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Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:37 pm
by sped372
Got a chance to address the luggage rack seal today... PO attempted to repair the old seal using adhesive so I had lots of 'fun' with a razor blade. I will need to do the same with the rest of the top but might wait until spring rolls around. I bought the kit from BusDepot.

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I also replaced the tie-downs and assosciated hardware with stainless stuff I sourced from McMaster-Carr and Farm-and-Fleet. No photos of that, unfortunately and now it's dark outside!

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 6:25 pm
by VWinVT
Turned out nice! That's on my winter to-do list.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:52 pm
by Xelmon
Your Vanagon thanks you.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:23 am
by vwlover77
Am I correct that the original luggage rack seals extended down to the roof except in a few locations (corners?) to allow water drainage? I have the Bus Depot seal on my '78 Westy and there is a gap between the seal and the roof all the way around. Great for drainage, but I believe the gap along the top of the windshield creates a huge amount of wind noise at highway speeds.

Comments? :study:

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:45 pm
by Jivermo
Interesting stuff. I'm working on my '78 as we speak. Colin suggested I just leave it off; he like the "Bahama Tour Bus" effect, which did enable us to work on our Boehner tans.

Here it is, just removed. You can see the stress cracks around the bolt, that I mention in next pics.

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Florida sun and humidity.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:53 pm
by Jivermo
Cleaning with X-14 and scrubbie, and then progressively sanding, but not over aggressively. I found some stress fractures radiating out from where the bolt penetrates the roof to hold the folding metal lift mechanism near the front.

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Some glas cloth and West System 2 part epoxy, after reinforcing and sanding. Strong again.

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Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:47 pm
by sped372
I would say mine is kinda tight, not real tight, mostly all around. Not sure how well the bus depot seal recreated the original fit though. There is no bulb, so to speak, on the bus depot luggage rack "seal" which is actually more of just a trim edge for the fiberglass.

Like, water will probably pass through but it will still catch any appreciable debris.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:03 pm
by Jivermo
OH, yes...when I pulled my luggage rack off the front, it looked exactly like that one above. All full of leaves and dirt, with rust beginning to get a hold on the base of the bolt on metal clips that hold the top on. It was really a mess. If you have a Westy, and have never pulled the top and cleaned, it would be an excellent idea to do so.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:21 pm
by Amskeptic
Jivermo wrote:OH, yes...when I pulled my luggage rack off the front, it looked exactly like that one above. All full of leaves and dirt, with rust beginning to get a hold on the base of the bolt on metal clips that hold the top on. It was really a mess. If you have a Westy, and have never pulled the top and cleaned, it would be an excellent idea to do so.
I, I, I, just remembered that I have a Westy. I will check the luggage rack seal. It has been indoors for twenty years, so may yield clues as to how seriously Volkswagen wanted the surround seal to seal. I am pretty sure that water drainage was sacrosanct, and that the seal is actually a windlace, a sound suppression seal.
Colin

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:31 pm
by VWinVT
I started to work on the luggage rack on my 81 Westy...what a mess! My luggage rack was resting directly on the roof and caused some abrasion and rust spots along each side and front corners...not a big deal. All surface rust. My seal has zero padding and it is quite hard. Is ther supposed to be some cushioning? Some have written that it should not be resting directly on the roof, but rather sitting a 'smidge' above the roof? I want to be sure I reinstall in properly.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:33 pm
by sped372
My replacement is fairly rigid and I'd say mostly touching the roof but would let water through. Not sure if that's perfect or not.

Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:48 am
by Jivermo
Finally the rain ceased, and the humidity has eased. I moved the top under my tarp, and hand sanded a final time with 220 grit. 3M Pro Grade sandpaper is the bomb. They claim it lasts 10 times as long, and I believe it. Cheaper in the long haul, for certain. Also has a nice, durable no-slip backing. I love finding a new product that really works! Made in Canada.

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Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 12:12 pm
by Jivermo
Next step was to blow the dust off, and wipe down with mineral spirits, getting all the remaining crud off. Prior to the final sanding, I had washed the top with X-14.

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Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 12:32 pm
by Jivermo
I chose the Interlux Brightside 4359 high gloss white. I had used this product years back when I had a sailboat, and it provided exceptional durability in the Florida sun and harsh ocean environment. I made a test area first though, as I wanted to see if it would flow out well after I had cleaned with mineral spirits. The Interlux thinner is 50% naptha and 50% kerosene, but they get top dollar for it. I wanted to try mineral spirits for the cleaning only, as I was not going to be thinning it.


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Re: Luggage Rack R&R

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 12:39 pm
by Jivermo
Here is the test corner with one coat. I'm seeing some tiny bumps, but the paint flows on nicely with a brush, and self levels. It has dried to the touch after 6 hours. I'm going to sand this section later with finer paper and see how a second coat comes out.

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