Got a new 2006 Ford E350 full size van, no roof rack, has rain gutters. What’s everyone using these days…Thule? Yakima? Both those are roughly $250 for a complete sysem. Any others??
If you have rain gutters, it should be pretty easy to find an old rack someone is trying to sell cheap. I got a nice yakima system for $100 without the gutter setup, but saw a few with the gutters for much less. Try craigslist.com, it might be good depending on where you live.
pat
get the factory installed muthas
jakimas an tules aside are wonderful but …
get them guys to do the through bolt and calkem good
these racks arelike money in the bank.
rain gutters rust faster thtan the golden gate bridge
well maybe not faster but close…
they never end the bridge paint job…ambrose…
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Got a new 2006 Ford E350 full size van, no roof rack,
Holy Mary, mother of God…a Ford E350 van? And you want racks for it?
Just off the top I would say SAVE YOUR MONEY TO BUY GAS…and then maybe offer the notion that putting boards and whatnot inside the van is the way to go for many reasons. One reason being roof racks will stunt your gas mileage, and you will already feel some pain in that department. Another is for security, locking inside is always better. Another is to prevent being yakimized (see previous comments about saving money). And my final and most favorite reason not to rack up a full size van: pain in okole to secure boards on top of bigass American van.
There are a million ways to secure a board inside a van should you need secure storage, even in a passenger van. At worst, if you need inside room for building materials or something, buy a good board bag or hardcase and toss your gear on top. Like Ambrose says, if you live in a rust-prone area, both the rain gutters and the racks will rust like crazy…might be worth doing some math before making any commitments.
I pick up Yak racks for like $25 for gutter type. I always have a set laying around. Don’t keep them on your van all of the time, just strap them on when you are heading out for a long trip. Like the man said just slide the boards up inside the van and your on your way for a short hop, when there are going to be more then 2 boards I like the racks on top. There are many types of locking systems out now. If you have a box on your board you can take two pieces of CRES and bend them into an L drill a hole into each of them and slide first one then the other into your fin box line up the holes and install a lock with a cable and wrap it around your racks.
Can put 2 longboards inside right now, one on floor and one on side, blocking any passengers in the rear seats. All my longboards have glass-on fins. Actually took out 1st and 3rd row seats leaving the middle #2 intact. Lots of leg room!
Don’t want any boards sitting on top of the seats - real danger in fast stops.
Always have had factory racks on all my vans in the past - mostly Astros. Yeah it can burn some gas but the deal I got when I bought it will more than compansate any high gas. Gotta get some running boards or nerf bars too…but this van is sick - nice and big for my big American ass!
If you have rain gutters (a rarity these days), these are hard to beat… cheap and strong. 2 X 4s are the standard El Cheapo method.
I’ve got ashe racks on the cheap gutter clamps, and they are varnished to look real nice, actually I think its about time for another coat. They look great on my landcruiser.
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Don’t want any boards sitting on top of the seats - real danger in fast stops
Especially with glass on fins on longboards, some kind of restraint can be made to tie off behind the back seat or off the back doors to keep from deadly load shifting…certainly a real threat to be sure. Something to consider if just to be prepared.
If you are going with the roof racks- you probably already know this but in case this is the first full size van - a smallish step ladder that folds up and tucks in the far back will get your boards safely loaded and unloaded and allow you to wash those hard to reach areas of the roof of the dinosaur…nothing looks worse when the time comes to sell it than to have potential buyers ask why there are outlines of surfboards rusted into the roof…
Oh for those days of homemade van conversions, paneling, beds and etc. Heh heh heh.
I have found that the Thules buzz & hum less than the Yakimas. I’ve had both. Depends on the thickness of your headliner, speed you drive, other crap like pads & straps you put on 'em…but square bars seem to create less of a resonating turbulence than round ones do.
Thules also have 3 raingutter options - 4", 6", 8", so if your van’s roof has a good dome to it, or if your attachments (like cargo boxes - not that you’d ever need one of those) need under-bar clearance, you can get foot kits which prop your bars up higher. Last time I looked, Yakima didn’t have so many options.
BTW, the Consumer Reports calc on racks is -15% on mileage. And that’s without additional drag of straps & pads (or the boards themselves). So, yeah, removable is a good idea.
Your results may vary.
I got a thule, really nice. But it kills the gas mileage, so I took it off . . . It seems I get 1/4 tank more of gas, but based off of my mileage . . . its more like 1/8 . . . So it kinda forced me into shorter boards … . oh well.
The problem with both Thule and Yakima is they rust. I’ve had mine for a 1 yr and 8 months and the paint is chipping and bubbling . . .
My friend has had the same with his Yakima . . . but they do have lifetime warranties . . . My friend had a used set of yakimas for a early model SUV, and the company took them and gave him the MSRP of the racks (they were 10 years old) credit to buy a new set that fit his car.
I live on the Beach and my metal racks rusted through in three years. Now I have TrackRacks made out of aluminum and they still look new. They are easier to use and a must for trucks and vans. I can put my 21’ kayak on them and they don’t whistle. Just my 2cents rant Rust aaaaAAAAhhhhHHHHHHH!!!
Ian
Get a track and crossbar system like most SUV’s have. These don’t make any noise and are a lot cheaper than Thule or Yakima. No rust either. Pad the crossbars with thick pipe insulation held on with plastic cable ties, and use nylon straps (no bungees). You can get them from JC Whitney. They come with tracks up to 60" long and they cost $100-150. Seal the track bolt thru’s with RTV like Ambrose says.
I’ve got THULEs on my van and they don’t rust. Chromes on my bike are rusting everywhere but those racks are like new (three years old):
Yep, my THULE are over 10 years old and still like brand new.
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Got a new 2006 Ford E350 full size van, no roof rack, has rain gutters. What’s everyone using these days…Thule? Yakima? Both those are roughly $250 for a complete sysem. Any others??
The last vehicle I had with gutters was my Suburban. I used the Quick-N-Easy solution from NRS. The name says it all. Cut a couple of 2x4s (I used cedar), drill a couple of holes, and you have a rack as sturdy and reliable as any, and imo better looking than most. Used this for >3 years, no rust. It’s also inexpensive and can be installed or removed in <5 minutes. I’ve spent more time just mounting Thule or Yakima racks than the entire cutting, assembly and mounting process took for these suckers (unfortunately, I’m now without gutters, so I don’t have this option) Another advantage is that if you use dimensional lumber for the crossbars, you can choose whatever terminal hardware you wish for the straps, and mount it however best suits your application. If I ever had another truck with gutters, I wouldn’t even consider anything else:
Whaddaya have for an engine? My current ride is an F250+ with the high-mileage :-> V10…
-Samiam
have you tried putting them over head? All the loggers at San Onofre down here leave their boards in the car 24/7, so to be able to lock it up, one bar goes in the rear about 3 feet up from the back hatch. the other cross bar goes right behind the drivers seats. It sits up over your head, can be bungeed down so it does shift in transit, doesnt kill mileage, and super easy to lock up. If my friend can fit his 10’0 in his VW, Im sure you can make it happen in the 350. With some wiggle work, you can fit 3 boards.
my buddy here in town did that, but used bamboo instead. It looks real nice.