Discovery - carrying bikes on roof.
We're in the process of getting a Discovery 3.0 SDV6 HSE to tow our Elddis Crusader Zephyr.
We are not going to mount the bikes on any part of the caravan, so are looking at carrying them on top of the Discovery using Thule bars and cycle carriers. As it is higher than a standard saloon / estate, what solutions have people used successfully with other similar sized vehicles? We have seen people using foldable steps - which ones are best?
I'm a reasonably agile 58 year old but a small thumb injury when putting my own bike on a rack a couple of years ago has taught me to be safe and careful
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We used to take bikes on top of our Patriot, not quite as tall as a Disco. Always a two person job. We never liked them up there, so eventually bought a Thule tow bar mounted rack, but obviously not used when towing. Can’t you put them into caravan? Disco should be able to tow a big weight.
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I assume you have a fixed flange type towball on the Disco in which case you could mount a bike carrier behind the towball e.g MaxxRaxx A lot easier than lifting bikes onto the roof.
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We've never put the bikes in the caravan as wouldn't want to damage anything, with the new caravan we couldn't as we just don't have the weight allowance.
We have a flange towbar so have a Witter bike carrier, the car has the weight limit for this unlike the caravan.
We've just bought a new towcar, a Toyota Verso pro ace, its MPV all the seats come out, so we can now get the full sized bikes inside it.
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That’s a good compromise TG. Our boot space is usually full of dog, so we had to carry ours in van. Old van, only small, bikes were well padded, but of course a pain when you stop for a break. We used to use caravan step to get bikes up onto Patriot. We have bikes now, no way can we lift them up onto car roof. Hope OP gets something solved.
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Carrying them on the tow hitch is ok if you have the weight allowance to do so but they are a pain when trying to hitch up. We've tried hitching first, then loading the bikes but it has to be a good sized pitch to do that.
So its bikes first, then reverse onto hitch, not a problem using mover to finalise it. Its when you come to push down the handle, with the bikes in place you can't get directly over the handle to push down, so awkward as can't deploy all your strength. Not quite so bad unhitching but I can't do it OH has to.
Now we can get everything inside the car, they are not only safer but much easier to hitch and unhitch the van. When just doing a one nighter it will be even better as bikes can stay inside the car. Hopefully a win win all round. We've never put bikes on the roof either, as OH isn't keen on that + he's had bad shoulders for years (now had an op) so its been out of the question.
Hope your OH works something out soon
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The Discovery has a massive tow hitch weight allowance which will accommodate both your caravan and bikes. We used an extended height version from Pendle which allowed us to carry the bikes above the caravan A frame. Obviously once loaded the back door cannot be opened but we preferred that to trying to lift the bikes onto a roof rack.
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There have been roof mounted cycle racks offering levels of "aid".
One which reportedly was via BMW was a spring balanced lift type.
Another I saw was where a frame slid in the rack, enabling that section to be leant on the ground as a ramp, then with the bike(s) in place lifted and slid back on top.
Getting bikes on a D3/4 is quite a daunting challenge anywhichway.
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I think you would struggle to lift bikes at this height unless they are ultra light and you are 6ft or over. We have a Skoda which has a fairly low roof and I would not want to lift our bikes (11.5kg each) much above this height. It can sometimes be a struggle if we are parked on uneven ground and one side of the vehicle is higher than the other.
If we are travelling long distances we put the bikes upright in the back of the car with front wheels removed and the forks fitted into clamps and take either a roof or tow bar mounted rack.
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I have carried bikes sucessfully on a D3 and now a D4 using an Expo rack with crossbars mounted on that and bike racks on top of them. Expo rack gives a flat floor to stand on, and access is via the standard Land Rover ladder on the rear door.
To get them up/down requires a short length of rope around handlebars and saddle post, and a picnic rug clipped to the Expo rack to protect the Discovery paintwork. Can do it alone if I need to, but an assistant to guide bike is handy. I have electric bikes, and even with battery removed they are quite heavy.
I experimented with one of these spring loaded hoists and it worked fine - just the extra height of the Expo rack prevented it reaching down far enough to attach bike! They would probably work fine with standard roof bars. I have two of them lying unused, but I can't offer to sell them on here as that would be advertising and against the guidelines!!
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+1 for the MaxxRaxx on both the D3 and the current D4.
Again with the extension bar.
Now the kids are older and have bigger bikes, I can only fit 3 on the rack without compromising the turning circle (short A-Frame on the bailey), but think I would struggle with getting bikes onto the roof (I cant even wash it properly lol!)
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My advice, if you have a fixed towbar, is buy a towbar bike rack. The Discovery nose weight is 150kg, if it is a D4. easily enough for the caravan (up to 100kg) and the bikes. No idea about the new wonky D5. We used to have a D3. Getting bikes up that high is rather dangerous, as is evident by my impending knee operation. If you must do it, use what you have. IE lower the suspension right down, buy another set of caravan steps so you can have one person either end of a bike. One bike either side shouldn't be too much drama, but a bike in the middle is difficult.
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How many bikes do you want to put on?
I have a Mercedes GLE that I carry bikes on the roof of (on a tow bar mounted rack as well).
I'm older than you, and 6'1".
Thule kit is 1st class and modular, so you can change things easily and key alike all the components.
I always use wider bars that are available on the checklist, it makes it easier. Ensure the bars got above and outside the door rails, fixings. Use the ProRide 590 series bike carriers that fit the 'T' track and have the arm with the ratchet wheel cross bar fixing.
Before you attempt to put the bikes on, set up the exact position of the carrier to the bike. Ensure the wheel trays and ratchet straps are middle for diddle on each wheel, the arm is at the right angle for the cross bar location and open sufficient to get the cross bar into, not fully open as you have too long a time to ratchet it closed whilst holding the bike.
I use a caravan step to stand on and the running boards on the car. Either the spare fiamma step at home, or the in use caravan step on site.
Lift each bike up into the wheel trays, prop against the arm for the crossbar, tighten the ratchet wheel, tighten the wheel straps, jobs a good un. Put bikes on outsides of the rack if only 2. I usually have 3, the 3rd facing backwards in the middle, which is put on 2nd. The outer arm is lowered to pass the middle bike over.
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I have had all models of the disco and have always travelled with three bikes on the roof using Thule bars and cycle racks. I use a light weight aluminium set of step ladders (five step version) which travel in the top box when not in use.
Technique to get them on the roof: position ladder on stable base; prepare cycle rack to accept bike; now pick up the bike using front and rear forks and raise above your head and have the bike horizontal to the ground. Now carefully climb the ladder and when at the correct height position the wheels into the bike rack tracks and then turn the bike from a horizontal to the vertical orientation.
It a techniques that requires practice rather than sheer strength; I am 65!
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Thanks for this. We went ahead and got roofrails fitted this week and have the LR cross bars onto which our Thule Cycle carriers will go. I'm 6'3" and will use a sturdy plastic caravan step to see if I can reach ok. We'll put the D5 on Access level and lower the tailgate to the bottom level
So watch this space - I may well have to get a higher platform if I can't reach, but we don't want anything that can fall over and scratch the new paintwork on our new D5!
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I do carry 2 bikes on the roof of the SUV. Biles are 14KG each.
I lift whilst my lady steadies the front wheels.
I use two folding steps (20cm) one for each foot.
I am 1.74 m and 75 years. I have no problems.
WARNING The bikes are higher than the Caravan!!!!!!
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