Re: [Paddlewise] Car Racks and Paint Damage

From: "Patrick Maun" <patrick_at_patrickmaun.com>

> I have always left racks on for 
> years and  have no idea if they do damage or not, and if so, what can 
> be done to mitigate the damage.
> 
> So what do you do?

My roof rack is on and off the car quite frequently.  There is no 
obvious damage.  It's a Honda Civic (gutterless) and a Thule rack, so 
the rack sits on rubber pads on the painted roof with "hooks" over
the door frames.  I initially expected to see lots of scratches in the
paint over time, but that hasn't happened.  The only preventative
measure I take is to wipe dust and dirt off the painted surfaces before
putting the rack on.

> She drives one of those fancy new Beetles, if anyone has any tips for 
> car-topping a boat on one of these let me know.

IIRC, the Beetle uses a special rack mount that is built into the door
frame just like the Jetta and Golf.  This is one of the best designs
for roof racks I've seen.  Check the car's manual.  You peel off the
rubber door seal and there's a short gutter and two bolts for each
rack foot.

A friend has the Golf and the only complaint she has is that the 
rack puts a small bend in the door seal and if the rack is on 
when its raining, she gets an occasional drip inside.  My Honda 
does the same.

Mike
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