Transporting bikes in a little van

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Transporting bikes in a little van

15 posts & 13 voices | Started 1 year ago by Thurman Merman | Latest reply from jedi

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Thurman Merman - Member

So, I've just got this old VW Caddy.

Need to transport 3 bikes inside. How do others recommend transporting them safely/securely?

Was thinking:

1) Pop the front wheels off, turn them upside-down and secure them via bars and saddle to the floor (via some natty fixtures/fitting wot I can bodge in my shed);

2) Pop the front wheels off, put 'em in backwards and 'park' the rear-wheels into a slotted plywood bulkhead (wot I can bodge in my shed). Then secure the fork dropouts to the floor via some more bodged fixtures.

Any more ideas for internal stowage?

Ta.

Posted 1 year ago #
flatfish - Member

If the forks are clamped down you shouldn't need to clamp the rear wheel down.
I have a length of spare decking that has a couple of fork clamps screwed/bolted to it then that's screwed to the plywood floor of the van.
Everything is still in the same place when i get to my destination.
You may need to "top and tail" three bikes though.

Posted 1 year ago #
gusamc - Member

In the Berlingo, fronts out, 3 bikes two foam cushions (*bikes are conveniently different sizes so can overlap), and a 1" motorbike clamp strap round all 3 to a decent mounting (but not that tight)

Posted 1 year ago #
DaveyBoyWonder - Member

Upside down, top and tailed and a bungee for each bike, wrapped around the down tube once and secured either side of the van.

Posted 1 year ago #
stumpy01 - Member

I made this to stick my bike in my car. If i had a bigger car, I'd leave the back wheel in the bike, secure the fork in the same way & bungee the back wheel in place or something. I'd also orientate the bike so the back wheel went in first, as you suggest in your post.

If you are trying to get 3 bikes in you'll probably need to top & tail them.

Posted 1 year ago #
skiprat - Member

Used to have a Transit Connect and we got 5 bikes in top to tail with the wheels in. Just used bungee cords to keep them in place. Van didn't have a bulk head either.

Posted 1 year ago #
amplebrew - Member

We had a Kangoo van for a short time last year and used bike travel bags to carry the mtb's in the rear.

It stopped any damage to the bikes and kept the inside of the van from getting wet and muddy.

I found that by using the travel bags, I could get the bikes in width ways across the van using the side loading door.

I placed our 2 bikes against the bulkhead in the van and the 2 travel bikes together must have been no more than 3 feet wide.

This meant that we had loads of room to carry more items and also to sit in the rear area of the van with the back doors open to have food and drinks etc.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stuey01 - Member

What's the point of having a van if you have to dismantle the bikes or put them in bags to go in? You can do that with a car and not have to drive around in a van.

I want a van, key point for me though is bikes need to go in whole.

Posted 1 year ago #
amplebrew - Member

Stuey01 - Member
What's the point of having a van if you have to dismantle the bikes or put them in bags to go in? You can do that with a car and not have to drive around in a van.

I want a van, key point for me though is bikes need to go in whole.

We've got dogs as well and can't fit the dogs and bikes into the rear of a car.

I find vans more useful, even a small Kangoo van can carry more than a large estate car.

I also like the security of not having things on show.

Posted 1 year ago #
Orange Crush - Member

But a Kangoo "car" can take more than a van as it does not have the bulkhead (from my experience with the two versions of the Berlingo).

Posted 1 year ago #
Raindog - Member

I don't like the idea of carrying bikes with hydraulic discs upside down, surely this introduces air into the brakes ? I'm looking for a bike friendly car at the moment (I want to be able to lock my bike in the vehicle the right way up). I plan to do something like Flatfish's idea, possibly with some old sofa cushions used as spacers to keep the bikes apart.

Posted 1 year ago #
andyl - Member

i would go for something like the above pic with just some wood to act as a fork mount - maybe just use a wide strip with all 3 bike forks clamped to wooden mounts. But leave the back wheels on in the van.

I would also knock up some disc pad spacers on some wire to the fork mounts (so they don't get lost) to put in between the pads. The ones that come with brakes are the best - I always carry a pair in my camelbak in case I need to transport the bike with no wheel.

Posted 1 year ago #
craigrogerson - Member

I have a sprinter van full of tool/materials most of the time and have never strapped my bike in the same twice but always put pipe insulation around any area's that may touch and old towels jammed in-between work good too . I like stumpy01 solution

Posted 1 year ago #
amplebrew - Member

Orange Crush - Member
But a Kangoo "car" can take more than a van as it does not have the bulkhead (from my experience with the two versions of the Berlingo).

It's the bulkhead and lack of windows in a van that I like; it stops folks seeing what's in the back.

Posted 1 year ago #
jedi - Member

i have a berlingo van. i can carry 3 bikes complete diagonally or 7-8 dismatled plus other shit :L)

Posted 1 year ago #

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