Not sure if this should be in the DIY section but here goes
So, here I go drilling holes in the roof of a $30,000 plus minivan.
Well and bravely done Sir, and well documented. I would have been sweating bullets. The drill guide was the ideal tool for that installation.
Unlike DougD I gather that the van radio didn’t short out when you drilled the first hole.
That is some pretty work. The rails are not unattractive and being able to detach the towers and crossbars is invaluable.
What’s the hull nestle, gunwale stops, brackets or cradles or?
78 inch bars? How’s the driver’s side crossbar for head clonking on exit?
I have a slit tennis ball on the left side of that crossbar. I guess I oughta be considerate and put one of the passenger’s side as well, but the driver’s door sees 90 percent of the exiting.
Something else easy that helps with wide crossbars is adding a little 1 inch square of reflective tape to the ends of all of the bars. Both sides of each crossbar. That bit of bright helps considerably, both for walking around the vehicle at night and for road or parking lot visibility.
Eight little squares of High Intensity tape will light up the crossbar ends from any direction.
http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity1.htm
Step 2. Put the remaining 7 inches of tape on anything hard-sided you want to be able to find in camp and/or not trip over at night.
Step 3. Buy more High Intensity reflective tape.
When your group consists of 2 families (10 people) and 2 canoes it's nice to have a van.
I have memories of 10 in a van. Well, not a van, a WV bus. Two adults and 8 kids. Ay caramba; they were of the travelling family sing along persuasion. Packed in like sardines, singing Frere Jacques for an interminable third time at 50 mph.
Knowing how those experiences warped my childhood I bought a 2000 Ford van and we have run it mostly for group shuttles and as a family canoe tripping transport . As a travelling vehicle it has 1[SUP]st[/SUP] class seating ; two captains chairs up front, two full sized benches (one per kid). Plus a mountain of storage where the third bench seat would go.
And gawd bless it, 11 feet of wide, flat rain guttered roof line.