I use the yakima towers and round bars on 3 of my Vanagon's.
Wow they are great.  I always worry that someone will rip them off.
I didn't spend for the locks.
I haul canoes, boards etc.  Very strong!

>>> Bill Marshall <Willolyn99@AOL.COM> 6/24/2003 9:14:00 AM >>>
Sam said:
""I think the round rack bar is more heavily built and will bend less
easily
than the square Thule.""

I agree.  I used to sell roof racks, long ago, and I've seen lots of
bent
cross bars, but never on a Yakima.  Also, because of the round bars,
bike racks
and other things always line up correctly.  With square bars, if you
have any
curve in your roof, or your bars are not in the same plane, you will
have to
bend or loosen everything to make things fit.  With the round bars, you
just
rotate the bars to align everything.  (this actually does make
sense...planes vs.
tangents)

I also saw photos of a roll-over accident in which the Yakima rack was
the
only thing that survived intact.  The Yakima rack system is stronger
than your
raingutters.

Bill Marshall
85 GL Tiico "Pandora's Box"
Aurora, IL