumpers
off my bikes, since the bikes are worth more than the van.
Yes, with the standard hatch struts, lifting the hatch open is a bit
strenuous but not too bad. I think a pair of the heavy duty struts
(available from our fine Vanagon vendors) would make things easier.
Don Hanson
On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 5:46 AM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:
> Congratulations and Happy Westy!
>
> Carrying four bikes may take some doing. Most hatch-mounted racks will
> only do three. I use the Saris Bones and it's fine for that but it's tough
> to lift the hatch with even one bike on it. Others have modified Yakima
> roof racks to mount on the edges of the hatch, but that's a lot of weight
> and may restrict hatch access for someone not able to lift that weight. If
> I were starting from scratch and wanted to carry four with hatch access, I'd
> get a receiver hitch (or convert an existing hitch to strong receiver) and
> get one of the four-bike swingaway racks. Carry four where you can get to
> them easily and be able to swing them out of the way for unfettered access
> to the hatch whenever you need it. Good luck!
>
> Stephen
>
> --- On Mon, 6/28/10, Peter Kraiker <bybike@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> From: Peter Kraiker <bybike@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Vanagonginity lost...
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Monday, June 28, 2010, 8:27 PM
>
> I just thought I'd let everyone know that after about 8 weeks of educating
> myself I took the leap and bought my first westy... flew to Montreal on
> Friday, spend the morning with the PO (definitely not the dreaded variety!)
> and then drove her home to Toronto... my first taste of being passed by
> almost everything else on the highway! lol, loved it.
>
> I have 2 new questions, one more pressing than the other:
> Hot Q #1. how the h3!! do i persuade it to stop heating my feet or face? I
> have all the levers all the way to the left and I'm still getting a steady
> stream of warm air from the heating system. I'd like to just have flow-thru
> cool air this time of year! She came with the original manual and I can see
> what the various levers are supposed to do, i would have expected the 2nd
> from the bottom to let cool air thru when moved to the right, and it does
> open up side vents (near doors, 1/2 way down the dash)... still heat coming
> out of either the window or floor vents though :(
> Cool Q#2. I will want to add a bike rack... she has a very strong bumper
> with a towing ball... I was thinking of getting someone to weld a receptacle
> for a hitch bike rack but don't know the load it could handle (I want to be
> able carry 4 bikes). The other option I'm considering is a rear hatch rack,
> the local Rack Attack doesn't have anything to fit a vanagon though.
> Suggestions?
>
> Bonus question #3: the front bumper doesn't have any holes for licence
> plates (and in Ontario we need front plates). I hope to get a playful
> euro-style plate for the center, so I am looking for a way to mount a
> current plate on the passenger side of the bumper. There used to be a
> bracket which I gather is NLA, suggestions? Currently it's just strapped
> onto the grill :(
>
> Peter Kraiker
> http://studiofstop.com
> ('82 Turbo D Westy)
>
>
>
>
>
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