surf racks

im planning on building some racks for my car, im tired of soft racks, so the plan is the build something that looks like the permanent racks but also ones that can still be removed. i dont want to put any holes in the rambler. im planning on making some cool wooden ones with a bamboo crossbar. now, i have my own idea, but i was thinking that with all of the brains here, someone else probably has an even better idea for how i could do this. so if anyone has any tips on building removable yet permanent looking wooden racks for my car i would much appreciate it. thanks team steve “now 19” page

im planning on building some racks for my car, im tired of soft racks, so > the plan is the build something that looks like the permanent racks but > also ones that can still be removed. i dont want to put any holes in the > rambler. im planning on making some cool wooden ones with a bamboo > crossbar. now, i have my own idea, but i was thinking that with all of the > brains here, someone else probably has an even better idea for how i could > do this. so if anyone has any tips on building removable yet permanent > looking wooden racks for my car i would much appreciate it. thanks team > steve “now 19” page Hey, “now 19” Steve, Seriously, your latest project sounds like the kind of great idea that could turn you into a mega-wealthy, retro bamboo surf rack entrepreneur! Happy birthday! Dale

Thanks Dale, I’ll keep working on my racks until i perfect them then. Hey, “now 19” Steve,>>> Seriously, your latest project sounds like the kind of great idea that > could turn you into a mega-wealthy, retro bamboo surf rack entrepreneur! > Happy birthday!>>> Dale

so if anyone has any tips on building removable yet permanent > looking wooden racks for my car i would much appreciate it. Oddly enough I passed a guy on the Ventura Freeway yesterday driving an old (1969 era)light blue dodge van with some really nice varnished wood racks on top. Not bamboo, but it looked like each side of the two-board rack was carved to have at least the bottom board nestle down. Maybe he’s a poster or lurker here? Barring that, most of the canoe/kayak supply catalogs offer a cheap rack kit which is basically the attachment brackets, letting you get wood or extrusion or whatever for the crossbars. They used to be raingutters only though. Another possibility is getting the brackets required for your vehicle from a yakima or thule retailer and putting in your own crossbars. You would need to be careful about strength and load issues though - many of my “small project blanks” are roadkilled boards. Post pictures of the result! A new catagory! Nels

hey steve, sounds like a unique idea. watch out for bamboo’s tendency to split when it gets old…however, its a cheap and a readily available source of crossbars. perhaps reinforcing the interior of the bamboo cross bar with pvc pipe for added strength retains the “look” you’re after. yakima racks would better accomodate the round shape of bamboo better than the thule rectangular idea. maybe add a layer of glass to the bamboo? perhaps we’re getting into too much work but if you’re seeking something different… good luck! love to see the results. aloha

Steve: Happy birthday man! If you can live with hybrids take a look at the “Quick-N-Easy” line of rack components. They utilize a round bar (EMT-electrical conduit) or wood cross bars. Maybe bamboo. I had them on my various Valiants for years. Good sturdy aluminum parts. Here is a link that should work: http://www.altrec.com/shop/dir/13/128/ Tom Sterne>>> im planning on building some racks for my car, im tired of soft racks, so > the plan is the build something that looks like the permanent racks but > also ones that can still be removed. i dont want to put any holes in the > rambler. im planning on making some cool wooden ones with a bamboo > crossbar. now, i have my own idea, but i was thinking that with all of the > brains here, someone else probably has an even better idea for how i could > do this. so if anyone has any tips on building removable yet permanent > looking wooden racks for my car i would much appreciate it. thanks team > steve “now 19” page

Photos and a little blurb about the circumstances would be interesting. …travelling N. up Coast Hwy 101 in the back of the van. All of a sudden the normally blocked view from the roof skylight opens up to reveal the clear blue sky. It finally registers why I can read by the light from the skylight. “PULL OVER”. We see them strewn across the iceplant. As we make the turnaround and come up to where the boards were I noticed a CALTRANS truck with my Skip Frye neatly tucked in the back driving off. tom