• PVC designs can be very versatile.pvc image by pearlguy from Fotolia.com
  
  Because it is lightweight and easy to work with, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) makes an excellent material for building projects for your car or truck. Bicycle racks can be mounted on top or either end of the car while PVC cargo racks and carriers reduce weight on top of the car along with reducing scratches in the finish. And if you want to go all out, there are numerous plans available for building mini cars out of PVC pipe.
  
  

Bike Racks

• PVC bike carriers are versatile and portable.bicycle traffic image by feisty from Fotolia.com
  
  Commercial bicycle carriers are typically made out of tubular aluminum or steel, but identical home projects made from PVC offer all the advantages of commercial carriers with the addition of being completely customizable for your own applications. Car-top racks are little more than a PVC runner for the tires to fit into and braces to hold it in place or offer accessible anchor points to tie the bike down. Vertical carriers can be attached to the front or rear of the vehicle and often resemble a square mounting base with extending "arms" to attach the bike.
  
  

Cargo Carriers

• PVC cargo carriers offer a major advantage over many commercial models: a PVC carrier can be built to disassemble and stow away in the trunk when not in use. The typical car-top carrier design consists of 4 short posts supporting an open table of bars that interconnect using PVC fittings to provide sufficient support for your luggage or other items. The beauty of PVC is that the basic design can be modified to suit your specific purposes, such as adding a wind-deflector on the front or encasing tubes for transporting fishing rods or other long flexible cargo.
  
  

Truck Bed Extenders

• With the tailgate lowered, a PVC truck bed extender increases the length of materials which can be transported flat. Additionally, the open design of a bed extender is thought to reduce air resistance when driving and may increase the fuel mileage of the vehicle. The basic bed extender is a C-shaped open cage with the open side of the design facing the cab of the truck. The extender should be approximately the width of the interior truck bed, but can be narrower if desired. For hauling items that slide around easily in the back of the truck, a bed extender serves dual purpose as a sliding block to keep your cargo confined to one location.
  
  

Hobby Cars

• Building a car out of PVC is not as outrageous as it may sound. PVC is lightweight, which makes it ideal for use in electric car designs that can be driven on the beach or used to runabout the neighborhood. Pedal-driven hobby cars built from PVC use a few bicycle parts incorporated into a PVC shell that can be customized to suit your particular needs. Keep in mind that the width of the tires is important for riding in sand but increases drag when riding on paved paths.