Date:         Wed, 07 Jun 95 08:41 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Danke <JDANKE@macc.wisc.edu>
Subject:      Re: bike rack for bus

My personal experiences with bike racks on a '77 bus:
 
I've used a typical, sedan-trunk mounted Graber rack by suspending it from the
rear hatch. I forget exactly how it was mounted, but I remember using the
excess strap lengths as safety backup by threading them through the slits in
the rain gutter. I was afraid of putting too much pressure on the glass, but
the weight is adequately supported by the lower legs. I've used this setup
during a 7,000 mile trip in January. Very sturdy. The only regret I have is
that the supporting arms and the neighboring bike tend to scratch and rub the
paint. Once a brake cable end even rubbed through a sidewall.
 
Since then I bought a new bike, and wanted a fork mount setup to avoid the
scarring problems. The Rhode Gear Euro Shuttle is what I've used almost every
weekend since mid-March. Again, I use the extra straps through the rain slits.
The lower straps fit nicely into the notches under the rear bumper. The upper
support can be wedged underneath the rain gutter by drawing the upper support
straps tight, and the lower support bar fits nicely above the engine
compartment. I can still get in there to check the oil. Use the frame-mounted
tow thingy underneath the bumper on the passenger side as a base for a cable for
locking the bikes. The only drawback is that only two bikes are carried this
way. The super added bonus is that the local REI closed out this rack for
$19.99 -- not a typo. Wow.
 
BTW I saw that Yakima setup onthe white pop-top. Pretty nice setup, but the
owner mentioned he needed extra support to keep the bikes from sliding down.
 
 
Joel
jdanke@macc.wisc.edu