Right, after some effort finding dimensions, I’m still not sure if I’d be able to fit 2 bikes in a berlingo, wheels on. Problem is my bikes are big (i’m 6’4″) the closest I can come up with is “maybe”

These pics suggest it’s possible:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26900201@N02/2600654359/
If you wedge the big bike down the side:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26900201@N02/2600656699/in/set-72157605751659590/

But my bikes are even bigger.. (not to mention long slack DH bikes).

Height may be an issue too, how high’s the roof in a berlingo? I have a measurement for it, 107cm, but dunno how accurate that is, or if that’s lowest point or what.

Looking at that second pic, how much length would I get if I removed the 2 seats entirely? (assuming the drivers seat was right back.

I’ve a feeling a berlingo is too small for my needs, which is a shame, as I might have a chance to buy a nice one. Time to start looking at crew variant Combos I think…

Any advice/info anyone can give me on berlingos would be most welcome.

too short for a harp by a long way – the harp is 6 foot roughly, think it was 1.5m when measured, more length in a golf/focus size estate

so I’m not a Berlingo owner

I can fit two medium sized bikes in mine, with wheels on, sometimes have to wind the forks down depending on what bikes they are.
From experience larger bikes don’t go on with the wheels on.

You’re gonna need something bigger.

I do wonder how much extra length taking the fold up seats out would give me tho? The van variant has a 30cm longer load area from my research, which might be just enough to do it.

Hmm, I am worried I’ll have to go bigger. Dunno that having say just front wheel off would be acceptable to me, the whole point of a bigger vehicle is to just chuck bikes in. Think i’m looking at combos or Expert/dispatches/scudos at least. Problem is, the ability to sit more than 2 folk occasionally is handy.

Citroen Berlingo HDi Desire Multispace 2.0 5dr estate

Boot size
Sill Height
To ground 60
To floor of car 0
Size of aperture
Bottom 118
Middle 131
Top 111
Height 115
Vertical height 107 to 107
Interior space
Floor length: Back row of seats upright (min) 84 to 84
Floor length: Back row of seats folded down (min) 137
Floor length: Middle row of seats folded down Not Available
Floor width 119

Courtesy of a link given in a thread earlier today…

http://www.ricability.org.uk/consumer_reports/mobility_reports/car_measurement_guide/carmeasurementpickone.asp

I’d go the whole hog and get either a crewcab swb/mwb transit, or (slightly more expensive with slightly lesss security) a swb/mwb minibus and take out all but the first row of seats.

i can get a boxxered up bullit and a cross bike in the back of my berlingo without taking any wheels off and i’ve had no height issues with doing this (i’m 5ft 11), but they have to go in diagonally – i have to take one wheel from each off to get them to go in straight

they way the seats fold forward removing them completely doesn’t gain you much extra room

We have a new 09 shape Berlingo.

It will comfortably take 3 DH bikes although the heights can be tight depending on bars/forks combo. You do need to turn the wheels as they will not go straight in but we do have the L1 (short wheelbase). The L2 (long wheelbase) should see them go straight in.

Cant comment on the older Berlingo im affraid but it is smaller.

J

Spooky – I posted that link earlier, it’s the measurements I’m working from 😉

Hmm, twinklydave, that’s promising. Though I think the problem is, I’ll never know for sure till I try my bikes in one. Which is awkward for various reasons.

A large heckler and nomad will go in a mates diagonally, or 4 bikes and loads of junk with the wheels off.

Vauxhall Zafira a possibility? No experience of loading bikes into them myself, but looking at my neighbours and remembering the (clever!) folding seat system, they’ve potential. Plus they’re a little more luxurious upfront.

Hmm, some more promising news from folk then. Anyone got pics of 2 bikes in one, other than the pics I have above?

Yeah I did think a bit about people carriers, only the luxury is a bad thing – means more cost! The big advantage of a berlingo is I know of someone looking to get rid of theirs, problem is they’re a couple of hundred miles away, so it’s not easy for me to check bikes fit etc. before pursuing it further.

I dont get whats wrong with whipping the front wheel off…You could drive a smaller vehicle etc etc for a few seconds faff…

Yeah, I do think about that… but then the main reason i have a vehicle is to move bikes – so maybe it should be the best one for that task?

My current vehicle (mk2 mondeo) shifts bikes pretty well, 3+3 fits “easily” tho both wheels off and a bit of faffing. I’d quite like to cut down the faffing involved, as I get a bit sick of it. In an ideal world, if there’s just 2+2, then I’d wheel bikes straight in. But if there’s an extra person maybe one wheel off.

Also whenever I drive my car, it always seems to be jammed full, so something bigger would be good. Especially for when there’s any camping involved.

So if I admit defeat on the wheels on thing, how do bikes fit in berlingos with one wheel off? Do *long* bikes even go in straight? (wheelbase on my socom is 47″, so I think not? but then I turn bars, and the bars get in the way…) Pictures of how this works would be great..

Cos if it’s just one wheel off, and wheel them in, that’s still a big improvement on my current setup. Plus the berlingo has other advantages – like a big boot lid to hide under, more space for other crap, presumably better at lugging big loads as it’s really a van, nice and boxy which is good for fencing kit (my other sport) etc. But then if i’m spending a lot of money (to me) on a new(er) vehicle, why accept compromise?

Though having said that, feel free to give me other views and opinions, or suggestions of other vehicles.

Jimbo, my zafira B can easily take two bikes and a dog cage with all the back seats folded away – never tried 3/4 bikes and maintaining 4 seats as yet.

The front is comfy – I have a SRI 1.9cdti and with 180bhp (tuning box) at 50mpg+ running on 18’s and a sports mode makes for quite nice road trips.

Carbon337 – need to take the wheels off the bikes to do that?

I’ve seen a Picasso stuffed to the gunnels with bikes can’t remember if the front wheels were still on.or not. You can pick ’em up cheap aswell.

yep – im after a thule indoor 592 where you use a QR to lock forks to boot floor.

The back seats cant come out though – you lift the horizontal seat up vertical and then slide the lot right forward to touch the back of the front seats.

If you want to keep other rear seats i would need to fold the vertical back rest flat onto the horizintal seat bit – the back wheels would sit up on here and vauxhall sell a rack which allows this.

I will take some pics tomorrow night as i probably make no sense.

take the front wheels off and you can slot “normal” hardtails in straight – 29er need to have a puncture though 😉
take both wheels off and you can stack most bikes in sideways (most in mine so far has been 4 bikes and 5 people)

you’re right about hiding under the tailgate too – it’s ace for getting changed/making a brew under while everyone else is searchingn for trees to hide under from the rain

We got our tandem (wheels out) in a berlingo i, but then it is quite long object.
Am quite tempted to get a berlingo ii to replace our current focus estate in a couple of years as they’re quite versatile (van based) cars.

In order to fit two bikes in my Berlingo, I have to remove the rear seats. This is a minor faff, as they’re not Q/D like the latest model.

Link to larger version – http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/3414969629_33569aa467_o.jpg

Iain

Hmm, sounds like my bikes wouldn’t go in lengthways one wheel off then, as they’re pretty long. Or if they do it’ll be just. Mind there is a fair bit of clearance in that above pic. But then they’re smaller bikes. Sigh, still looks like the only way I’ll know for sure is to try it.

If both wheels have to come off there’s no point me getting one. Defeats the point of it for me entirely.

Cheers all for the pics and detailed info, keep it coming 🙂

Bump for the monday crowd..

what’s with the escort agency stuff?

and with quoting me at the top 😯

Escort agency stuff? not seeing anything here?

I’ve got a partner van(peugeots version of the b) and I can fit my meta 5.5.2 in medium and my mates 19″ hardtail (can’t remember what bike it is) with wheels on and while I don’t have rear seats cos it’s the van theres a massive space behind the passenger seat where if you could leave that rear seat up (if it was the people carrier version) it would be ok. If I take one wheel off I can fit 3 or 4 bikes with out any problems but it does take up most of the back space. With 3 and a bit of juggling you’d be able to leave one seat up I reckon but it probably wouldn’t be any easier than ur estate. Both wheels off and I reckon you may be getting somewhere.

2 seats and 2 bikes assembled would be fine – but my bikes are more like 22″.. Or 3 seats and front wheels off – dunno if that’s plausible though.

Though it’s seeming more and more like there’s a good chance one is *just* big enough, but I’ll have to try it and see.

You might have some luck if the bikes were lying down on top of each other rather than stood up. Not sure if this would be acceptable though.

I prefer my bike stood up and straight so they can be secured, and this requires taking the front wheel off. My 29er may also need the bars steered to 180° to additionally reduce the length. It fits about the same sideways too.

Maybe someone here would give you a go, our just go to a trail centre and ask.

Very happy with mine (03 plate), I even have a fold away conversion for sleeping in it.

Oh, and four bikes, 3 people is quite easy. They work well with a rear rack if you need more than that.

Where do you live mate?

I’m in edinburgh, so I had considered just rocking up to GT and asking folk one weekend.

I’m at the inners uplift this sunday, so I reckon if I see anyone else with one there I’l ask them. Reckon there’s a good chance someone will have one.

There’s usually plenty about, and most people are friendly enough…

Someone mentioned the new L2 Berlingo. It used to only be available in the van version. There is now a new 7 seat berlingo but haven’t found anywhere to confirm if it is L1 or L2. Van can be got with 3 seats in the front but middle one is only really for kids / short trips.

I think the Doblo is a bit longer inside – not sure about the space folded up rear seat uses.

Have you considered the Dispatch? Old shape just about seats 3 in front with umpteen complete bikes in the back plus room for sleeping / lift out camp kitchen (www.amdro.co.uk). Credit crunch means second hand van market is awash with good cheap stuff.

We’ve had a new shape dispatch combi for 5 months. For our primary purpose (carrying bikes and kids) it is ace! 6 proper seats in 2 rows, rubber floors, massive tailgate shelter, fits in regular car parks etc and drives like a car. 2 complete bikes will fit diagonally in “boot” (keeping 6 seats and room for lots more bikes with wheels out). Really long ones might need 1/3rd section of back seat removing (still leaves 5 full seats and full length of van down RHS). Unfortunately you can’t run it as a 4 seater with just 1 rear seat 🙁

I’ve just made a bulkhead grill and boot shelf that comes back from powder coat tomorrow. This will mean we can do 6 seats (e.g. family plus gramps), totally separated from cargo, +4 bikes vertical widthways with just front wheels out and complete boot floor area underneath bike shelf for boxes of food and camping gear, bags etc.

The combis also come registered as cars so avoid lower speed limits of Dispatch van / Connect / Caddy etc.

Espace, and it doesn’t rust

Plenty other stuff goes wrong with espaces though by all accounts, and they’re a fair bit bigger. Also I don’t know if they have the height to take complete bikes. Feel free to counter my assumption with facts/links/pics of them with a million bikes in 😉

Mick_r – cheers some good info. I had considered dispatches, though the problem is it sounds like they really only sit 2 -the 3rd seat is a bit cramped for all but the shortest trips. I can’t afford a new one, and combi style old ones are few and far between – none anywhere near me anyhow, and all seem to be really high miles ex-taxis.

Reason the berlingo is particularly interesting for me is I know someone selling one – though they’re too far away for me to easily answer my questions, and I’d like a bit more info before I make a long trip etc. But everyone on here so far’s been pretty helpful. So cheers all for the advice, and feel free to keep it coming.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=323

Caddy Life – 7 seats, 16′ long…..

One of them would be ace, but also very expensive – don’t think they’re old enough for cheaper ones, plus the VW “tax”.

OK, question for those that actually have a berlingo:

When the seats are folded up forwards, would I be right in saying they’re about 30cm thick?

That’s an estimate based on the van dimensions, and looking at pictures. If that’s the case, the 30cm extra room from completely removing the double seat from the back might just make it fit my needs.

We looked at Caddy Life – waste of time!

All of them are overpriced to begin with and then on top of that discount offered is rubbish (10% max – most others are offering 20 to 30%). Then factor in none on stock in UK and 12 week delivery. Then they are over trimmed (as is new Berlingo) which eats up boot space. Then there are light grey seats / trim / carpets. Why put carpets in this kind of thing ffs!

The more utilitarian caddy window van version is only £300 less yet deletes 2 seats, 1 sliding door, air con, opening windows, painted bumpers, fogs, electric windows etc. Methinks there is a big fleet discount built into the pricing of that one!

Of the small stuff, old Berlingo and Doblo are best for space / lack of trim. Before it got written off we ran a Scudo for 9 years / 130,000 with very few problems. I’d agree about front seat only being good for 2, so we had 2 x Rescroft seats bolted to one side in the back.

Seats folded up in a berlingo are about 30cm thick. At least. I took the single back seat out. And left the double seat in. Used to have the berlingo van before we got the car version due to Mini Mugsy arriving. With the van, 4 bikes in, with wheels on no problems.

One thing to note, is with the car version, if it has the modutop, ie. the windows in roof and overhead lockers, the large locker over the boot restricts headroom. But it’s a fantastic place to leave all pots and pans et in all the time. And the tailgate rocks for sheletering under.