In van bike racks for Caddy Maxi Life? What’s best?

We’ve always just tied the bikes to one side with the front wheel off – tried a Thule rack when we got our first CML 15 years ago (!) in the days of QR forks and it was shit – just had ‘wingnuts’ that tightened onto the dropouts and came loose when driving.   But I’ve seen various pics of in van stuff for bolt through that looks a lot better.

It’s a maxi life so has carpeted floor with a VW fitted rubber mat over the top and 3 sets of tie downs in the floor – so we the rack probably needs to fit to those somehow and needs to be removable (maybe a handful of times a year)

So – two bikes. As close together as possible so we can get luggage in easily and keep one rear set usable (with the twin rolled forward).

The first thing that shows up on a search is https://www.mtbvans.co.uk/product-page/vw-caddy-bike-mount-rail-kit  which looks like it would fit the bill, but are there any issues with that or better alternatives?

I use Blokpod in the back of my SWB Mk4.

I get 3 across with space for extra kit, all adaptors etc for various size dropouts etc.

Next find is https://bikestow.com/buy/tilting-fork-mount/

More expensive but looks nicely finished and the tilting mounts are really clever for maximising space.

My buddy has one of these: https://bikestow.com/ in the x2 configuration.

I have a VBR, which is sadly no longer trading. A rather large hulking bit of kit in ply, but works well for me and has plenty of big trips under its belt.

@relapsedmandalorian

That’s looking like my favoured option – has your friend found any issues with it?

Dunno if they do them for the Caddy but I use a Forty Winks setup in my T5 kombi. No complaints at all.

That’s looking like my favoured option – has your friend found any issues with it?

No mate, he’s attached some D-rings to it and used mini ratchet straps to tension it down.

Works a treat and easy to remove for other uses. When mine gives up the ghost I will go the same way.

These look good:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/inside-car-bike-carrier/_/R-p-343702

https://www.blokpod.com/product/1190mm-fork-mount-rail-single-t-slot-fits-vw-caddy-rear-cargo-hoop-mount-holes/https://www.blokpod.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DSC08543.jpg

The Blokpod stuff look the same is all metal

I bought a couple of axle mounts, & some wood & a tension bar.

Mounted the wooden bases onto the tension bar & then the axle mounts to the wood – works really well & comes out in seconds if we need the room.

I use this system https://www.bikeinside.de/en/interior-bike-rack/system-bikeinside.html inside a LR Discovery.
The crossbar lives in the shed and gets fitted in no time at all whenever I need it.

Quick question, as someone who has a Maxi, carries multiple bikes a lot, and had used a range of racks and mounts…

Why?

Front wheel off, bars turned towards the wall, wheel next to the front half of the bike with a bit of padding at the rear half is the quickest, easiest, cheapest and most space efficient way of transporting multiple bikes in a caddy, IME.

If you really want a rack, bikestow’s 2 bike rack works well (4 won’t fit), but I find it’s better to have one front wheel in and one back, and the height of the rear door aperture can be a bit annoying when you’ve still got the front wheel in.

They also are more likely, IME, to disrupt view through your rear view mirror, and they use more floor space.

YMMV but I tend to revert to my original method after a bit of use of a rack!

I’ve got a home made telescopic affair. I used to have something similar to the bikestow in a Peugeot Expert, but needed getting inside to hook straps over. The Connect I have now hasn’t the same headroom so being able to roll them out a couple of feet to get to clamps is dead useful. I just have a couple of old Thule roof carriers screwed to the sliding base.

That Decathlon one looks fantastic, one fork holder has all the fork standards in one. Extra fork holders are £35.

Decathlon kit does look good. My diy budget setup (ztto mounts x3, rails off Amazon and some wood probably cost £100 all in easy.
not so sure about spring tension if that’s how the bar fits horizontally but assume the straps are to give some added strength stop it moving.

I went cheap and dirty….

IKEA kitchen worktop offcut slab fits across the back snug between the side plastics.
ztto fork mount and a range of inserts to fit any fork width from Wish

Drop the piece in the back of the van and flip up the load D-rings near the tailgate and run a screw through these into the worktop tp stop it moving forward.

Total cost €25. Secures anything from Turbo Levo to fatbike forks.

Quick question, as someone who has a Maxi, carries multiple bikes a lot, and had used a range of racks and mounts…

Why?

That’s what we did for the last 15 years, but (maybe with bikes getting larger) have had more and more trouble packing them without fouling each other and stuff rubbing.

Went for the Bikestow in the end and it’s excellent.  The base plate needed trimming slightly (it’s built for the van not the maxi life so needed 8mm off each end) but they’re dealing with that now.  The angled mounts (that mean the bikes stand straight despite the bars being turned) are a lovely bit of CNC machining and work well.  Recommended.

How many bikes are folk able to get the back of a Caddy Maxi? (with middle seats in place, front wheels off)? I’m assuming that 4 would be difficult before then trying to leave room for any luggage?