Come on- nobody has a Thule rack bolted on??? Help me

[bajorek]

I need to figure out the right way to bolt my artificial gutters to my pop top. I'd like to see pics of someone else's.

If you don't have pics, can you explain what you used?

[NeverHadaBeetle]

I try to avoid this topic like the plague, but you seem desperate so I will toss in some advice. I was gokayaking in the old forums, but for some reason I can't sign in any longer. Trying to get that fixed. Well anyway.....as my previous ID would indicate I have had Thules and/or Yakimas on several campers for kayaks, bikes, and other goodies. I don't have a digital pic, but I will try to give some advice from what I recall. I would like to say that I will NEVER again drill holes in my fiberglass to mount racks and this is coming from somebody who has done it on three different campers. Two Westfalias and a Riviera.

*You CANNOT adjust the racks for distance between the bars once you mount the artificial gutters. This will cause problems with some accessories. Bike trays for example need to be closer than canoes. Some baskets mount at a fixed distance if you ever consider adding one.

*The wind drag is a pain in the a$$ and I rarely averaged over 13-14 MPG loaded in a bus that usually got around 20 MPG.

*Very important when mounting the gutters; do not mount them too low or the metal plate on the back side of the fiberglass will hit the metal roof of the bus. The brackets must be mounted high enough (almost to the edge) for the bolts and bracket to tuck neatly into this very narrow space when the top is down. I have seen several Westfalias where the brackets were installed with the top up and the bracket was too low and had to be moved to a higher location. You will notice this by the two holes directly below the brackets on the Westfalias of many frustrated owners. Needless to say these additional holes don't exactly provide additional structural rigidity.

*The bolts will rub holes in your pop top canvas if you do not properly cover the bolt ends and plate.

*It is damn near impossible to raise the top without unloading it. Some people claim they do this all the time, but if you have more than a minimal weight up there it is next to impossible.

*I never had a stress crack in the fiberglass, but I never overloaded the racks either.

I now use a very small and very light trailer for hauling my stuff. Trailer is 4 ft x 4 ft with 12 inch wheels. It is flat with Thule racks mounted directly to it, weighs less than 250 lbs, pulls nicely behind the bus with no wind drag, and cost about $200 at Harbor Freight Tools. I wouldn't do it any other way. Good luck.
_________________
"Well, we shot the line and we went for broke
With a thousand screamin' trucks
An' eleven long-haired friends a' Jesus
In a chartreuse micra-bus."

[NeverHadaBeetle]

Actually I was "Go" "Kayaking" in the old forums. "Censored" is apparently my official Samba name now. Everett has some a touchy computer here.
_________________
"Well, we shot the line and we went for broke
With a thousand screamin' trucks
An' eleven long-haired friends a' Jesus
In a chartreuse micra-bus."

[NeverHadaBeetle]

Man! Even the word k*a*y*a*k*i*n*g* gets the little fellow riled up.
_________________
"Well, we shot the line and we went for broke
With a thousand screamin' trucks
An' eleven long-haired friends a' Jesus
In a chartreuse micra-bus."

[sitemant]

I have installed the Thule artificial gutters on my 78' Westy without any problems. I mounted them on the sides of the pop top with a 29" bar spacing. I do not however carry anything but surfboards on the roof. You can also purchase rails which mount on the top like some of the new SUV's, this allows you to easily adjust the bar spacing.
I can show you pics next week if you like of both set-ups.

[jeremysmithatshawdotca]

Hey go k_a_y_a_king, you,ve been caught in the net set up by Everett to protect w_a_ff_le_ho_use_m_a*y_a in the new rants. You should put a post in the site forum about that, because you are a go to guy for advice, and it would suck for you to have to chanfe your name! Jeremy

[bajorek]

My bars are only as wide as the pop top itself; therefore, the artificial mounts will have to be bolted onto the top of the roof instead of the side.

I am planning on putting a block of wood on the underside of each bracket to help spread the load- I'll substitute for metal if I can find something.

I also have a set of short roof adapters, which I can install to make my bar span longer- I think it will work.

I'm mostly planning on carrying bikes, I know the canoe will throw me all over the road. I also don't plan to pop the top with ANY load on it to prevent possible damage.

[Bajatacoma]

I've got a set of Thule superhigh feet for my Westy. They clear the top so you don't have to worry about the fiberglass. I've got 65" bars so I can carry more junk. You can find them on ebay occasionally- Land Rover owner use them too.
_________________
'78 Westy

Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?
Hunter S Thompson

[salvaged_pinkslip]

The dealer who sold me artificial gutters recommended gooping them up around the bolts and on the inner plate with RTV to seal the holes and provide a bit of strain relief. It also seals the edges of the holes, which may help prevent shredding of the fiberglass from rubbing.

Note - even drilling the small holes in the poptop spreads around a lot of glass fiber. Protect yourself from breathing that stuff.