Although I'm also a fan of trailers, I can vouch for quick 'n 'easy
brackets as well. Have had some for--jeeze, 30 years, I think--on all
kinds of vehicles. They're incredibly secure--I've put hundreds and
hundreds of pounds on them--probably near a half-ton of 3/4" ply, in
one case, two king-sized beds, in another. On and off fast, and the
2x4 thing means you can customize the racks by installing eye-bolts
or other accessories easily and wherever you need them, and offer a
broad, easy-to-pad surface if desired, as opposed to pipes, etc.
Still use mine on my 300SD. Latest use: cartopping two 16' ocean
rowing shells from Maine to Iowa.

Dan

On Jan 7, 2008, at 9:21 AM, Kevin Gilbert wrote:

> Either spend a lot of time, money, and talk on hauling your boats, or
> paddle them.
> Cheap and functional rack is to bolt rain gutter brackets to poptop.
> Back the bracket with a wide flat metal piece to spread the load.
> Mine have been in place with no issues 19 years.
> A variety of clamps to hold crossbars are available, such as Quik-N-
> Easy $40 pairs to much more expensive Thule or Yakima. Which you
> select will determine crossbar type: 2x4s versus metal tube.
> Different dollars, same function.
> Tie the boats amidships to the rack. Then tie them bow and stern, to
> the van (bumper. tow hook, etc). Four points.
> Learn and use good knots and good rope.
> Loading/unloading boats should be quick and efficient - so you can
> get ON the water!
>
> Kevin
>
>
> On Jan 6, 2008, at 9:35 PM, Keith Ovregaard wrote:
>
>> Hi David,
>>
>> Hauling kayaks (or anything else, for that matter) requires a bit of
>> forethought and caution when deciding on racks and installation. It
>> would put a damper on your day to see your kayak in the rear view
>> mirror and probably not so good to whomever is driving behind you!
>> So, I suggest making a SOLID connection to multiple points between
>> kayak, rack and the van. There are several ways to do that with a
>> Westy. The most solid connection is a rack that will attach directly
>> to the metal rain gutter, but you can't pop the top without removing
>> the rack, although Gary Lee has designed one that solves this
>> problem. <http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/roof/
>> roofrack.htm>. Another way is to permanently bolt artificial rain
>> gutters to the poptop which allows deployment of the poptop without
>> removing the rack or contents. Lifting the extra weight is an issue
>> worth thinking about. With a couple of kayaks, bikes, spare tire,
>> etc. on top it becomes a 2 person job to pop the top. One begins to
>> consider gas assist struts (search the archives for info on that).
>> Since I bought into a Yakima rack system years ago, I decided use
>> their gear and have been happy. I would suggest bolting on the 4 bolt
>> bracket instead of the 2 bolt Side-Loader bracket for a more secure
>> connection to the thin fiberglass. Getting the brackets mounted is a
>> bit tricky, so measure twice, drill once (preferably not thru the
>> canvas!). I mounted 3 sets of the brackets so that I can use 3
>> crossbars or change the position with 2 crossbars, but 2 will work
>> just fine. Oh, I made some backing plates out of aluminum bar stock
>> to make a stronger mount. The edges were rounded to keep the canvas
>> from snagging. Plastic or rubber nut caps may be necessary as well.
>> Mounted to the rack are Yakima MakoSaddles which work well with my
>> sea kayak, although I don't care for the straps that come with it.
>> Other mounts are available. Get a set of bow/stern racket hold-downs.
>> In addition to the 2 rack straps, I use these for a 4 point
>> connection to the van. Believe me, a set of rack straps alone is not
>> enough. If one fails, you are left with only one strap and it won't
>> take much to launch your boat prematurely!
>>
>> Let me know if you have questions or want pics.
>>
>> Happy paddling,
>>
>> Keith
>>