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Subject Topic: Bike storage in caravans Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonThehewitts
05/6/2014 at 1:12pm
 Location: Warwickshire
 Outfit: Adria Altea 542UK View Thehewitts's Profile View Profile   Reply to Thehewitts Reply   Quote Thehewitts Quote  
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Please can I have some help on transporting bikes in or around our caravan.
Can we use a towbar carrier (ones that go behind the towbar) and still be safe to tow the caravan?
Or does anyone use a towbar fitting rack (the platform style) in the caravan as a bike rack to transport the bikes to site then use the towball fitted racks.
We have 4 bikes 2 adult and 2 24inch childrens bikes.


Personbirdman101
05/6/2014 at 1:40pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford View birdman101's Profile View Profile   Reply to birdman101 Reply   Quote birdman101 Quote  
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The things to take into consideration is that if on the tow bar the weight is part of the permissible down load as stamped on the loading plate, therefore reducing the weight that the caravan can put on it .Also if in the van they are part of your permissible loading allowance.Therefore the best place is on a car roof cycle carrier.


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PersonjamesA114
05/6/2014 at 2:04pm
 Location: south staffordshire
 Outfit: Sterling Eccles Amethyst + santa fe View jamesA114's Profile View Profile   Reply to jamesA114 Reply   Quote jamesA114 Quote  
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Definitely the best option is roof bars. I carry 4 mtb on the roof total weight of 4 bikes and racks / bars is 88kgs so under the 100kg limit for my car, other cars have a lower limit. The kids bikes being alot heavier than mine!
If you put them on the towbar you will have no noiseweight allowance to talk of and therefore can't tow safely. Not sure what car you have but it would need to me a major 4x4 to have bikes and van on towbar.
I carry a small 2 step alloy stepladder with me to make it easier to load up too, plus it helps when doing the awning.


PersonThehewitts
05/6/2014 at 3:06pm
 Location: Warwickshire
 Outfit: Adria Altea 542UK View Thehewitts's Profile View Profile   Reply to Thehewitts Reply   Quote Thehewitts Quote  
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Thanks, my problem is I am only 5 foot and drive a grand scenic diesel 7 seater which I cant reach the roof and have a neck injury so cant lift high. I did spot a few vans last week leaving a site I was on with bikes on a back plate style carrier but wondered the safety of them. Where is the loading plate located?


Personmichell8
05/6/2014 at 3:34pm
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If you are towing an average caravan with a Scenic you can be pretty sure you will have insufficient towbar limit to add bikes as well. I'm sure plenty of caravanners have no idea even of what noseweight is which is why you see so many badly loaded outfits.

If you look in your car handbook you will find towbar download limit indicated in weights. Probably no more that 70-80kg & an average sized caravan needs to be putting that much weight onto towbar itself so you have no allowance for bikes as well.

It is feasable to carry bikes inside caravan though provided the Mtplm of caravan is not exceeded.


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Personbirdman101
05/6/2014 at 3:46pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford View birdman101's Profile View Profile   Reply to birdman101 Reply   Quote birdman101 Quote  
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As you have a 7 seater and only 4 people i would find room for small steps as James, but i am sure as us caravanner's are a friendly lot someone would give you hand.You need to bear in mind that overloading the tow bar or caravan, if an accident was to occur you could well find your insurance invalid.The maximum weight you can put on your towbar is on a plate on the tow bracket.


Persongreenhill
05/6/2014 at 4:07pm
 Location: Norfolk
 Outfit: None Entered View greenhill's Profile View Profile   Reply to greenhill Reply   Quote greenhill Quote  
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We have a towbar carrier but not enough nose weight to use that when towing given we have 4 bikes. None of the rear strap on ones fit our car so we put 2 on the roof. We also intend to buy one of these
http://www.carabike.com
So we can take all 4 bikes. 2 on the roof and 2 in the caravan.

-------------
From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!


Personsunshinetours
05/6/2014 at 5:18pm
 Location: sunny south east!
 Outfit: Coachman View sunshinetours's Profile View Profile   Reply to sunshinetours Reply   Quote sunshinetours Quote  
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We will probably do the same as above ie two inside caravan and two on roof along with lightly loaded roof box

Put your awning in your boot and you will free up enough weight for a couple of average bikes most likely.
We wrapped ours in large bubble wrap i have a huge roll of but thick blankets or old lightweight duvets would work

Turn handlebars through 90 degrees also to help with in/out

Some vans do have rear fixing points for bike racks so maybe check if yours does as you may get two kids bikes on there or one adult maybe

The Fiamma style A frame ones are really only useful for those with longer draw bars like ours on the Adria and indeed I am thinking of getting one of these to put maybe one adult bile on (subject to noseweight issues mention above)

Finally consider folding bikes?


PersonThehewitts
05/6/2014 at 5:31pm
 Location: Warwickshire
 Outfit: Adria Altea 542UK View Thehewitts's Profile View Profile   Reply to Thehewitts Reply   Quote Thehewitts Quote  
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I have an adria van and used to have a cycle rack attached to the a frame - the van was stolen by gypsies (I have a tracker so it was recovered from a gypsy site near Oxford) but I was always worried about noseweight so didnt replace it when I got the van back (they had removed the carrier). We travel light and rarely take an awning. I have looked at the Thule racks that fit on the tow bar and wondered if they could be used in the van as a cycle rack?


PersonG7ACU
05/6/2014 at 6:25pm
 Location: West Mids
 Outfit: Swift Ace Statesman & X-Trail 2.0 View G7ACU's Profile View Profile   Reply to G7ACU Reply   Quote G7ACU Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by Thehewitts on 05/6/2014
... I am only 5 foot and drive a grand scenic diesel 7 seater ...

Depending on age of the Scenic, you need to be very careful of the limit on your van (if putting bikes in the van), plus the overall train weight which is appalling low for the Scenic and easily exceeded.

As a former Scenic owner, I certainly wouldn't add to the nose-weight by using a towbar mounted rack at all.
I would consider the suggestion of steps and putting them on the roof; best option given the car I reckon.


-------------
Paul

Every day's a school day!


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PersonThehewitts
05/6/2014 at 9:13pm
 Location: Warwickshire
 Outfit: Adria Altea 542UK View Thehewitts's Profile View Profile   Reply to Thehewitts Reply   Quote Thehewitts Quote  
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Hi Paul - yes my 1st tow car was a 1.9 diesel grand scenic and I know it was on the top limit for towing the van a Adria Altea 542uk (I brought it from new and the dealer nearly refused to sell it to me till we checked the year of manufacture). This scenic is a 2ltr only manufactured for a few years but has a van engine in so better for towing.

Thank you Birdman I have found the plate on the tow bar (I had asked Renault but they couldn't help) nose load is 75kg. Caravan MTPLM is 1300kg. What is d value on the towbar 7.74kg??


Personbirdman101
06/6/2014 at 7:03am
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford View birdman101's Profile View Profile   Reply to birdman101 Reply   Quote birdman101 Quote  
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d value is the load applied to test it when manufactured to comply with European regulations, nothing for the owner to worry about.



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