Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 08:59:44 -0700
Reply-To: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Yakima racks web site on back hatch of Westy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Deena,
Both Yakima and Thule make a variety of rack systems that will allow you to
carry a canoe on top of your Westfalia. They both have web sites, and both
the web sites have a program that will recommend the parts you need. You can
even order them over the web through REI at www.rei.com. Mostly they seem to
recommend installing fake rain gutter plates on the side of the fiberglass
pop top as an attachment point. This would allow the top to be raised with
the rack installed... but probably would have to remove the canoe since it
would be too heavy to lift up with the top. I am about to use this method on
my Westy for carrying my kayaks.
Alternately, if you don't want to drill holes in your fiberglass top for the
fake rain gutter mounts, Thule makes an ultra high 'foot' (I don't see it
listed at REI; it's the highest of the three 'foot packs' that Thule
offers.) that attaches directly to the stock rain gutter and will clear the
top of the pop top (when its down). Yakima towers mounted to the original
rain gutters will not clear the pop top unless you can alter them some way.
I've been told by Roy that these can be positioned above the luggage rack
and at the very rear most spot on the rain gutter and then the top can be
raised without removing the rack. But this would only work if this spacing
is appropriate for the length of your canoe. Otherwise the rack would have
to be removed in order to pop the top with this set up.
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
-----Original Message-----
From: Gentle Ridge <gentle@GENTLERIDGE.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Sunday, September 05, 1999 10:03 PM
Subject: Re: Yakima racks web site on back hatch of Westy
>Bobby wrote:
><<Yakima racks web site on back hatch of Westy. Please visit my site for a
>picture of my bike racks on the back hatch of my Westy.
>http://www.jps.net/shilohz/vanagon.html >>
>
>Thanks for sharing the photo... interesting setup -- I'm trying to imagine
>our 16' canoe on that handy rig! ;~)
>
>We are open to suggestions for how to top carry a canoe on an '85 westy
>
>Deena
>Maude - '85 Westy
>
>EMU OIL & EMU OIL SOAP
>Gentle Ridge Enterprises ~ Wisconsin, USA
>http://www.gentleridge.com ~ mailto:gentle@gentleridge.com
>** Lots of new emu oil information on our website! **
>