I too have been pondering roof racks ever since I bought my Westy.  I
typically carry bikes (I think I'm going to use a draftmaster hitch
rack for that), but I am also a beginning whitewater paddler and would
like to be able to get a couple of kayaks on the Westy as well.  So
here's what I've been thinking lately.

I might buy a Yakima or Thule rack with the tallest towers.  I think
that with these I could attach the rack to the rain gutters rather
than the pop top.  True, I wouldn't be able to pop the top up with the
rack in place, but my experience with Thule racks in particular on
rain guttered roofs is that they are easily attached and removed.
THerefore I would simply take the rack off when I wanted to pop the
top up while camping.

My understadning of why Thule and Yakima recommend against carrying
boats on Westys is an issue of lift--the wind under the boat at
highway speed might pop the top up while driving.  But, if the rack
were anchored to the rain gutters, you don't facet this problem.

mac
==
Residential Life Coordinator,
Berea College

80 Westy (the Turtle)
97 Klein Mantra (Dr. Livingston)
93 Bridgestone XO-2 (Zippy)
91 Bridgestone MB-2 Fixed Gear (Earnest)
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