About to get a transporter shuttle and was planning on getting bike rack for those times when the back is chocka. VW one looks nice but very spendy, is it worth it or should I get something cheaper?

I had one. The T5 is my third camper (Type 2 then T4)I always used the Fiamma boot lid rack for the previous campers so I bought a VW one for the T5.
It is huge! It is also very high up (both previous campers were lowered but I am a grown up now).
I sold mine and replaced it with a tow ball mounted Thule one. Very much easier to load with bikes, easier to remove from the van and nice and small to fit in the shed

used to have a tailgate mounted one on the T4, fiamma. Not the strongest of things, and the fittings corrode v quickly (Italian, not suprising 🙂 ) I moved it on, fitted a tow bar & ball and got an Atera Strada. Much better.

my fiamma is great. 4 full size bikes (i knew those wasted hours playing tetris would come in useful!)

very robust – no corrosion despite living near the coast.

Got a 2 bike Fiamma one. Does look tatty quickly and as other have said is very high up, so at 6’3″ I can just a bout reach it. Then again I use it all the time so a tow bar type wouldn’t really work that well. I am surprised no one make a low mounting one. As the T5 is so popular I am sure one could be developed or adapted.

Thule backpac 973? sturdy, two bikes, with an option for a third, lockable arms, Thule quality. Mine is just collecting dust now as I changed cars and it won’t fit on my Octavia.

ive got a flamma 3 bike rack if you want it for beer tokens/swap whyg?

collection from greater london

Looked at the Fiamma one, does it fold like the vw one?

it folds up, not sure if it folds up the same as the vw one

“I am surprised no one make a low mounting one.“

The VW is high up so that it doesn’t obscure lights / number plate. Make it lower and you’ll need a lighting board.

We’ve had the VW rack on our Caravelle for 18 months, it looks better than it performs IMO. I’m only 5’7 so a step is needed to mount/ fasten bikes and different combinations of bikes need another long game of the Krypton Factor to get them on. Once on it’s been faultless and the bikes are very stable, it’s the process of getting them on. Kids are now on 24″ and 26″ bikes and it was fine over Easter when we last used it. It’s caused much cursing and stroppiness. As we tow a caravan, it’s the best option, else I’m having to find somewhere to put a tow bar rack when towing/ not using it. The clamps need lubricating as I’ve found they suffer from the weather somewhat, compared to the Thule roof mount racks on the car we had before.