>I'm looking to carry 2 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes (16 inch and smaller).

I have carried four bicycles, three adult, and one 20" wheel pint size MT
bike under a variety of configurations.

- On my former 81 Westy I carried three adult bikes on Thule racks and
crossbars that were attached to Thule "artificial rain gutters" bolted to
the sides of the poptop.  The pint sized MT bike was carried inside.

- On a trip to Cape Cod in April of 1999 I carries two bikes on the back
of my 84 Westy with a Thule adjustable "hatch mount" carrier that clamped
to the hatch with six straps.  The other two bikes were on Thule
carriers, long load bars, and tall rain gutter uprights mounted along the
front and back edges of the luggage rack.  The bikes were outboard of the
luggage rack which remained fully accessible and usable.

- About a year ago I was lucky to find a Paulchen four bike setup
available used.  This clamps on the rear hatch using custom Vanagon
brackets.  The bikes are supported by the wheels so funky frame designs
are no problem.

All in all I like the current Paulchen setup the best.  Once you figure
out how to nest and pad the bikes with pipe insulation at points of
contact, it is simple, convenient, and secure.  I have carried four bikes
this way many times with no worries, and no damage to the bikes or the
vehicle.

The other setups worked adequately but getting bikes on and off of the
roof was a pain in the butt, and increased the wind resistance
noticeably.  The rear Thule hatch rack worked just fine but was not as
secure as the Paulchen.

Ride on,

Tony

Anthony L. Mourkas <-- Who likes to ride his mountain bike on the groomed
snowmobile trails
Hampden, Maine, USA <-- 18" of fresh snow, the mailbox is buried, the
roof leaks.
1984   Vanagon Westfalia    "Gertrude"
1986.5 Quantum Syncro Wagon "Wolfgang"
1991   Jetta Eco Diesel     "Liesel"