Bicycle rack on back of caravan

While on a site in the Black forest, it was also a dealers site. Dethleffs had 'A' frame cycle racks on them and the sales guy lowered the steadies for me to gauge the noseweight. To me it was no different than mine (obviously no bikes) but I have a 150kg towball limit and only limited to 100kg by the chassis, so I have a good useable noseweight. So next I tape measured from the hitch to the locker front, it was within 50mm of mine so very similar. Mine is a BPW chassis, whether they are longer than ALKO I have no idea but I feel I could fit a cycle rack at the front and still allow good turning lock.

Write your comments here...Cycle rack on front is ok provided you don't exceed 100kg for most chassis.

Some BPW chassis have a 140kg or is it 150kg NW limit.

Indeed, the limit for most chassis is 100kg.

I have been looking at a MAXRAX if anyone has used one of these?

Bolts to the tow bar, not the hitch. I have a 150kg limit.

We've been using a Maxrax to carry our bikes on our car (when they're not on the van).

It's big and heavy and massively over engineered, but it's conveniencse, security features and options sold it too us, and so far we are very happy.

All this bikes and caravans. Must be the "Wiggo" effect.

Thanks for that.

Are you finding enough clearance from the caravan when turning or do you only use it when solo? Can it be used with a Caravan even?

I appreciate all caravans will be different.

We only use our rack with out the van on the back of the car and opted for the 4x4 rear wheel on the back door version.

But you can get multiple options, including one that raises your bikes higher to improve clearance when towing.

Thanks Riba and BMB

I would really like to take my bike so I am going to look into both options. CT can be great when it's like this.

There's a final year thesis on caravan stability  by J Killer at Bath University. It's written with some detailed mathematics and a lot of full size measured data. You can find it freely available on the net through Google. It supports all of the standard beliefs regarding loading, in principle. Without doubt, for example, higher speeds significantly increase the chances of snaking, as do increased caravan weights. However, if we extrapolate these principles to silly levels, we'd tow a 200kg trailer at 10mph. Clearly a compromise between ultimate stability and practicality has to be made. It may be, probably is, the case that bicycles can safely be carried on the back of a van, albeit at a price of reducing safety margins. Individuals can compensate for this with greater car/ van weight ratios, stiffer suspension, reduced speed, greater nose weight etc. If you feel that safety must be maximised at any price, then you'll tow a light van at low speeds with a very heavy car. Others may take a pragmatic compromise between safety and function. Swift seem to have done this with their rear bike mountings.

...and when we took them to the Netherlands in heavy rain it bent a spoke in OH's wheel. 

Now that is 'heavy' rain.

I asked lunar about this on my 2016 t/a and the didn't recommend it and if I did the warranty for the back end would be void

Paul

Sadly this is one of those subjects guaranteed to polarise opinion...usually negative from the doom merchants who have never done it and those like myself who have done it for years...our Burstner had exemplary road manners even with 3 bikes attached to
the rear of the van. The Europeans do it all the time and they have way more experience than us over here. So if your van is capable then go ahead. Nothing at all to fear.

Tj

No the U1 does not have the strengthening blocks fitted to carry a bike rack.

My last senator did but the blocks were factory fitted when new.

I decided to take the plunge and have a Fiamma Universal Bike Rack fitted to my Compass Rallye 530, 2016 model year.  The caravan has factory-fitted fixing points in the rear panel so that the top of the bike rack can be mounted to a rail that is screwed
and bonded to the rear panel, the bottom being fixed under the floor.  However, the dealer insisted that they would have to drill through the rear panel, including through the wall of the shower cubicle, in order to bolt the top of the bike rack to the rear
wall.  In their opinion, the Elddis-approved mounting method has inadequate strength.  As I would not accept having the holes drilled through as described, I declined to have the rack fitted.  

I'm now puzzled as to who is right - the dealer or Elddis.  Has anyone out there had a Fiamma Universal Bike Rack fitted to their Elddis/Compass caravan rear panel, using the method approved by Elddis? 

Yes -  fitted (by Elddis Dealer) to our 2014 model Avante 462 (MPTL upgraded to 1350kg) in August 2014. We only carry 1 lightweight Claud Butler touring cycle but have had no stability problems after towing 10629 miles both in UK and abroad with the cycle
on the rack since then. Love the convenience - and SWMBO appreciates the ability to hang her smalls on it (and mine) when on site!

Pabst

I carry two electric bikes on the back of my single axle Bailey and I can confirm as long as you ensure the maximum nose weight  and loads spread evenly along the whole length of the van floor and the axle weight is not exceeded. I use a Witter bike support
and a chassis support calculated to hold 4 times the bike weight of 30 kg this is clamped not bolted through the chassis. For added firmness I fit stainless steel supports to the grab handles and they never budge.  If you are inclined you can do the maths
for clockwise = antclockwise moments in a beam and this will demonstrate that there is insignificant instability in the van. The Bath University video is poorly explained - it simply shows IF YOU LOAD THE VAN TOO HEAVY AT THE BACK you will induce a negative
load on the nose.  Just ensure you have the maximun nose and the correct axle load and it makes no difference. However, without a control system you are still at risk of an uncontrolled sway just as without the bikes carrier.

We have a Tandem which we carry in our Bailey Pegasus GT65. I made a stand for the front forks which locks to the forks in place of the front wheel. The stand is mounted on 20mm plywood which has been cut to fit between the front seats. It's got foam pipe insulation around the edges for protection and a tight fit. The rear wheel sits a bracket which is attached to a plywood strip which fits between the cooker cooker base and a cupbord this also has foam pipe insulation which holds it in place. The bike sits down the center of the van. The nose wt remained 85-90 kg. We also have 2 folding bikes which we sometimes carry in the car in place of the tandem. I think its safer and more secure than anything outside.

I have had a Max Load Increase for my van 1448kg to 1500kg.