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loloracks - bike rack
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1988M5
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Joined: January 23, 2016
Posts: 673
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:31 pm    Post subject: Re: loloracks - bike rack Reply with quote

jimf909 wrote:
I hear ya. Over 20+ years I used nearly every possible bike rack on the back of the van: a cheapo Hollywood rack; Yakima Q-Towers mounted to the hatch with Yakima tray racks; several hitch racks (Yakima, Küat); Fiamma rack with hatch struts to hold the hatch open with two bikes on it; and RMW Switchback swing outs with 1UP racks. In between I looked at Recon racks (local to me) and fabricating solutions as you're considering.

Hatch access is always a top priority for me and my recommendations are:

- $500: Fiamma rack with $60 of 250 psi struts (gas springs) from McMaster-Carr to hold the hatch open with 60 lbs of bikes on the rack. I really like the simplicity of the Fiamma with the added umph of the HD gas springs.
- $crazy$ to buy the RMW setup (which is awesome).

Fiamma...
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Gas springs allowing hatch access (it requires a bit of a lift but I never feared for an injury)
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Details here...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8579474

Good luck with the search. It's not easy.


Archimedes said, I’m paraphrasing, give me a lever long enough or gas struts loaded enough and I’ll tweak your frame.
BK
_________________
1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.
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jimf909 Premium Member
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Posts: 7401
Location: WA/ID
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:53 pm    Post subject: Re: loloracks - bike rack Reply with quote

^^^LOL. That setup worked fine for a few years and the abused strut mounting points never complained but they may have breathed a sigh of relief when I went with the RMW swingouts and 1UP racks. Easy access to the hatch and engine while keeping dirty bicycles where they belong, outside the van, leaving the entire inside of the van accessible to humans 24/7 as it was meant to be. Wink

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_________________
- Jim

Abscate wrote:
Do not get killed, do not kill others.


Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.

Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro).
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1988M5
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Joined: January 23, 2016
Posts: 673
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
1988M5 is offline 

PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 1:18 am    Post subject: Re: loloracks - bike rack Reply with quote

Cool beans friend. I really don’t know what that means but in context makes sense. As a ME it raised some eyebrows. How your chassis has not collapsed is weird. Ze Germans are crafty, strength in ways that are not obvious. Play on player! Drill no holes, house of cards going bad I wish not on you.

BK
_________________
1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.
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