Hi. I am wondering if anybody can give me advice regarding bike racks. I have a 2003, hightop Peugeot Boxer (same as a fiat Ducato and Citroen Relay) camper van. I’d like to fit a bike rack to the rear doors and would need to retain the use of the doors. I have seen the Fiamma ones but any other brands worth looking at?

We used to have a fiamma rack on a T4 tailgate. The rack over the years very slightly distorted the top line of the door, but not so you would really notice unless looking for it. The fiamma will also rub marks in your door over time.

However it is a rack you can leave in place permanently, folded out the way. I uprated the tailgate rams to help lift the rear door with the rack and that worked well.

But one summer when fully loaded (11Kg + 12Kg+ 7Kg + 11Kg = 40+Kg) when I bottomoed out the rear suspension going over a railway corssing, the horizontal arms bent a few degrees and you could see some creasing in the aluminium.

I didnt really trust it after that so gave it to a friend for moving a ocuple of his kids bikes around on his T4 and I fitted a tow hitch and now use an Altera Strada 4bike sliding rack which allows me to lift the tailgate when it’s slid back. Much stronger. But cant be left on the van.

Thanks Stoner. That’s useful to hear. I’d imagine any flimsiness will be exacerbated by only using only one door to hang the rack from – a good proportion of the bike will be unsupported. On the up side, it’ll only be used to carry my (admittedly tank like) Inbred so should be lightly loaded most of the time.

On our T5 we use a tow bar and Thule tow ball bike rack for the reasons Stoner gives, its rock solid and effectively bolted directly to the chasis. Expensive outlay if you dont have the towbar already, but worth it as you can move it between vehicles then.