Where do I buy a Bike Rack for back of Caravan?

[Rod_5041370]

Sadie,

Yet again you are wrong.

When towing a caravan the speed limit on the Autoroutes is 110kph when your rig train weight is in excess of 3500Kgs as I imagine yours must be given your ealier post.

I know this for a fact because I have been fined for travelling at 130kph.

 

[ShadySadie]

Yes I know Rod, but it was worth the leg pull ;

 

[TLC]

Hey guys what have I started?!! Thanks to the couple of posts that actually told me where I could buy a rear cycle rack from. The other posts were certainly interesting reading.

Just to put your minds at rest we are fully aware of the stability problems and we tow a Lunar 1150kgs caravan with a BMW X5 4.6 so our tow match is fantastic. We only tow within about an hours drive from where we live as hubby needs to get back for work, so we bearly get on motorways therefore don't need to worry about the wind dynamics.

We can't have a towbar fitted rack as we have a detachable towbar. I don't like the bikes inside the caravan as I don't want them rubbing on the upholstry/woodwork creating damage, also not ideal when it has been raining. We have tried putting them on the roof of the car but being a 4x4 it is very difficult getting them on & off. So we feel that the only option is a rack fitted on the back of the caravan. I will have a look at the links supplied. Many Thanks.

p.s. By the way Shady Sadie TLC is a lady!!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Hey guys what have I started?!! Thanks to the couple of posts that actually told me where I could buy a rear cycle rack from. The other posts were certainly interesting reading.

Just to put your minds at rest we are fully aware of the stability problems and we tow a Lunar 1150kgs caravan with a BMW X5 4.6 so our tow match is fantastic. We only tow within about an hours drive from where we live as hubby needs to get back for work, so we bearly get on motorways therefore don't need to worry about the wind dynamics.

We can't have a towbar fitted rack as we have a detachable towbar. I don't like the bikes inside the caravan as I don't want them rubbing on the upholstry/woodwork creating damage, also not ideal when it has been raining. We have tried putting them on the roof of the car but being a 4x4 it is very difficult getting them on & off. So we feel that the only option is a rack fitted on the back of the caravan. I will have a look at the links supplied. Many Thanks.

p.s. By the way Shady Sadie TLC is a lady!!

he says he is anyway ;O)

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Hey guys what have I started?!! Thanks to the couple of posts that actually told me where I could buy a rear cycle rack from. The other posts were certainly interesting reading.

Just to put your minds at rest we are fully aware of the stability problems and we tow a Lunar 1150kgs caravan with a BMW X5 4.6 so our tow match is fantastic. We only tow within about an hours drive from where we live as hubby needs to get back for work, so we bearly get on motorways therefore don't need to worry about the wind dynamics.

We can't have a towbar fitted rack as we have a detachable towbar. I don't like the bikes inside the caravan as I don't want them rubbing on the upholstry/woodwork creating damage, also not ideal when it has been raining. We have tried putting them on the roof of the car but being a 4x4 it is very difficult getting them on & off. So we feel that the only option is a rack fitted on the back of the caravan. I will have a look at the links supplied. Many Thanks.

p.s. By the way Shady Sadie TLC is a lady!!

Sorry thought you meant Sadie ;o) lmao

 

[CarolineSimon]

Have you tried looking on the Fiamma web site?

They also do A frame carriers which can hold 2 or 3 bikes and you don't have to drill into the van.

We are just about to order one for our van.

Good luck & happy holidays.

 

[Chrissylizzie]

We have just returned from Holland and virtually every foreign van carrying bikes had them on carriers fitted to the back of their van. The only difference really is in the length of many foreign vans and we wonder if somehow this could affect the stability of the van when towing.

We were told sometime ago that UK vans were not strong enough to hold bikes on the back. However also last week we spoke to a caravanner touring with an Abbey caravan which had a bike carrier on the back. He had tried several forms of bike carrier but his current one was fitted by Abbey upon purchase of their new van. He said he noticed no difference in the stability of the van when carrying the bikes.

Surely if carrying bikes on the back of caravans was such a bad idea we would be hearing of many accidents involving foreign vans. Granted loading would need to be adjusted, but how can we find for certain whether this method of transportation is safe or not?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Chrissy,

Back on the 19th May I added a reply that might have some bearing on your point. in essence many continental caravans have a longer A frame, which naturally imparts better stability.

There is little doubt that there are detail differences in the way many continental vans are constructed. This might impart stronger support for rear mounted cycle racks.

Stability is not simply affected by one particular aspect such as weight distribution, and the same caravan may interact quite differently with different tugs, so it would be unwise to extrapolate a universal approval based on one sample.

 

[Chrissylizzie]

Thank you John for your thoughts. They are pretty much what we concluded but we will see what Fiamma has to say - bearing in mind they want a purchase!