CaptainLarry

Nice rig, Neotim. You need a roof rack and a boat. My wife's van parks in the garage right where my son's kayak hangs from the ceiling, so it looks like it is on a rack. DW loves how cool it looks with "the boat on the roof." I'll get around to that real rack eventually.

I averted a roof rack buy/build for now by building a 2" receiver for the front with a 4 bike hanging rack. Then I obtained a class 1 tray-type 2-bike rack for the back of the camper. 6 bikes outside and one trailer on the inside. Got me covered for now. I'll come back to the roof rack when I need to move the canoe. Larry

I wish I had seen neotim's design before I built mine. It looks nice and clean. Not sure if maybe it's a bit lower than my arrangement. Mine was cheaper, and certainly a simpler design - I'm a simple guy, I guess. I had to put my wooden model on here because the DW thought this was the real deal. She said, "Are you sure that's gonna hold up?" I'm using it for a 4 bike rack too. Works great so far. The bikes did blow toward the truck a little bit. Only two bolts per side where the tow hooks were mounted. The hooks are still present for looks thanks to the extra long bolts. I can't imagine pushing the camper with it since I'd have no mirrors to see around it. So, tell me what you think of the appearance. I was going for that bumper guard look. Does it look tough or sloppy to you? Larry

Yes, I would think the very same thing.

Interesting chatter here, but you guys are off topic. No, really I feel like I'm among kindred spirits. These are good questions about the whys. Mostly coasting in neutral is a hold over from my standard transmission habits. I guess I just like to be in control. I want to engage and disengage on my own terms. It has also become a little game the kids like. The 2 mile coast does get quite slow, but we don't hold up other drivers. And the route takes us right into the garage. ASD Dad, The land all slopes to the great river, hence the gentle hill. Now how about my question - What's up with this damage threat?

Anyone know the background behind this scary warning form the owner's manual? We often coast about 2 miles on our way home - Mostly just for fun. Never had a problem in the Tundra. Is this real or just litigious safety nonsense? "Except in an emergency, do not shift to the N (Neutral) position while driving. Coasting with the transmission in the N (Neutral) position may cause serious damage to the transmission." Really!

Thanks for the tips. I'm working through all these options. Larry

I contacted Yakima and received the official reply below. When I tallied the price for the whole kit to carry 4 bikes on 4 bars, I was aghast, $2200. I'll probably go another route. Our technicians are still working on an official rack solution for the NV3500. I have added your email address to our list of customers interested in a rack for the vehicle, you will receive an automated email once we are done. You can see Landing Pad 1 on our website here: https://www.yakima.com/landing-pad-1 Of course, we can not officially recommend the use of this set-up until our technicians are finished with their evaluation. We are currently out of stock, but it is available from many of our dealers if you want to go that way.

ASD Dad, I have a decent Class 1 hitch on the TT, but after a consult at RV.NET, I decided to scrap the idea. My existing rack is 2" so an adapter would be needed. Also, I think it will bounce too much. I'm on to roof rack or front hitch on the NV. Aabel, I'll look for your photos. Larry

Thanks. Of course I'd love to see a picture of that. While we are mainly a bike family, I do have a canoe and one kayak, with a need for 1 or 2 more. My son was thrilled to learn you could put a 1/4 ton on the roof. Loosing the truck bed for bikes may necessitate the bikes up high. I also saw some one creatively suggest bolting a Reese hitch to the front where the tow hooks mount. I'd like to see that capitalized on. For the moment I'm on to determine how many bikes the Class I hitch can hold on the bumper of my travel trailer. But I can't carry boats on that.

NVDad81, I'm right behind you. I just got my new-to-me 2014. I have been eyeing that switch blank too. Pull a wire to the door switch and you could easily turn all on, as long as the individual switches are set to center (door). A more sophisticated approach would be nice, but I don't have much experience with wiring harness.

Did anyone get the wiring info requested above to modify the dome lights? I really want an override for all always on/all always off (just like my Tundra :(.) Also, my first impression is that the individual dome switches are finicky. In particular, the center position, which I insist of my children that they stay in, is very sensitive to the slightest movement. Has anyone had problems with them failing or needing replacement?

Is it unthinkable to get several adult sized bikes up there? Do they make the hardware to do that?

NVChattanooga, When I attempted to build off the Yakima website, they left me at a dead end. I read your separate post about your success. Must be Yakima doesn't know it works for the NV3500 P yet?