New Roof Rack for Vanagons

[1988M5]

Don’t fail to take into account the small amount of “banana” of the roof when viewed from above. I had to install small spacers in the front and rear of my set up to account for it. In some of the photos you can see the nylon spacer added to keep the awning from bowing.

BK

[SyncroHead]

[outcaststudios]

pshh, my vanagon roof rack castings are way cooler looking than these. powder coated? really?! hey im sure theyre cheap to make!
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'88Doka JX td
'69 westy
(rip)couple bugs
(rip)three type III"s
(rip) '81 vanagon
a bunch of french stuff,and 9 motorcycles.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2573791

[SyncroHead]

I got my old storage box and solar panel and custom wind fairing mounted to my new roof rack.

Solar panel tilts forward on it's own hinge or backward if you open the box allowing me to prop the solar panel in two ways to maximize sun exposure.

Next up... Mounting the Rooftop Tent.
Then... The Shady Boy Awning

Jim Davis
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"

Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org

[RoryGirl]

[SyncroHead]

[SyncroHead]

After some production challenges (moving to a larger facility and supply chain issues), we're again ready for new orders for these racks.

The ad with pricing and more photos is here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2492828

Current schedule is orders through Aug 30th will be shipped by end of September.

Jim Davis
_________________
"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"

Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org

[Gnarlodious]

What’s it made out of and how much does it weigh?
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Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[kiltedhiker]

Full Heavy Duty Rack and Lights on my '90 Syncro

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1989 Syncro Westfalia (bought new) sold
1990 Syncro Westfalia sold
1990 Syncro TinTop

[Schnippzle]

I do love a good roof rack. Will you be offering siderails for the racks?

[djkeev]

At first glance one thinks "WOW! That's an expensive rack!"

Until one begins comparing........

I have a HAULER rack on mine, all aluminum but only two mounting points.
This rack isn't at all cheap! I priced a new one when I was ordering parts to convert it from a pickup to the Van...... I ended up purchasing the parts!

This rack offered will probably carry far more weight than mine.

I do wonder what the fuel mileage hit is on this offered rack sitting closer and more closed up than my open Hauler.
My Hauler dropped me down about 2 mpgs!

I need it for work but I may remove it for travel.

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[DuncanS]

Thoughts from N. Picker.

I hope you are using 316 stainless. 18-2 or anything less than 316 will rust. Especially near salt water--meaning 10 miles. Stainless steel is Stain-Less steel. But the lesser grades will rust.

The side pieces are split in half. Is that why there are so many feet? To keep them straight and not flex. Wonder what the moment connection is between the two........

Weight? As we all know these cars, to quote someone, "corner like an over ripe tomato". Which leads to the question, why do you want to put so much weight up there anyway? Which is why Im assuming the rack is so rugged.

Wind noise? Gas mileage?

Outcast, we haven't heard from you in a while. Are you still making and selling them? You may remember a design competitor when you were first developing your racks--Orly Blau Van Agon. He went on to develop a company for his design which he just sold to Thule for 8.3 million. Let's see some of your most recent designs in another topic so this doesn't get highjacked. For example, what would happen if you were able to have feet which could accommodate a pipe of the customers preference for the length of the rack. Then have other castings--or not-- which would allow cross members to be attached--wood, pipe, square tubing, whatever people want. This would allow for seriously rugged racks without shipping issues. The feet could have the ability to have risers so the rack could become a tray. Or the feet could attach to aluminum extension ladder rails using the rung stubs for cross member connections.....or what about using.............

[SyncroHead]

[SyncroHead]

[Schnippzle]

[DuncanS]

Stainless steel and aluminum are not good friends at all. A stainless bolt will corrode aluminum to the point where it can not be removed without destroying the aluminum.

Again, I highly recommend you use 316 bolts, but make sure they are protected. At 2k you do not want unhappy customers. $2100 and make sure they will last forever would be a good strategy. https://www.marshfasteners.com/can-stainless-steel-and-aluminum-be-used-together/

https://neverseizeproducts.com/mariners-choice/

[Sodo]

This could be more of a concern if the van is parked in a salt environment. There needs to be an electrolyte between the two metals to cause the ruckus.

The Aluminum far outsizing the stainless reduces risk.
Add that the Aluminum is coated ~100%.
As well as the fasteners.

There are more than a few Aluminum overland rack examples that have been on the market for some years, are they doing OK?
The ones I've seen are OK.

That's a wicked rack !

I bet a lighter-weight, low-profile version for a Westfalia would sell fairly well.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[DuncanS]

How exactly is the clamping force to the gutter achieved? By this, I mean the pinching together force with the support down into the gutter and the underneath clamp pulling up. It appears that with slotted holes, the pieces are forced together by hand rather than a screwing clamping action and then tightened. And do you have a pic showing what the part of the tower landing on the inside of the gutter looks like?

[kiltedhiker]

[SyncroHead]