>What I recently did was move my spare tire to the right rear corner
(inside) and I felt a
> dramatic improvement. Now, since I don't want to give up my bed or
> access to the engine cover I'm thinking I'd like to move it outside on a
> swing out carrier.

Could you put it on the roof?  Just a thought... maybe a bad one, but a
thought nonetheless.

Mick Kalber

----- Original Message -----
From: Arlen <manx1342@QWEST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 10:16 PM
Subject: Another project?

> My Vanagon has always felt 'nose heavy' to me. What I recently did was
> move my spare tire to the right rear corner (inside) and I felt a
> dramatic improvement. Now, since I don't want to give up my bed or
> access to the engine cover I'm thinking I'd like to move it outside on a
> swing out carrier.
>
> My research has turned up two possibilities so far. It seems there is a
> Winkler (Ortec?) available but I haven't heard anything about the
> durability of this model. The other lead is the Syncro Multi-van, but I
> certainly can't afford the near $2500 USD that David Marshall is asking
> for the ones he's bringing back from Germany (that's $500 more than I
> originally paid for my vanagon). I'm sure they're durable
> but................
>
> A third option might be to build one locally but I haven't been able to
> turn up any good pictures of them. The more I think about it the more I
> like this third option. Maybe even aluminum. Or stainless. I have a
> friend with a lathe and a mill. For $2500 I could buy a real nice TIG
> welder. Hmmmmmmm............
>
> Any ideas or pictures floating around out there?
>
> Arlen
>