Carrying bikes - advice please!
Hi. With three growing children who enjoy riding their bikes around sites (“has it got a tarmac road, Daddy?”) my wife and I are thinking that we will take our bikes too and go further afield. Can anybody offer some advice about what is the best way to
transport bikes? At the moment our children a fairly young (8, 6 and 3) so the bikes are small enough to fit in back of car (S-Max), in the caravan or a combination of both. However, two adults’ bikes plus tag-along (for youngest when off-camp) means that
we’ll have to invest in some roof top carriers but I’m concerned about effect on weigh, etc. We have discussed carrying them in the caravan but damage to internal fittings are a risk. Any thoughts/advice/guidance? Thanks.
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We had an S-Max when we caravaned, carrying them on the tailgate is out as it is a composite door. We fitted a Witter ZX99 bike carrier to the towball, this allows you to tow the caravan at the same time. If you can carry your adult bikes on this and put
the kids bikes in the boot that might work, or put the bikes in the caravan wrapped up in an old blanket/duvet to protect your fittings, wedge them in place using cushions. The overall problem you might have though is weight. Carrying 2 adults 3 kids + towing
a caravan might put you on your limit, adding bikes to that could well put you over.0 -
I think that you are right in considering the extra weight, as that may be your main enemy! Bikes aren't light (generally), so with 5 bikes you will be having at least 50Kg, maybe more like 65Kg.
We took all our bikes this summer (2x26" wheel and 3x20" wheel bikes). I put the kids bikes in the back of the car (actually a double cab pickup), having taken the peddals off and twisted the handle bars in line with the bike.... packs much easier like that!
And then got a roof carrier to put the two adult bikes on. Fortunately having a pickup I don't need to worry too much about the weight. Putting in the caravan wasn't an option, as we run about 10Kg below the MTPLM, so can't really add much more in there, and
certainly not a bike!I think you will need to check your weights before making any decisions... do you actually have the capacity? Might we worth a trip to a weighbridge with the caravan and car loaded in your normal manner and see what capacity you have left, then you can make
a decision...Only downside of putting bikes on the roof is that I have to take a step ladder to get them on there!!
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You are correct KjellNN. I have such a rack, (in fact, two for two bikes), which a hydraulic 'hook' picks the bikes up and lowers them down. This hook then becomes the upright which holds the bikes in place. One still needs to guide the bike up and down,
but it saves a lot of huffing and puffing. The hook elements are detachable so the roof rack itself doesn't need taking off Every time.This kit is expensive but I bought mine (the two separately) off eBay second hand.
if regularly carrying bikes, it is a boon, but I cannot see how one could put more than a pair of bikes on roof.
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Always a dillema carrying bikes. Many foreign vans have the ability to either carry twoon the A frame or on the back on a rack in a similar fashion to Motorhomes. However most British vans have shorter A frames and there is a danger of catching the bike
on the car when manouvering. As for the rear I asked the manufacturer of our van, a Bailey and the said thet the rear is not strong enough for a rack. Back to putting them on the car.0 -
We have two electric bikes and always had them on the back of our motorhomes, now we have a caravan so we went for a Ford Galaxy tow car so that we could get bikes dogs etc, in the back......that's the plan anyway. Actually saying that, it's about time
we tried the bikes in the car before our winter escape.0 -
My OH made two racks which fitted inside the caravan wedged between the forward seats. The bikes were over the wheels to ensure that the weight was evenly distributed. The racks were the type you buy to put on roof bars. They were attached to wooden struts
that fitted neatly in the caravan. We took the pedals off and turned the handlebars round to make them easier to fit in.0 -
If you decide to take them inside the caravan then for goodness sake make 100% sure they are firmly wedged in place.
The nasty damage that can occur iif you happen to hit a speed hump or big pothole at speed I dread to think about.
If you use a bike rack then use plenty of Bungee's to ensure the bikes can't bounce off. I've seen that happen on a dual carriage way - it caused havoc & the bikes got trashed.
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Both of us are considering electric bikes but cannot think how we would carry them with a caravan. Together they weigh 50kg. In fact, as we cannot get them in the car I am not sure we can.
Would be great idea if clubs sites rented these things out.
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I would avoid using the tow bar as you would have to get the caravan noseweight well down to allow for the weight of the bikes. Swift caravans usually have the ability to fit a rack to the back which might work for you if you have that make but if so watch
the loading.Other than a rack on the back of the caravan then a roof rack seems to be the best bet to me.
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Both of us are considering electric bikes but cannot think how we would carry them with a caravan. Together they weigh 50kg. In fact, as we cannot get them in the car I am not sure we can.
Would be great idea if clubs sites rented these things out.
Germans, Dutch et al just put a couple of bikes on the longer Euro A-frames....i guess if towball weight (extra 50kg) was an issue (do they care?) they would balance the caravan with 50kg a little further back....most caravans
will support this 100kg plus another hundred for mover and other essentials...electric bikes on the roof of a car would work with one of those sling up carriers which seem really good.....
David (and others) has used a rear caravan Fiamma-type rack...whats all this about a caravan not being strong enough to carry a rack?....this would worry me more than anything else in this thread....what
are they made of, matchwood...?
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Lewisontour
l purchased a Carabike, if you do a search you will find it. It is a cycle rack that fits between the forward bunks inside the caravan and holds two bikes. Obviously you have to have the spare payload or possibly uprate. From memory it cost less than £40
delivered. I have found it excellent for two mountain bikes and have not had any problems with it. Have a look at it.0 -
Both of us are considering electric bikes but cannot think how we would carry them with a caravan. Together they weigh 50kg. In fact, as we cannot get them in the car I am not sure we can.
Would be great idea if clubs sites rented these things out.
Germans, Dutch et al just put a couple of bikes on the longer Euro A-frames....i guess if towball weight (extra 50kg) was an issue (do they care?) they would balance the caravan with 50kg a little further back....most caravans will support this 100kg plus another hundred for mover and other essentials...
electric bikes on the roof of a car would work with one of those sling up carriers which seem really good.....
David (and others) has used a rear caravan Fiamma-type rack...whats all this about a caravan not being strong enough to carry a rack?....this would worry me more than anything else in this thread....what are they made of, matchwood...?
Caravans have only a fraction of the payload of a MH. BB
Without looking, I think mines about 135 kg. Given the mover weighs 35 kg that's not a lot to play with. Two e-bikes and that's 50 kg left.
Of course many pay no attention and just throw everything inside.
RE bike racks on the back. I know a lot do it and some caravans have the mounting points but to my mind it could potentially create a pendulum effect with weight at either ends of the caravan and that would concern me.
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Fysh, what i meant was, load the caravan with bikes (A frame plus balance, or rear rack if possible) BUT remove all else to the tow car so as to maintain van load within payload....mover, 2 bikes, ballast....inside your 135kg limit...
if the bikes wont/cant go in/on the towcar, use the van but move everything else to the car.....
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Fysh, what i meant was, load the caravan with bikes (A frame plus balance, or rear rack if possible) BUT remove all else to the tow car so as to maintain van load within payload....mover, 2 bikes, ballast....inside your 135kg limit...
if the bikes wont/cant go in/on the towcar, use the van but move everything else to the car.....
Caravanners would never get all the kit and clobber into the car. Would need a tranny van.
Perhaps it's back to a MH if we want ebikes
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Fysh, what i meant was, load the caravan with bikes (A frame plus balance, or rear rack if possible) BUT remove all else to the tow car so as to maintain van load within payload....mover, 2 bikes, ballast....inside your 135kg limit...
if the bikes wont/cant go in/on the towcar, use the van but move everything else to the car.....
Caravanners would never get all the kit and clobber into the car. Would need a tranny van.
Perhaps it's back to a MH if we want ebikes
See my previous post, a galaxy is a lot more luxurious than a tranny van ,we have had five motorhomes and we don't want to go back there........yet.
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Fysh, what i meant was, load the caravan with bikes (A frame plus balance, or rear rack if possible) BUT remove all else to the tow car so as to maintain van load within payload....mover, 2 bikes, ballast....inside your 135kg limit...
if the bikes wont/cant go in/on the towcar, use the van but move everything else to the car.....
Caravanners would never get all the kit and clobber into the car. Would need a tranny van.
Perhaps it's back to a MH if we want ebikes
...or those hoist-type Fiamma roof jobbies...?
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It happen quite a lot, someone will open a thread for advise etc,then
disappear into the ethernet never to be heard of again,
.....love it, just the sort of wonderful stuff myold boss usedto come out with.......if only you could bottle these....
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whats all this about a caravan not being strong enough to carry a rack?....this would worry me more than anything else in this thread....what are they made of, matchwood...?
Errr . . . yes!
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I fit 4 x adult bikes on a roof rack, with Halfords (Thule without the badge) carriers mounted forwards/back/forwards/back. I tend to pop the seat stems out of two of them to make things easier, but that takes a few seconds with QR seat clamps. I mount
the 'rack' quite forward on the car as the rear axle is already quite loaded with kit and the van. I have carried one bike in the van when i went away on my own, which was fine, wrapped in an old sheet and 'wedged' in. the downside to carrying them in the
van would be if you needed to take the bikes 'out' for the day, to the start of a trail etc, obvioulsy that's not a problem if you carry them on a carrier or rack.0 -
We use a Thule rear mounted bike rack - rear of car that is. There is loads of information on the Thule website that'll help you select the correct rack for your vehicle.
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I see Swift group are putting 2 Thule bars on the back of thier caravans so you can carry bikes,
I hope someone can post soon about how this is being done. There is strengthening materials behind the panel anyway and I wonder if they are actually adding to for this or just fitting a few tapped holes.
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