one more yakima question-side loaders

tampaliquors · 09-26-2008, 04:56 PM

frank here again, had side loaders ( those bolt on 6 inch raingutters from yakima) on my westy pop top years ago, and i saw them demonstrated in a photo on the smb website. anyone out there use that set up and how's it working out for you? thanks again....and my apologies for all the future questions, i am obsessed with this van!

Greg In Austin · 09-26-2008, 07:11 PM

I have seen a couple of side loader products from Yakima.... which are you referring to?

I saw a tandem bike carrier that pivoted to allow side loading,
and
I have seen an extension for the cross bars that are aids in side-loading boats.

We have not yet figured out the best way to load our boats, but even the extensions for boats would be awful high up.
And I am not sure our tandem carrier would be useable due to the roof height.

tampaliquors · 09-26-2008, 07:31 PM

thanks for the reply greg, these "side loaders" as yakima calls them, are basically artificial rain gutters that bolt to the side of the pop top to give the "towers" a place to be attached. my vw handled them fine, but i was curious if smbs had a heavy enough lay up. the hardware has a metal backing plate and two bolts that hold the "fake" rain gutter. just trying to get as much input before drilling holes!

tampaliquors · 09-26-2008, 07:32 PM

thanks for the reply greg, these "side loaders" as yakima calls them, are basically artificial rain gutters that bolt to the side of the pop top to give the "towers" a place to be attached. my vw handled them fine, but i was curious if smbs had a heavy enough lay up. the hardware has a metal backing plate and two bolts that hold the "fake" rain gutter. just trying to get as much input before drilling holes!

Greg In Austin · 09-26-2008, 07:59 PM

Aahhh ... you are talking about towers and attachments.

Yakima has two attachment types that work with raingutter towers that would fill that bill.

Both Side Loader and Wide Body attachment seem like they would work for the situation you are describing.

Both are fixed positions.

They would both allow for a slightly lower profile than yakima tracks with control towers, but the tracks would certainly provide much more flexibility.

I chose tracks for both our SMB and my 1990 Nissan 4WD truck (w camper shell).

The tracks on the SMB have allowed us to mount two solar panels directly to the PHT without additional punctures. We alos mounted our A7 in-motion satellite dish to bars on the tracks. THis weekend we are adding an additional pair of bars to the PHT.
...and all of these can be moved forward or aft rather than being in a permanent fixed position...