Date:         Mon, 4 Dec 1995 10:27:46 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         raven@halcyon.com (Mark McCulley)
Subject:      sport racks on Westys

Any opinions on the definitive ski/kayak/bicycle rack setup on a Westfalia
('87 to be specific)? I've done a bit of research and come to the following
conclusions:

For bicycles, a three-bike carrier on the trailer hitch (ball-style) seems
optimal. There are several manufacturers of such racks, Bauer is one. With
a 2" receiver hitch, you can carry four bicycles. These racks generally
will fold out of the way to allow access to the rear hatch. If you don't
have a trailer hitch, it might be worthwhile to install one if you carry
bicycles very much. I don't really like those racks that rest against the
rear hatch and hang from 1" webbing.

Skis are problematic. The above-mentioned bicycle racks have attachments
for skis to allow them to be carried standing vertically. However, on
Vanagons there is not enough clearance between the bottom of the skis and
the ground. I guess you could fabricate some sort of extension to give the
rack more clearance. Thule and Yakima make attachments to allow their
gutter racks to be used on Westfalias. These attachments must be bolted to
the fiberglass poptop and you can't carry much more than skis. I would be
hesitant to put kayaks on this setup. The roof rack isn't optimal in my
opinion because it's too high to access without standing on something.
Someone must make some nifty ski racks just for Westfalias...

For kayaks, the only solution I see is Thule gutter racks with the long
feet. These will attach to the gutters on the Vanagon and rise above the
poptop. The main drawback is that you have to remove the racks to raise the
top. Not a big problem really when you consider that you will most likely
be driving to a destination and then removing the kayaks for a while. I
carried two triple sea kayaks with this setup on my '74 this past summer.
Cruised to Lund, BC from Seattle with no problems at all--the racks were
rock solid. I wouldnt want to use this setup for skis because the racks
interfere with raising the poptop.

Any other opinions out there?

-Mark McCulley
'74 bus
'87 Westfalia