The original store that I was considering to make a custom canvas
roof carrier for my '84 Westfalia was going to charge me $112 U.S. and an
unspecified lesser amount for 10 or more.  Al Knoll wrote to the list 
saying that was a reasonable price and mentioning Kirkhams in the same 
breath.  I had heard of Kirkhams before, but didn't really know what
they did until I called them.  As I understand, they make pretty good
canvas tents.  Anyway, their stock roof carrier models were even better 
quality than the first place, they were easy to work with, and their 
custom bag was only $80 U.S., no group discount.  I put $40 down and will
pay the rest May 15th when the bag is done.  It takes them a while to
do custom orders.  For those interested here are the details:

20" wide, 46" long, 14" deep.  Zippered on three sides with 2 pulls
so the bag can be opened from the center or one of the sides.  
There is a flap over the zipper to keep out the elements.

Made from 13oz Boat Duck (Natural color)
(This is the canvas.  The Natural is the same color as my Westie popup
 canvas, also available in Grey-Green and Yellow-Tan.  I think the 13oz 
 refers to it's weight per square yard.  
 It's nice stuff.)

12oz Vinyl Laminated Poly (Blue) for the entire bottom instead of canvas.
(I wanted this because the canvas is "water repellant" but not "waterproof",
 and I didn't want the bag to soak through from the bottom while sitting
 in a wet luggage well.  They had a lighter 8oz vinyl but I liked the
 thicker stuff better.  They tell me it's the same stuff they use for
 their tent floors.  They suggested carrying a box of plastic trash bags
 in the carrier to wrap stuff you really don't want to get wet.)

Tie straps sewn to the canvas and positioned for the Westie tie downs.
Each tie strap has a metal "loop through" cinch to tighten it down.

They've got my order on file (Chris Braymen) and anyone interested can ask 
them to refer to it.  I was working with a guy named Todd.  If you're not 
in a  big hurry you might wait until my bag is done to find out if I left 
anything out or mis-measured :)

Kirkham's Outdoor Products
3125 South State St.
Salt Lake City, UT  84115
(801) 486-4161

Also, perhaps for a more waterproof solution, someone sent me the
following info:

>Saw your post on the need for a container for the overhead luggage rack. I
>have also been looking for something since a trip to Alaska a couple of
>years ago. I think I've found a good solution but have not seen or
>purchaced it yet. The container is made by "Sherpak" and is designed as a
>cartop container. They have several sizes but one of them is, 20"wide x
>45"long x 13" high. I measured my westfalia and it looks as if it will fit
>fine. The following is a clip of their advertisement in the catalog I have:

>"Designed to protect your gear from the worst conditions mother nature
>whips up, the Sherpak is carefully constructed of heavy duty, UV resistant
>vinyl with electronically welded seams. It compresses for smaller loads,
>reducing wind resistance and flap, and folds up compactly for convenient
>storage. The Sherpak attaches easily with quick release buckles. Large two
>way zippers allow easy access from the back or sides."

>"Sherpack 7 - dimensions as above, 7 cu. ft., 11 lbs. $145.00 U.S.

>I found this in a catalog from a very fine outdoor-canoeing supply store in
>Ely Minnesota. The product lines they carry are usually the best. The store
>is called "Piragis Northwood Company" and their toll free ordering number
>is 800-223-6565, 24 hrs a day. I'm sure they'll send you a catalog. Their
>e-mail address is http://www.piragis.com

Thanks for all your help and I'll let you know how it comes out!

Chris Braymen
bonehead@compuserve.com
'84 Westfalia "Buttercup"