Date:         Thu, 26 Dec 1996 13:23:10 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Paul Anderson <ghostwriter@earthlink.net>
Subject:      Re: carrying canoe on camper top

William Dummitt wrote:
> 
> Does anyone have any experience carrying a canoe on a Wesfalia camper?  Is
> it best to use the foam pads that fit on the sides of the canoe and rest
> these directly on the fiberglass top, or is it better to use a rack?
> Anybody recommend a particular rack and how to mount it?  Thanks in
> advance.

We use a Yakima rack, mounted to the top via Yakima Bronco Brackets.  We
permanently bolted the brackets to the top, and clamp the rack onto the
brackets only when we need it.  We often carry a 14ft Sunfish sailboat
and sail (appx 120lbs.) on the rack, with no problems.  

In the back, there are two tow hooks; tie to one hook, loop around
something on the canoe, then tie back down on the other hook.  Up front,
we bolted two stainless eyelets (widely spaced) to the front bumper. 
Tie the front the same as the back.

One aside: while the racks can stay on the top throughout a camping
trip, the racks add a bit of weight to the top while opening.

Best regards,

Paul
'82 Campermobile (AFC)