Best Roof Rack/Storage Options for Tintop

[randiego]

I'm in San Diego, and now that my little ones are older it's time to hit the road. I'm in the market for the best roof rack system for my '89 Weekender.

Here are my needs:
- will be carrying surfboards (#1 need)
- can be modified or altered to take a basket or rooftop pod for gear

I'd love to hear your experiences on what has worked best for you!
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'85 GL, 1.9, 4spd (Sold, we'll miss it)
'89 Carat, Bordeaux Red, 4spd 2.1

[PDXWesty]

Yakima and Thule are both a no-brainer. Lots of offerings at any dealer or on-line. If you are budget challenged, there are some home grown solutions documented here, or find used. Any rack system for a commercial van will also fit the Vanagon gutter. Start with a web site that will find a rack using your car model info.

http://www.yakima.com/fit/Information
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[raoul mitgong]

Thule 387 towers and long bars for a tintop.
I like the Yakima stuff but their high tower solution looks like an afterthought. I think the Yakima bars are stiffer though. So if you are going to put up a lot of weight, Yakima. I've got both brands, Thule on the Syncro and Yak on the Westy so have first hand knowledge.

From there, an enclosed roof box or something like the MOAB (mother of all baskets, what a great name) basket and you are set. The baskets look sweet on a tintop but never seemed very practical for what I usually carry.

-d
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84 Westy with a 2.1 (Groover)
86 Tintop Syncro (Crow)
86 Tintop Syncro to Westy project (Tom Servo)
91 Westy (Only the top 12 inches of this van (a burn victim))

[PDXWesty]

This is right in your area: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/pts/4945995632.html
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[randiego]

[newfisher]

Heres my solution. 1A yak towers with the high rise kits cut in half. I sourced new bolts and assembled them to be 1 1/2 inch shorter than the full rise. The bars are 3/4 pipe from Home Depot cut at 60inches or 5 foot(no threads). The basket is a mega warrior with 2 extentions. I have a third that will be mounted up this weekend to fully extend it onto the two forward bars that will house the 100watt solar panel and the 51 inch curved led bar. I picked up all of the towers , basket and 2 of the extentions used....just took awhile. The used box was $125 and is the longer rocket box model. We stack SUP boards on the left and the bo x holds the chairs, mat, ez up and portable shower system. Works great!
.

[oldskewlsk8ter]

[newfisher]

The cross shaft that holds the lock foot is riveted through horizontally. I ground off the pressed rivet end and installed a phillips head 1/8 x 24 two and a half inch long bolt with a nut , tightened, cut flush then spot welded it. Could also use a nylock.

[ThankYouJerry]

[jimf909]

Great comments so far. I'll just add that if you're looking for the "best" you should look at Packasport boxes. Stronger, easier to open/close and better looking than the Yakima/Thule boxes (which are pretty flimsy and awkward relative to the rest of their product lines).
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- Jim

[newfisher]

""It appears to me from your photos that if you went with 78" bars that you could probably put that Yak box next to your rack instead of in it. This may require overhanging the mounts, but that's no big deal. It would be an enormous space gain. FWIW... 78" bars don't stick out past your mirrors. My huge Thule box and 34" wide SUP boards fit side by side no problem on 78" bars."""

Yes, but getting to our favorite campsite with the rutty off camber trail would rip the rack from the van. If it was a freeway surfing asphalt campground mall cruiser, having wider bars would be great! As it is now, the branches push against the box and my wife has to pull her mirror flat in a couple spots. Here in the North Wet, trails are tight in spots. Nothing like the Moab or SoCal area with the wide open deserts. We have the Eastern desert areas but find the shade of the tall trees or the sound of the crashing waves more comfortable than the hot and dusty open high deserts. The bars on it now are 60. 78s would land 9 inches further out than they are now. Would love to lay the sups flat, but dont want to swap 6 bars to hit the woods.

[ThankYouJerry]

Sounds like we frequent and prefer similar places .
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1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD

[newfisher]

Packasports made in Eugene! +1 buy local....to me
They are fiberglass, paintable and very well built. There is one on the local craigslist, but too wide to do what we need it to do.

[newfisher]

[robcurtis2]

Hi Yall,
Can someone out there send me a pick of their Tinton with both a skybox and a load warrior sitting next to each other?

I have an 84' Tintop with the 1A towers with the 2" risers and 66" length crossbars and I would like both the storage with the Skybox 12 and the cary capacity with the Loadwarrior. So I think the skybox dims are 24" wide and the Loadwarrior is 39" wide so will this work?
Cheers, RC

[jimf909]

Here are some photos of a Skybox 18 on my pop-top on 66" bars. I narrowed the load warrior by about 9". The open basket is nice to toss stuff in, the box is nice to keep things clean and dry.

FWIW...

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- Jim

[robcurtis2]

What did you do to narrow it......just cut it?

[robcurtis2]

So your Skybox 18 is approximately 36" with the cut loadwarrior down to 30" totalling 66". So my setup of the Skybox 12 at 24" wide and an uncut Loadwarrior at 39" wide totals 63" so should work fine also calculating some space between to open the skybox?

Thots?

Cheers,
RC

[jimf909]

[robcurtis2]

I don't really want to cut so wanting to know if anyone else out there has the same system as I describe with the Skybox 12 and the Loadwarrior on the 66" bar???