[Paddlewise] Yakima roundbar slippage/new rack/felony

Hey everyone,

I just purchased a new Metro and had a full Yakima rack installed to carry my 
three boats and a portage bike. - My trip this weekend with the rack  on the 
Metro, three boats and a bike, I avg'd 70 mph and filled up yesterday for a 
total of 40mpg. My old pickup received 17 mpg boats on or not. This is a huge 
savings for me. 
Anyways, the other day, 
As I was pricing out the rack in the store, I was talking to a salesman 
(friend of mine) and he mentioned that the Yakima rep was in the store. So I 
hunted him down to question him about the rack problems we have discussed on 
the list. He has explanations for both the slippery bars and the roller/dent 
problems.

 1. The slipping bars are caused by a high oil content in the synthetic bar 
coating. When you clamp it down, you squeeze out the oil. This problem was 
corrected in 96 so the last of the oily bars should have left all stores by 
97-98. If your problematic bars are older than that, you can buy new ones. Or, 
if you are looking for a cheap slippage correction, cut away the plastic 
coating by your towers and replace with a thick layer of masking tape. He said 
this works great.
2. I presented my concerns about the unique pressure points created by the 
Sweet Roll system. I was concerned about my thinwalled Wavehopper deforming in 
heat, or just by sitting on the rack for an extended period. He simply advised 
me not to buy it as the cradles are better for thinwalled boats (duh). 
The gold in this is that Yakima is developing a new carrier system due out 
next spring that will carry boats with a lot more support than achieved by the 
cradles, they will be wider (more support) and have a litany of other features 
that I have already forgotten about. I am excited about this new carrier, and 
apologize for the lapse in memory.

Thanks,
Phil
huck_at_mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu

In a story related to my forgetfullness and unrelated to Yakima....

I am unable to further describe the racks, I had just learned about them when 
I had purchased my rack left the store and was placed under arrest.
  I was arrested yesterday on felony charges. I am accused of a hit and run 
vehicle accident on the other side of town that "somehow occured" while I was 
giving a midterm to my kayaking class. I am currently free, but I guess I am 
still scared, primarily because the driver pegged me as the guilty party. He 
gave complete description of me, face, hair, pickup color, make, model, rusty 
ladder rack on top, and some scratches on my truck that came from an accident 
5 yrs ago.
   The cops are sure that I am the one. "Well, your story doesn't match up, 
but hey, if something jars your memory and you want to admit something we have 
detectives waiting to speak to you at the station."  
Basically, I am taking my class list to the station today, with all the phone 
numbers and telling them (respectfully) where to stick it.
   Man, they scared the hell out of me, taking me away from my wife and 
putting me in the back of their car in front of the whole damn neighborhood. 
Honestly, I kept asking if it was a joke my paddling buddies put them up to. I 
was completely caught off guard..."I did WHAT?!!" "Are you crazy?!?!" By the 
way, police do not like being called crazy. It only makes you look like the 
nutty one.
    Looking back, as a regular viewer of "Cops" on Fox, I only wish I was 
drunk, smoking and wearing a dirty T-shirt. It would take at least an hour for 
them to get me to stop throwing furniture from the roof. That way, all of you 
Paddlewisers could have seen the REAL me next Saturday night.
BTW, if they would only give me a description of the bastard I supposedly hit, 
I would show him a real "accident". I was planning on selling that old truck 
anyway.

At least my new kayak rack installed with no problems on my new Metro. I have 
enough stress in my life.

Thanks for reading my vent.
Phil Huck

"cause I'm wanted, dead or alive"
       Bon Jovi, circa 1987.

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