Bike racks on the back of caravans

[stewartAyling]

Hello all
Knowing how important it is to get the loading of a caravan, right i have noticed in Practical caravan magazine pictures of caravans with bike racks on the rear and also more caravans on the road with bike racks on there rears. This must make loading of caravans very rear heavy or is being compensated by loading the front of the caravan with as much equipment as possible. I would be interested to hear how safe this practice is as i can only see it causing problems when towing.

Regards

Stewart

 

[dougie201]

Hi

I think it would depend on how heavy the bikes and the rack were, how many bikes are you planning to take? If its just one or two and they are fairly lightweight i cant see there being much of a problem. Also you would load the van to compensate for the extra weight at the rear.

Dougie......

 

[Heethers]

More interesting how does the warranty stand up, not sure the Manafacturers would condone this practice.
NigelH

 

[stewartAyling]

It`s not something i would want to do myself it`s just the 85% weight limit is mentioned a lot and correct loading is paramount and putting all that weight on the back of a caravan is asking for trouble.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Stewart

Loading caravans heavily at their extreme ends should be avoided if possible. The additional mass can make the caravan more prone to yawing which is a significant contributor to instability.

However, it isn't a black and white situation, there are several shades of grey, and non more important than to realise that caravans already have some mass at their extreme's such as body work and internal structures. Same sized caravans are often offered with alternative internal layouts, which must affect the mass distribution, and yet they are still capable of being towed safely.

Its a question of degree. Caravans have to be able to accept some degree of end loading, In some cases its essential to get the correct nose load. For example I have found it necessary to use a water container part filled to create the correct nose load.

So in essence back loading can be useful ,but as with so many things do it in moderation, and carefully monitor the effects, and if it becomes difficult to tow, try an alternative.

As for warranty, Increasingly UK manufactures offer rear end mounted bike racks, and if they do, then it will not affect the warranty or manufactures guarantee. If in doubt check with your manufacture

 

[Merlin53]

We had a 2004 Swift Charisma (2 berth End Kitchen) model with a Fiamma 2 Byke rack, which we asked the dealer to fit to the back of the caravan when we purchased the van from new..
Swift did not have any problems warranty wise with the installation, and there was no problems with towing the van with the 2 bykes 'on board'. The rack we had, was restricted to a 30 kg limit, and as our bykes were only 28 kg in total, we were not exceeding the rack weight restrictions. There was no problem with nose weights, as the rack with the bkes on board assisted with the weight distribution.
Many people asked our opinion of the 'system', and I can honestly say, that it was ideal for our van, only slight downside was that the rack restricted the view from the rear window in the van, but this wasn't really an issue.
Last year we purchased the new Swift 530, I was going to fit the byke rack on the back of the van, but decided against it due to configeration of the back panel. (I contacted Swift and they sent me the relevant details of where the timbers were placed to anchor the rack, again they did not say that the warranty would be compromised).
I would suggest that if you wish to fit a rear byke rack, contact your van maker direct and get their clarification, many of the vans in Europe have racks fitted to the rear, and of course, most RV's these days fit racks to the rear of the motor homes.
We travelled all over the UK and in Europe with our rear mounted byke rack without any stability issues, it's a case of common sense, we don't overload the van inside, so to carry an external oad of 30kgs is not outwith the van's capability.
I have details of the Fiamma sytems if you wish more info.

 

[Gafferbill]

.......if you think this through then all the points favour putting the bikes on the tow car.

You are not adding weight to the caravan, affecting its noseweight or loading characteristics.
You can transport your bikes when solo either at home or when on a trip with the caravan.
For me it is a no brainer ..... even though I had to make my own rear bike rack for my 4x4.
Bought carriers did not give adequate clearance for the caravan when turning and a roof mounted rack would be too high to reach!

 

[jhoss17]

Hi Stewart
I have a Sterling Eccles Topaz end bathroom. I got a Fiamma rack (2xbikes) fitted at the time of purchase, by the dealer. This is the second van I have had with a rack fitted, I think it's brillant. No problems at all with stability. Also means that when you are on site and not using the bikes for whatever the reason night stopovers etc you don't have to take the bikes off. I believe all Swift vans are made to take bike racks, therefore warrant issues should be no problem,as you have to obtain the Template from swift in the first place in order to do the work. However I'm not sure about other makes.
Hope this is some help to you