Hello Mark.  The racks your are probably referring to are made by 
Paulchen of Germany.  These racks are the Rolls Royce of racks for 
many different vehicles.  They are light, very strong, and can be 
outfitted with many different options to contain various objects.  
Bikes, kayaks, storage boxes, skis, etc.  They fold out of the way 
when not it use, and they lock onto the tailgate lid.  No holes are 
dilled into the body.  The rack can support over 200 lbs.  They are 
very popular on Vanagon's in Canada.  They run arounc $400 CDN for a 
basic configuration.  These racks WILL NOT damage your vehicle.

Wishing I had a Paulchen
Harry.

> Recently I've noticed a couple of Vanagons with interesting looking sport 
> racks mounted on the rear hatch. The racks appear to be made just for the 
> Vanagon. They are constructed of black tubing, approximately 1/2" to 3/4" in 
> diameter and mount to the top and bottom edges of the hatch. Anyone know who 
> makes/sells these racks?
> 
> -Mark McCulley
> 
> 
> 
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Burnaby, British Columbia CANADA
'90 Syncro Westfalia  email:hyates@bcit.bc.ca
'87 Golf Diesel       WWW:  http://www.bcit.bc.ca/~hyates