Transporting surf and paddle boards on the side of your camper van
Introduction
The privileged amongst us who own a self-contained motorhome or campervan in NZ can turn up at almost any beach, stay for a day or two, take to the surf, and enjoy.
A well equiped campervan or motorhome will have roof vents, solar panels and a satellite dish, we often see the solar panels shaded by roof racks, kayaks and surfboards.
Solar panels are useless when even a small part of them is shaded because the cells are connected in series. Think of the old Christmas lights, if one bulb blew the whole string of lights would stop working, it is very much the same with a solar panel, if one cell is shaded all the cells that are interconnected stop working.
Carrying and storing the boards on the roof can be a problem, with regard to loading and unloading as well.
To keep the roof clear and maintain a fully functioning solar system and satellite system, you need to find another place to store the surfboards. Some will store them on the bed, on the floor or under the vehicle when camping.
Storing inside brings salty water and beach sand into the living space, and storing under the vehicle is a concern for damage or theft.
There is an alternative solution that works very well, especially on the high-sided panel vans. Most modern campers are Mercedes Sprinters, Fiat Ducatos, and VW Crafter, and now we also have gutter mount brackets for the Civilian, Hi-ace, and Coaster. The boards can be stored on the driver's side of the vehicle, enabling the driver to watch them through the rear-view mirror whilst driving, yet they are mounted high enough not to obstruct the view to the rear of the vehicle.
Our surfboard racks hang down from the roof and are firmly mounted to the side of the vehicle, making loading and unloading easy from the side of the road, no ladders required.
The brackets are also easily removed from the side of the vehicle if no surf boards are being transported, we supply a specific bracket type for each vehicle type, and we are very happy to redesign our existing brackets for other vehicle types that are not listed here.
See a video clip of the removal of the brackets
