I have a newly purchased 2019 Sterling Eccles 590 fitted with a rear mounted bike rack and tow with a RR Sport.The Thule bike rack has a max load of 60kg which will exceed the combined weight of my two electric bikes at approx 50kg .My question is ,how do you lift them onto the rack ? Has anybody any experience of towing with electric bikes on the rear mounted rack ?
Electric Bikes
- Thread starter Peterh590
- Start date
Just use two people to lift them onto the rack, as that will avoid the risk of damage to the caravan or bikes. You will need to ensure the nose weight is correct with the bikes loaded onto the rack.
Ok - I will bite. Hanging an extra 60Kg on the extreme rear of a caravan sounds like a recipe for disaster. An extra 60Kg payload over the axle would be significant, but on the rear will lend its self to stability issues and hugely increase the risk of snaking. I would seriously investigate roof mounted (with gas assist for loading) or A-frame mounted carrier to avoid stability issues. If you need to test what It would be like, place a full aquarole in the rear of your caravan, strap it down well and take a short drive in a very quiet location.
I would agree your views but don't understand why " an extra 60 kg over the axle" is an issue as it has to be assumed that the OP includes the two bikes in the total payload for the caravan, whereas an extra 60kg over the axle also has to be within the vans payload. But placing load over the axle is far better than putting it at the extreme rear of the caravan.
I didn’t say over the axle would be an issue, just a significant extra weight, and of course if it’s already accounted for in payload then not a problem. It’s the hanging on the back that is the potential issue.
Surely Swift have done the calculations prior to providing locating points on the rear of the caravan and road tested a loaded bike rack thoroughly before putting it out on the market.Swift must also have consulted Thule and agreed on the specifications.
No. The fact here is like the old one. What’s heavier?A ton of lead or a ton of feathers?
What does matter is the overall weight distribution, nose load, how you have spread the loads within the caravan. Sorry but this is a very elementary question, observation.
if you want to put them at the back of the caravan that your choice but like what someone says two people could lift them But last time away i saw two electric bikes put inside a caravan near the entrance door where the axle is and with no problems.
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Probably not a good idea putting any bike inside a caravan in case one needs to brake harshly as the bikes could then do a lot of damage even if secured.
In the past I have had two bikes, one of them electric loaded on a fiamma A' frame bike rack on a Sterling Eccles sport and a Bailey Unicorn.The only precaution I had to take was to offload the bikes before unhitching the caravan.I did not experience any problems with stability when towing.
It’s not that unusual to see bikes on the A frame and with Continental vans it’s the normal spot. But that’s not the same as mounting them on the rear of the caravan, which this thread is about.
And that's the exact point. A-frame mounted loads are inherently stable as they have their weight between the axles, all be in this case the axles of the car and caravan. Rear mounted weight (of any kind) is at the maximum distance from an axle and so has a much greater angular momentum (pendulum effect) when moved.
Have a look at youtube for a simple lab demonstration.
I’m sure Swift will have put in sufficient scantlings to carry the weight specified in the owners manual for rear mounted bikes. They will also no doubt have tested the structure during development, but to what degree no one can say. But I’ve not read of any structural problems of rear mounted carriers using OEM mounting points. Only time will tell if longer duration use over a variety of roads, good and bad, will cause structural problems.
The rack may well cope with the weight as its been designed to be on the van. It's the stability of that weight on the back that is the question. At the end of the day, you need to do what is right for you, and having the bikes on the back may be ok. But there is a reason that rear mounted cycle carriers on caravans are extremely rare.
This is from the caravan club,
Cycle carriers and caravans
The Caravan Club can offer advice on the best ways to transport your bikes whilst towing a caravan or driving a motorhome.
"Racks fitted on the back panel of touring caravans are not recommended, as they may upset the stability of the caravan at higher speeds, and possibly cause damage to the caravan back panel. The exception to this is where the caravan manufacturer has specifically designed in the capability of fitting a cycle rack. Even in this case, it’s essential that the manufacturer’s guidance on the maximum weight to be carried on the rack is not exceeded."
PS I don’t question my car maker for roof bar loadings I assume they can work that out correctly.
This is the Youtube I was looking for. Its shorter and more to the point, and really shows the difference between A-frame and rear mounted loads.
There are two problems with using a rear mounted bike rack. The first identified by Tobes is the stability issue which could be a problem, and the rack is in the worst place possible for this. Many people manage with this, but it is a very definite risk although the video clip is an extreme example and I would not be swayed by that.
The second problem I see is that in standard form the caravan has a load allowance of only 158 kg . It is a large six berth, and if used in this way will need all of that just to stay within the MTPLM. If you take 60 kg from that for the bikes and the weight of the rack you are down below 100 kg for the load and this is practically unworkable for two and impossible for a family. The situation would be even worse if it has a mover fitted as allowing 30 kg for that will get you below 70 kg so you would be stuck with virtually no way of carrying anything of consequence.
Not sure if it can be upgraded to a higher MTPLM, but if so this might help but basically on the weights issue this is probably a none starter. In my mind this is more serious than the position on the caravan although that is not that good. Swift fix the fittings for a rack, but do not give the caravan the weight capacity to use it.
The second problem I see is that in standard form the caravan has a load allowance of only 158 kg . It is a large six berth, and if used in this way will need all of that just to stay within the MTPLM. If you take 60 kg from that for the bikes and the weight of the rack you are down below 100 kg for the load and this is practically unworkable for two and impossible for a family. The situation would be even worse if it has a mover fitted as allowing 30 kg for that will get you below 70 kg so you would be stuck with virtually no way of carrying anything of consequence.
Not sure if it can be upgraded to a higher MTPLM, but if so this might help but basically on the weights issue this is probably a none starter. In my mind this is more serious than the position on the caravan although that is not that good. Swift fix the fittings for a rack, but do not give the caravan the weight capacity to use it.
Thanks for your responses, I have yet to hear from anyone who from experience has used the rear bike rack to transport their bikes.
Don’t forget that for most vans the battery isn’t included in the MIRO so allow another 23kg from payload, and many only include for one 6kg bottle which if it’s a Calorlite weighs 10 kg full, so a second bottle etc, etc comes from payload.
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I currently use A frame bike rack and used rear mounted rack on a previous heavy van that could cope with the rear load. One factor is bikes on the back get 4 times dirtier than on A frame. After wet dirty road you need to clean a rear mounted bike before riding, and you wonder about water and dirt ingress. A cover to prevent this needs to be complete and tight fitting, not just a throw over, and a bit of a pain to fit and remove. I’ve never needed a bike cover on Aframe rack. After a dirty road trip compare the condition of the front and back of your van.
That would be extremely difficult as they would need to be tied to furniture inside the caravan and can still move and cause damage. Think about it. If it is only just slightly touching some of the furniture, the vibration as you are travelling along may be enough to cause a mark on the furniture. Not something we would take a chance with however I guess it is up to the individual but in thsi case they want tor ear mount the bikes. LOL!
Actually the fella who i was talking he said he fasten them in and they did not move and he had no problems so far
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