>>> Brent Christensen <bpchristensen@MINDSPRING.COM> 05/03 11:47 AM >>>
OK.  The time has come to buy a rack for the Syncro, and I have the $ (or
should I say $$$$) for a good one. (sold the SHO over the weekend).

A couple of questions:

3.  Can you still carry gear on a Paulchen with the bike racks installed
(but no bikes)?

Lots of anything.   Skis, boards, shovels, hay bails, large coolers,  fire wood,  etc, etc.  Any thing that you can strap on I suppose.  The bike "gutters" are on the fold out shelf and extend wider than the rack width to make a larger platform.  I guess it is a platform about 4ft long by 2 ft wide.  All you would need to worry about is crushing the "gutter's" sides or bending them down on the ends,  Both of which could be avoided (If this was even a concern) with a proper sized platform of plywood or other.

4. Do the Paulchen racks mar the paint where they are mounted?  (The Yakima
racks on our Cherokee have destroyed the paint at their point of contact
with the roof)
The mounting "hooks"  which contact the hatch are supplied with a rubber buffer-- a thin rubber mat basically.  Nothing else touches the van.  I have never  removed my rack  so I don't know how things are under there but I don't expect to see much.  Never know I suppose.
 
Don't forget that your back hatch will be forever heavy with the paulchen and will require alternate supports to help the struts.  However with the PVC supports (ALA Coyote I think)  I could open the rear hatch even with two heavy full suspension bikes still attached ( with a wary eye trained in the hatch at all times!!)  Also, some have warned of excessive wear to the hatch hinges and lock etc. with the extra load... Nothing I have noticed yet, but I have only had it on there for a year.
Nat 
Seattle