Kayaks And Bikes ?

[Budda]

Hi all,

 

I have a question that im hoping you can assist with

 

We caravan regularly with 4 bikes, which I currently transport on the roof of my car. However, my family has recently discovered a love for surf kayaking and Id also like to take 2 kayaks with me. However, I know of no solution that will allow me to take 4 bikes, 2 kayaks and a caravan.(The Kayaks are not of the inflatable type)

 

Has anywone out there solved this particular issue ?

 

Not its really relevant in this case, but am switching to a Mitsubishi Outlander shortly as a tow car.

 

Regards

Bud

[Wozerp]

We carry three bikes on a tailgate mounted carrier and the fourth bike belonging to our youngest in the van. Our rack is capable of carrying 4 bikes, but have been advised the max loading for my car is three, Roof is then free, but we don't carry anything there, though I have wondered about a roof box to carry the awning etc.

[CommanderDave]

Cant see how they would also fit on roof but depending on their weight and length could you not pass them through the front window and lay them on the floor of the caravan ?

 

 

i think a bike rack somewhere would cause weight issues if fitted to the drawbar .

 

Can the caravan be fitted with a bike rack on the back ?

 

 

Dave

Edited August 11, 2014 by CommanderDave

[lute]

Hi, how about roof bars for the caravan

 

http://www. fiammastore. com/Fiamma-Fixing-Bar-Roof-Rails

[Lee21]

I have quite a bit of time on my hands at work so had loads of time to ponder how I was to address a similar issue with my Nissan Navara which has an XT Hardtop over the load space. The hardtop is not load rated and has no roof bars. ..SWMBO's choice not mine

 

I needed to carry a (big) Thule Atlantis roof box and 3 bikes. the standard crossbars that came with the Navara were only wide enough for just the roof box snuggly in between the roofbars. I therefore looked for an alernative

 

I looked at the Fiamma range of bike carriers

• Mounted on the back of the caravan; can not do it because I have a bathroom at the back according to Bailey
• 'A' frame mounted; designed for continental vans which apparently have a longer A frame therefor a 3 bike carrier would probably clash with the rear of the vehicle. ( Quote from a Fiamma distributor to my enquiry)

I also looked at the Saris Bones bike carrier as that carries the bikes very high up leaning towards the front of the vehicle away from the caravan however since the tailgate on my hardtop is GRP it is not strong enough or rigid enough to carry the weight of 3 bikes, so discounted for that reason. But it may work on your Passat if it is an estate.

 

I then went to my local Thule specialist to ask their advice, they suggested the suitable foot pack and the sliding crossbars to make it easier to load the bikes due to the height of the vehicle. However I would have to buy the modification kit for my roof box which was about £120 as the claws on the box would jam the sliding bars +£300 for the bars and a further £96 for the foot pack.

 

I opted to buy the foot pack and a set of wing-bars but not the length Thule recommend for the vehicle as these stop just beyond the feet. The ones I have are wider by 150mm which give me space to carry a the roof box which is 900mm wide and a Thule Freeride bike carrier either side. I think 900mm may be enough to carry two Kayaks on their sides and Thule do a canoe/kayak support in their range. Thule: 520-1 Kayak carrier carries 1- 2 Kayaks vertically ( plenty of time on my hands at work as I said - £55 from Autow) although I can not find the width but hopefully it would be below 900mm. The wing bars I purchased were the same length as the ones I had sold a month previously that fitted my wife's Audi A3 Sportback, after we had sold the car (I new I should have kept them) so your Passat should easily accommodate bars the same length or longer I think mine are Thule 996 bars

 

I also purchased a Witter ZX89 towbar mounted carrier which can carry 3 bikes. The adaptor plate sandwiches between the ball and the ball mount so you may need longer bolts to maintain 2. 5 threads beyond the face of the nuts as I did. Standard this carrier can carry 3 bikes however I was worried about clashes with the front of the van in tight turning arcs hence opting for carrying two on the roof. I did cut the top tubes back such that there is only space for one set of the bike mounts on the carrier and reduces the distance it protrudes to the rear by about 300mm

 

I remove the right hand pedal from my bike and once it is on the carrier I turn the crank until the right hand crank is horizontal pointing towards the front wheel but behind the vertical tube of the carrier which I wrapped with foam pipe insulation and car wiring loom tape.

 

This pulls the bike into the carrier and holds the bike firmly in position and along with the ratchet strap supplied and it does not move at all. The carrier comes with a small bungee which when passed through the front wheel and around the down tube of the bike frame stops the handlebars turning an secures the front wheel

 

I also loosen the handle bar locking bolts and turn the handlebars such they are parallel with the tailgate to give more clearance of protruding parts towards the near and offside corners.

 

These are all the options I considered and the solution I arrived at and whilst the vehicles are different there may be some common ground in the solution I adopted that you can use.

 

I may have been overly worried about clashes with the back of the vehicle but hindsight is always 20-20 when you are forking out for repairs that could have been avoided with a bit of forethought

 

Hope this helps. I wish I had some photographs of it to show you but I am not at home for a while.

Apologies for all my posts being edited in one form or another but I have mild dyslexia and my finger do not always type what I think they are.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Lee21

[Gordon]

I know of no solution that will allow me to take 4 bikes, 2 kayaks and a caravan.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words . . .

[Wozerp]

Trouble with towbar mounted carriers is they count towards the towbar load limit. So unless you've got a massive amount capacity in that area, thet are a non-starter.

 

We've got this one - http://www. thule. com/en/za/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/rear-door-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-backpac-973-_-973002 - works a treat, does not obstruct the car's rear lights, we have a lot of clearance between the rack and van too.

 

I realise this doesn't help the OP with a fibreglass tailgate, is it definate that you ca't have a carrier on the back of the van? It was an option on ours even with an end washroom, but I didn't like the idea of all that extra weight swinging around so far away and high up from the van's axle.

[Lee21]

Trouble with towbar mounted carriers is they count towards the towbar load limit. So unless you've got a massive amount capacity in that area, thet are a non-starter.

 

We've got this one - http://www. thule. com/en/za/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/rear-door-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-backpac-973-_-973002 - works a treat, does not obstruct the car's rear lights, we have a lot of clearance between the rack and van too.

 

I realise this doesn't help the OP with a fibreglass tailgate, is it definate that you ca't have a carrier on the back of the van? It was an option on ours even with an end washroom, but I didn't like the idea of all that extra weight swinging around so far away and high up from the van's axle.

Hi it was me not the OP who has a fibreglass tail gate sorry if I confused.

I phoned Bailey about the rear mounted rack for my Barcelona and was told no. Not sure about the layout of the OP's caravan but the Orion is a Bailey and whether this applicable to other layouts. I mentioned that to explain why I had discounted as that was my preferred method had it been possible.

I also note he is changing is tow vehicle from the Passat therefore my references to the length of the bars maybe being suitable are not relevant.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Lee21

[Wozerp]

Sorry, perhaps it was me who confused it. But the Thule may still be a solution, the back of our car is fairly vertical, and with three bikes at least, there is a substantial amount of clearance between the rack an van

 

[Lee21]

I was looking for something like that too but Thule do not specify one for the Navara as there are so many different types of cabs for the back of the Navara, The Saris bone was the only one I could consider but again the weight of 3 bikes on the GRP tailgate seemed a bit iffy so I bought the Witter but with 3 bikes I only had 400mm between the extremes of the wheels and the corners of the van. It may be the Alko A frame is shorter than that on yours I don't know as I am not that experienced with caravans

in the difference between chassis. Our Barcelona is the first and only had it since October last year.

[Budda]

Thanks a lot for the ideas all - I will have to do some estimation of weights etc to see if I can integrate your ideas into a solution.

Cheers for taking the time.

Bud

[sunshinetours]

OP I would check all the weights and such for a an Outlander ie gross weight as you may find weight issues as well as practical issues

 

I think lightly loading the caravan and sliding kayaks through front windows probably is your best bet as weight would be evenly distributed across van axles that way

 

Folding bikes may be an option to help otherwise but do be careful loading bikes on a rear rack when towing due to noseweight, clearance and rear axles weight

[Wozerp]

OP I would check all the weights and such for a an Outlander ie gross weight as you may find weight issues as well as practical issues

 

I think lightly loading the caravan and sliding kayaks through front windows probably is your best bet as weight would be evenly distributed across van axles that way

 

Folding bikes may be an option to help otherwise but do be careful loading bikes on a rear rack when towing due to noseweight, clearance and rear axles weight

 

Good point re max axle loading. Nose weight isn't affected if you have a rear door carrier, but the axle loading is. I got mine weighed with all bikes loaded, stuff in the boot, full tank of diesel and kids in the back. Came back 60kg short of the max plated load for the rear axle.

[Muddywheels]

I have carried up to 4 kayaks on roof and have considered I could get 2 bikes and 2 kayaks on roof with 2 bikes on rear caravan carrier or in bags in caravan

 

Edited August 12, 2014 by Muddywheels

[CommanderDave]

Hi, how about roof bars for the caravan

 

http://www. fiammastore. com/Fiamma-Fixing-Bar-Roof-Rails

 

Not many UK caravans have roof bars unlike European caravans then Ferries could be a problem with height .

 

 

Dave

[Budda]

Hi Muddy wheels,

So you think you could get 2 bikes also onto your roof in addition to the two Kayaks I note in your photo ?

Is your rack a vertical hoop ? ( looks like it )

Cheers

Bud

[Muddywheels]

Depends on roof rack - I had long bars on Freelander 2 and could fit 4 kayaks so would of been able to get 2 kayaks on side and 2 bikes on rack. Sport bars are shorter so maybe only 2 kayaks and 1 bike

[bob1982]

Doesnt really solve things especially bit have a look at the boat box which doubles up a roof box and boat in one.

[hotham]

I've had a very similar problem, especially as the children get older and we've ended up with 4 adult bikes.

 

we currently have a large double kayak which loads 'on its side' against a kayak vertical roof bar. I can then can get three bikes on the roof (as long as I'm careful with pedals and I tend to turn the handlebars sideways). The final bike goes on a maxxraxx carrier on the tow bar. I'm fortunate that my Sorento has a high tow bar limit.

I'm sure you could get another Kayak on the roof and move a second bike to the tow bar carrier.

 

That would be more preferable than trying to load a kayak through the front window of the caravan!