Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 10:58:20 -0700
Reply-To: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Racks for Tandem Bikes?
In-Reply-To: <676538.70227.qm@web51406.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Thanks, Stephen. If you do sort out this mechanical invention, please
try to remember to drop me a note as I would be interested in paying to
have you build one -- if that interests you.
I see that this small frame tandem is about 68 inches
dropout-to-dropout. I see that this Vanagon is also about 68 inches
wide. With the wheels off, the bike is really not wider than the van. A
rear hitch-mount bike rack that holds the bike horizontally, and rotates
to compensate for sloping top tubes might just do the job. For
stability, I think I'd want a rack that holds the bike at two points,
i.e., isn't just designed to grab a normal bike by its top tube in one spot.
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
On 5/14/2007 10:16 AM Stephen Grisanti wrote:
> The cross bars I have dealt with (Thule and Yakima),
> even if pushed all the way back in the gutter,
> position the bar too close to the roof. Even if it
> clears the poptop when down it may not clear when the
> poptop is up, so when you look at the van from the
> side with poptop up (and down) and hatch open you can
> see the spot there in midair where the bar has to be
> located.
>
> I planned to investigate some general utility bars
> (Quick & Easy, or the brands you find on electricians'
> or plumbers' vans) to see if they can be modified.
> Welding will likely be required unless I find exactly
> what I want. Essentially, most of these hold the bar
> directly above the base and in this application the
> bar has to be above and offset to the rear. The base
> or foot has to clamp to the gutter and the bar must be
> about 6" above the gutter and 4-6" back from there.
>
> Stephen
>
> --- Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Stephen,
>>
>> How were you planning to modify your crossbar mount?
>> If it doesn't
>> involve welding, I could give it a try. If it does,
>> I'd be happy to pay
>> you, or someone else, to modify one. But tandems are
>> pretty heavy. If
>> the tandem is hung from a fork-mount, the mount and
>> the crossbar and
>> mounting and gutter would need to be pretty darn
>> sturdy, it seems.
>>
>> I agree with your post about bike being a total pain
>> to deal with when
>> you're not on them. I love riding, don't ride as
>> much as I should, but
>> with a tandem, Mrs Squirrel and I can have some fun
>> jaunts.
>>
>> The bike is a no-big-deal Raleigh "Companion." I
>> spotted it at a garage
>> sale. Only been ridden a few times, but here's the
>> thing: it's a small
>> frame, and both Mrs Squirrel and I are short. When I
>> gave it a test
>> ride, it fit me perfectly, so that's rare enough to
>> make it worth
>> buying. The brakes are just crummy cantilevers, so I
>> know we won't be
>> doing long downhills.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>> Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan
>> Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> Stephen Grisanti typed:
>>> You could do what I plan to do on my van; a single
>>> gutter-mount crossbar at the rear of the roof
>> modified
>>> so it clears the raised poptop and the raised
>> hatch.
>>> You then use a single fork-mount bike holder and
>> let
>>> the bike hang vertically on the back of the van
>> with a
>>> bungee holding the rear of the bike to bumper or
>> tow
>>> hook.
>>>
>>> Stephen
>>>
>>> --- Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>> Hi Greg,
>>>>
>>>> Nah, I've never owned or considered getting a
>>>> tandem, so the issue of
>>>> hauling one has never come up. It's just possible
>>>> that I may have asked
>>>> about towing a small car with a Vanagon, or maybe
>>>> towing the Vanagon
>>>> behind a larger vehicle, towing a motor scooter
>>>> behind the van, so
>>>> trailers may have been discussed at that time.
>> It's
>>>> possible. But tandem
>>>> bikes are an altogether different matter -- I
>> know I
>>>> haven't beaten this
>>>> horse to death.
>>>>
>>>> The Draftmaster that Stephen pointed out looks
>> like
>>>> a fine rack. But at
>>>> $800, it's four times the cost of this used
>> tandem
>>>> bike I just got. Gary
>>>> Lee's stuff isn't cheap, either. Can't help but
>>>> wonder if this was a
>>>> plain silly purchase.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>>>> Banana")
>>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San
>> Juan
>>>> Capistrano
>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Greg Potts typed:
>>>>> Hi Mike,
>>>>>
>>>>> Haven't we been through this already??You need a
>>>> trailer.
>>>>> Happy Trails,
>>>>>
>>>>> Greg Potts
>>>>> 1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
>>>>> www.pottsfamily.ca
>>>>> www.busesofthecorn.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 12-May-07, at 2:22 PM, Michael Elliott wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I just found a good deal on a tandem bike at a
>>>> yard sale. I hope to hang
>>>>>> it on the back of Mellow Yellow before our next
>>>> camping trip and
>>>>>> surprise Mrs Squirrel. I'm looking for a rear
>>>> hatch tandem bike rack --
>>>>>> not a roof rack, I'm too short to be hauling
>>>> stuff up there, and tandems
>>>>>> are very heavy. Mrs Squirrel is close to
>> useless
>>>> when it comes to
>>>>>> hoisting heavy items.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does anyone have any recommendations for a good
>>>> rack? I saw Gary Lee's
>>>>>> stuff at
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/4bike/tandem/tandem.htm
>>>>>> Or maybe someone has a used one for sale, and
>>>> could figure out how to
>>>>>> ship it to Zip code 92008?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>>>> Banana")
>>>>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San
>>>> Juan Capistrano
>>>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
>>> Looking for earth-friendly autos?
>>> Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos'
>> Green Center.
>>> http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/
>>>
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
> http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545433
>
| 
