Bob, I think your rack sounds very interesting-- any pictures? :-)
And a few ?s:

--do you think your rack (or other racks in general) cause air drag on the
vehicle, even when there is no load being carried?
(I ask because my 85GL came with a home-made system for kayak carrying
involving 4 large clip-to-gutter deals with a pair of 2x4s, and I think I
get better mileage without the thing up there-- but then my speedo cable
was dying/stripping out at that time, so it's hard to know)

--do gutter-mounted systems tend to bend the rain gutter rail? (mine is
bent) or did the PO really load that puppy up?

-- where did you get your "quik-n-easy rain gutter mount brackets"?

Thanks!

--Patrice
85GL "Vana Blue"

Melissa and Jerome asked, "Can anyone recommend a good roof rack for a
Vanagon for carrying lumber and or luggage??"

All, I am now just finishing up my roof rack.  I made it out of 1" od
schedule 40 aluminum tube.    All the joints are "Structural Rail Fittings"
from McMaster Carr.  I used 3 pairs of "quik-n-easy" rain-gutter mount
brackets.  The rack is 10' long and 4.5' wide.  It looks very safari-basket
like, which is the look I was going for.

It's going to be used to carry mostly kayaks, including a 22' sea kayak, so
it had to be pretty robust.

One thing that I noticed was that it's important to get the proportions
right.  I originally had it 5' wide, and it didn't look right...not enough
of the "safari-basket" look to it.

Including the brackets, tube and fittings, I probably have about $250 into
it.

Bob
East Haddam, CT
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