How and where to mount Yakima racks for Westy top

[Elrick]

What do you recommend for mounting Yakima racks on a 87 Westy top? Are Top Loader or Wide Body brackets the way to go? I have a Space Case I'd like to put up there for skis and what not. Any recommendations as to where to put the brackets?
Thanks for any info,
Anthony
87 Westy

[Ericthenorse]

Check this out http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/vanagonrack.htm scrool down to where it says westy roof rack system.. There is a good setup there. it mounts to the pop top, and has legs that hit the drip rail for support. you can pop the top without having to remove the rack, and I believe all of the Yakima rack accesories will work with it..
_________________
'69 bug--rusty as hell
'91 vanagon carrat-slammed,5 speed,4 wheel disks,17x8.5's

[ianstone]

[Ericthenorse]

I am afraid to put a bike way up there.. I have used several different rear hatch racks with mixed results. Right now I mostly use the rear hatch rack from the link above. I used their rack and my Yakima bike rails.. The also have a front mount system that is kind of cool looking, and I think evryone needs their winch mount
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'69 bug--rusty as hell
'91 vanagon carrat-slammed,5 speed,4 wheel disks,17x8.5's

[PNW Westy Owner]

I have a Yakima rack on my Westy which I have been using to carry bikes with. I've had as many as 3 on it. More than 4 would require a step ladder or something to get it on the rack. I use the fork mounting (steelhead?) system, so the front wheel is stored in the car. We did a 1500 mile trip with bikes on the roof without issues.

I remove my bike when I'm popping the top, though I have spoken to other westy owners who don't think twice about popping the top with a loaded clam shell/space case, bikes and boats.

[ianstone]

[Jeffrey Earl]

Here's a similar thread from a while back:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=130539&highlight=

And my post on the subject:
I recently went thru the somewhat confusing and arduous process of choosing a roof rack for my '83 Westy, and can report that the Thule 953 works quite splendidly. In fact, as far as I am aware, it is the only commercially available rack which mounts to the factory rain gutters and does not so much as TOUCH the fiberglass poptop. The standard load bars have a posted weight limit of 165 lbs..
http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/product.asp?dept_id=3&sku=953

I discovered that the Yakima 1A Highrise Towers in fact DO NOT clear the Westy roof when mounted in the factory gutters, at least not the towers currently sold. The problem is not their height (even without the extra spacers), but rather the steeply canted angle at which they sit, which forces them to hit the sides of the poptop. As far as I know, all Yakima towers must be mounted to fake rain gutters attached to the fiberglass roof.
http://www.yakima.com/home.html

I nearly bought the fine quality roof rack made by Gary Lee but he informed me that even if you do not drill holes into the roof, but only use the gutter clamps, a portion of the metal clamp will still ride in contact with the fiberglass. He acknowledged that dirt and dust, combined with the vibration of driving, could potentially cause chafing of the fiberglass roof, and urged me either to pad the clamp or simply drill the holes and bolt into place.
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/roof/roofrack.htm

To be fair, many, many Westy owners have quite happily bored holes into their roofs—either to mount the Gary Lee racks or to install fake rain gutters suitable for mounting the Yakima rack systems—and the vast majority report no leakage, cracking, etc.. But as my uptight Teutonic nature physically restrained me from putting a drill bit to my pristine, white, currently non-leaking Westfalia pop-up roof, I instead opted for the Thule.

It is a reasonably sturdy rack, offers optional locks for the towers, and with the Thule 547 Outrigger Lift Assist accessory, allows me to singlehandedly load and offload my 16' canoe and 14.5' kayak. I mounted the front rack just forward of the edge of the poptop (over the luggage rack), and the rears just forward of the rear wheels. This compels me to remove the canoe and the rear rack in order to pop the top, but the front can remain installed. If I am lazy and camping solo, I can simply leave everything atop the van and the top un-popped and do all my cooking/cleaning while seated on a camp stool.

Many of the Thule and Yakima rack accessories, such as canoe/kayak cradles, ski mounts, etc., are designed to be cross-compatible with the others' rack systems, so you can piece together your perfect system.

Good luck!

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
http://www.vanthology.com/

[buspor63]

I like to put things on top of the bus. If I were buying new, I would follow the excellent recommendations of J. Earl. BUT, since I own about $2000 worth of Yakima stuff, I use that. I have three sets of the fake rain gutters on my westy roof. When hauling bikes or play boats, I use the rear and middle. When hauling long stuff, I use the front and rear to even out the load. All three mount to the elevating part. I carry a step ladder when needed, like four single speed bikes, two bikes and two or three kayaks.

I have, but not often, raised the roof with a load, usually a light one. It weighs a freekin' ton. I've never had issues with height, but I guess my mileage dropped. Now that gas is $2 instead of $1, that becomes an issue.

[PNW Westy Owner]

I have not had a problem with the height - that said, I'm already cautious about parking garages and drive thrus with nothing on the roof. I have hit the occasional tree limb when pulling away from a curb.

Like buspor63 I already owned/collected all the Yakima gear from over the years so I supressed the idea of purchasing an entirely new (and possibly better) rack system.

[ianstone]

[sc-surfer]

I have had my yak stuff through about 8 cars, three of which were buses or vanagons. For those nervous 'bout mounting to your pop top, don't worry.

I have 2 bars mounted to my westy. I used the 4 bolt rain gutter thing from yakima and put a 2"x5" aluminum (??) backing plate on it.

the holes are all outside the canvas so no leaks.

I regulary carry 5-7 surfboards in bags and a bike or to up there. Never had any problems. I even pop up the top with the load on top if it's not too big. I figure that if i can lift it by myself, the roof can handle it.

Sure, drilling those first holes are a little stressfull, but measure twice, drill once. It gets easier after the first one.
_________________
'89 Syncro Westy
Catalog of Vans at SDM 2010
Westfalia, Syncro & Tristar Reproduction decals here.
* * * Coming Soon: Washable seat covers for westy bench seat...keep the pets off the upholstery! * * *

[[email protected]]

i called yakima a while back about putting a gear box on top of my westy and they said that they didn't recommend it because they couldn't guarantee that the poptop latch would hold. the latch seems strong to me... anyone experience otherwise?

[Jeffrey Earl]

Never heard of a Westy pop-up roof deploying while underway, but I suppose it could happen. If the rubber seals on your roof fit as snugly as mine do, that latch is pretty secure. I guess for extra peace of mind, one could run a single tiedown cinch-strap over the roof near the front.

I assume the reason Yakima approves bikes and skis up there but not a cargo box (nor presumably a canoe?) is the relative difference in wind resistance; a big fat cargo box offers more surface area for the wind to grab and try to pull upward, straining either the rack mountings or the roof itself. By contrast, bikes are pretty slim. I suppose it would also depend on the weight of your cargo inside the box.

This is another advantage of the Thule 983s; because they clamp directly to the Vanagon rain gutters, they do not rely on the integrity of the fiberglass through which the plates are bolted, nor the security of the pop-up roof latch.

Good luck!

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
http://www.vanthology.com/

[mightyart]

One of the only recall notices that early vanagon westies had was for a tendancy for the pop-top to open at speed. I don't know what the fix was.
I actually had it come open when driving away from a campsite, it was my fault for moving to fast and not making sure the latch was succure. Now I always make sure the latch is completely seated, no worries.
_________________
My Art:
http://www.instagram.com/flynn8552/

[shorepig]

I recently mounted artificial rain gutters on the roof of my 85' westy with no problem. Just be careful when drilling the holes, and start with a small pilot hole to insure accuracy. Also, put silicon on the bolts before tightening them up..this insures no water on the fibreglass.

I currently carry a YAkima SPACEBOOSTER BOX, a Yakima COBRA bike rack, and there is still space for two windsurf boards in the middle!

Things to consider:

1) plan..plan..plan! Make sure the bar width/ spread is correct in relation to the cargo box you will be using.
2) make sure your front bar is not mounted over the roof vent! (obviously)
3) also make sure that your cargo box will not be over the roof vent or it won't open all the way!
4) THE FURTHER BACK THE WEIGHT IS.....THE EASIER IT IS TO LIFT THE
ROOF!!!!!
5) if you're gonna put a bike on the roof, you will need a three step step ladder, which u can store in the luggage area up front. My Downhill mountainbike weighs 55 pounds, and it is a BITCH to lift up there!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.....DON'T DETROY EVERYTHING BY DRIVING INTO A COIN CAR WASH...YES, I DID IT..ONLY ONCE!

EMAIL ME IF U WANT PICS

[email protected]

[tangojeff]

The 4 bolt Yakima brackets obviously distribute any stress from load/ wind better. Three pair may work for those hauling different loads. I popped my top before w/ 2 sea kayaks in saddle racks on top. I think the hardware can take it. you can have an assistant help from the luggage well, too. Bikes are a lot easier on a Fiamma hatch rack. Folds down and bike is loaded in less than a minute. no ladder required. Broom handle, or pvc pipe on strut holds up hatch w/ bikes on back. By coincidence, my poptop latch acted up last week and won't lock in place any more. Need to remove and inspect ASAP. Bungie cord to driver's seat belt bracket sux