Bicycle rack on back of caravan
My caravan has provision for fitting a bicycle rack to the rear panel, capable of carrying two bikes. I rather like the idea but have reservations about the potential effect on the caravan's stability under tow. Two bikes plus the rack itself would weigh
30kg, which is quite a mass to have located well back from the axle and well above axle height too.
I would like to think that the manufacturer has given thought to the stabilty question and that there is thus no need to worry. The van does have Alko ATC fitted, the MTPLM would not be exceeded and the caravan/towcar weight ratio is 68%.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who has experience of towing with a bicycle rack on the rear of their caravan.
Comments
-
We have a bike rack fitted to our twin axle Buccaneer which has a BPW chassis. When carrying two bikes we have never noticed any difference in stability and it tows just the same as it does without the bikes. The main issue is how you load the Caravan to ensure the nose-weight remains between the 5 to 7 % ratio and that the MTPLM is not exceeded.
0 -
We have had bike racks on both our caravans, over a period of nearly 20 years.
I can honestly say that there has been no difference in stability, whether the bikes are on the rack or not. Cannot tell they are there.
It is, in my opinion, the best way possible to carry bikes - they are free from damage and it gives you somewhere to store them (and padlock them) whilst on site.
0 -
Seen lots of caravans with bikes carried on rear, just ensure good weight distribution, doesn't seem to be an issue if you are not too heavily laden.
We saw a MH yesterday, with a lightweight bike strapped on front! Quirky little foreign van, possibly ex ambulance. Didn't impede view of driver at all.
0 -
The very last place I would put 30kg in a caravan is right at the back.
The club handbook explains why.
You could also e-mail Bailey for a synopsis of the research they did with Bristol University into caravan stabillity. The outcome of this research is why Bailey caravans now have gas lockers over the axle.
0 -
Thanks all for your informative replies. If my caravan was a twin axle I would have no hesitation in having the bike rack fitted. However, I've read the Bailey research and that is what has made me rather cautious about fitting it to my single axle van.
Ian H: have your caravans been single or twin axle?
0 -
The very last place I would put 30kg in a caravan is right at the back.
The club handbook explains why.
You could also e-mail Bailey for a synopsis of the research they did with Bristol University into caravan stabillity. The outcome of this research is why Bailey caravans now have gas lockers over the axle.
perhaps the manufacturer (having made provision to fit a rack) has already considered this and adjusted internal component layout / weight distribution accordingly?
0 -
The Dutch do it all the time but then they also tow large vans with small cars.
0 -
You cannot adjust Physics.
Thanks saving me typing out why it is impossible to negate the increase in the van's moment of inertia 30 kgs hung on the rear inflicts.
Most of the time it hopefully will not alter the van's stability, however in lowers the natural frequency it can go unstable. Fine if life is kind and that never gets excited, but by lowering so do your margins reduce from exciting it. With towed units they
are never far away, with bikes etc out rigged they are closer and the maker can't alter that.0 -
Agree. It's possible to get away with it for some time but eventually
Its usually when several risk factors (down hill, gust of wind, going too fast, bit of a bend, adverse camber etc) come together and the margin of safety as a result is reduced to the point you are probably about to have a really bad day.
0 -
The very last place I would put 30kg in a caravan is right at the back.
The club handbook explains why.
You could also e-mail Bailey for a synopsis of the research they did with Bristol University into caravan stabillity. The outcome of this research is why Bailey caravans now have gas lockers over the axle.
Write your comments here...Have you actually towed with the bikes on the back?
Two previous poster have and report no negatives. I appreciate there personal feed back as i'm considering a Swift next.
Swift fit all there range with bike rack brackets so i think they also are confident that the stability will be unaffected.
My bikes are 17kg each so with the rack will weigh well over 30kg. My caravan is very nose heavy so i carry two 40litre aquarolls in the rear shower room along with the waste.
And have no stability problems in fact i have very little before the axle.
0 -
Swift fit all there range with bike rack brackets so i think they also are confident that the stability will be unaffected.
My bikes are 17kg each so with the rack will weigh well over 30kg. My caravan is very nose heavy so i carry two 40litre aquarolls in the rear shower room along with the waste.
And have no stability problems in fact i have very little before the axle.
Two Aquarolls and a Wastemaster in the rear shower room, unless full will not equate to the moment of inertia of well over 30n kgs even further aft. Remember the physics is the mass multiplied by distance from pivot point squared. So even if they were the same weight the square of the displacement is considereably more. I don't have a 40 Litre Aquaroll or Wastemaster but I doubt the weight alone is well over 30 kgs.
If Swift " are confident that the stability will be unaffected", then it paints a very poor picture of their design competence; they are more likely to be confident it remains acceptable, increasing the moment of inertia certainly affects it negatively. And this is what needs realising, it can't bye as safe with 30 kgs on a rear rack than without it.
0 -
You cannot adjust Physics.
Thanks saving me typing out why it is impossible to negate the increase in the van's moment of inertia 30 kgs hung on the rear inflicts.
Most of the time it hopefully will not alter the van's stability, however in lowers the natural frequency it can go unstable. Fine if life is kind and that never gets excited, but by lowering so do your margins reduce from exciting it. With towed units they
are never far away, with bikes etc out rigged they are closer and the maker can't alter that.Write your comments here...
The resonant frequency of a towed van may well be above legal towing speeds, hence, once the dynamics of weighting the rear with a bicycle have been factored in, Swift, for example, will be in a position to make an informed judgement as to the suitability
of that particular weight distribution. Swift appear to have done this on recent vans and fitted bicycle rack mounting points accordingly.0 -
Thanks all for your informative replies. If my caravan was a twin axle I would have no hesitation in having the bike rack fitted. However, I've read the Bailey research and that is what has made me rather cautious about fitting it to my single axle van.
Ian H: have your caravans been single or twin axle?
Ours have both been single axle caravans.
I have heard all the theories about having a weight at the back, but as I said, their has been no instability at all on either of our caravans.
We tow a lot of miles each year and at a rough guess 75% of them have been with bikes on the rack.
As said, I know the theory, but I can only go on what I have experienced in practice. After 20 years, I think I would know whether the caravan was stable or not (in the early days, I once foolishly put a load of wine in the caravan on the way back from France - now that was unstable! I ended up stopping and squeezing it into the car).
0 -
The very last place I would put 30kg in a caravan is right at the back.
The club handbook explains why.
You could also e-mail Bailey for a synopsis of the research they did with Bristol University into caravan stabillity. The outcome of this research is why Bailey caravans now have gas lockers over the axle.
Write your comments here...Have you actually towed with the bikes on the back?
Of course not for the reasons in this thread.
I also said that individuals might get away with it but when the circumstances come together then that’s when the very real risk of uncontrollable snake can occur. That might be in 20 years or next week.
Ocid and Bailey can go through the physics better than I can. Jenny c introduces an interesting point however.
0 -
Funny how the theorists conclude its unsafe.
Yet those who tow with bikes racks have no issues. Swift also fit rack points to every caravan regardless of layout.
My bikes will be fitted to the rear should i buy a Swift, and i don't except any issues reading posts from those who actually have them.
Its been pointed out before that the Hull uni simulation rig uses extreme loading to the rear with very little nose weight.
I would be interested to read ONE negative from anyone who has actually found their caravan has become unstable as a result of a rear rack.
0 -
Thanks all for further helpful replies. I'm going to trust the experience of those members who report no problems with their rear mounted bike racks, and have one fitted to my Compass Rallye 530. Rightly or wrongly, I would also like to put faith in Elddis
having considered the effect on the caravan dynamics and concluded that it's a safe thing to do. (Noseweight, towing speed, loading etc. all being factored in of course.)0 -
Thanks all for further helpful replies. I'm going to trust the experience of those members who report no problems with their rear mounted bike racks, and have one fitted to my Compass Rallye 530. Rightly or wrongly, I would also like to put faith in Elddis
having considered the effect on the caravan dynamics and concluded that it's a safe thing to do. (Noseweight, towing speed, loading etc. all being factored in of course.)Write your comments here... Please report back your findings.
0 -
No negative comments here.
[url=http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/118072-bessacarr-rear-bike-carrier/] BIKE RACK[/url].
0 -
Thanks all for further helpful replies. I'm going to trust the experience of those members who report no problems with their rear mounted bike racks, and have one fitted to my Compass Rallye 530. Rightly or wrongly, I would also like to put faith in Elddis
having considered the effect on the caravan dynamics and concluded that it's a safe thing to do. (Noseweight, towing speed, loading etc. all being factored in of course.)can you fit a rack to the A-frame? many with Conti vans do this
0 -
We probably do 90% of our caravaning with two adult mountain bikes hanging off the back of our van
We've towed in all conditions, wind, rain, snow, under heavy braking and acceleration, and evasive manoeuvres on occasions and have never felt not in control of our outfit, with or without the bikes fitted.
We've just returned from our holidays caravaning in Switzerland which involved European auto routes and twisting alpine roads without any stability issues.
0 -
Given that many caravanners already have problems getting the nose weight down to a reasonable level (due to poor design) I cannot see how bikes can posibly be carried on the A frame.
the Knaus i saw this weekend had a longer drawbar and 'space for a bike rack' according tomthe spec.
loads of Dutch et al put their bikes on A frames, perhaps their weight distribution is designed differently, specifically for this purpose?
0 -
loads of Dutch et al put their bikes on A frames, perhaps their weight distribution is designed differently, specifically for this purpose?
Came across alot of Dutch vanners over the last two weeks, on the way too and from Switzerland, most of them with big "sit up and beg" bikes strapped to the back of their vans, some with at least one on the drawbar as well.
We didn't see a single van smashed to match wood at the side of the road, which sadly can't be said for our vanninig in England
0 -
I'm not even slightly tempted to put a heavy weight on the back of any caravan that I am towing for the reasons discussed earlier in the thread and anecdotes will never change my view. We all have heard about the 100year old chain smoker that drinks a botle of whisky a day. Doesn't mean to say it's a good idea.
But, it's down to the individual and of no concern to me what anyone else does.
0
