Bike rack

[4beeches0]

I have had great success in transporting my bike with the aid of a bike rack that simply clamps to the tow bar ball and doesn't require any other attachments to the car. However this will obviously only work when I am not towing my caravan. Do any of the members have any thoughts or recommendations for a suitable rack (my vehicle is a Mondeo estate) that would be suitable for taking my eZee Liv when I go on holiday with the caravan ?

JohnS

 

[Ian]

As a caravaner I've been looking at such things myself. I can get the bike in the car (Astra estate) as I am sure you can, but it's a squeeze with all the other stuff which I find it desirable to take. The rack which I'll probably go for is a witter, it costs about £70 and slots into a bracket which fits between the towbar flange and the ball but it can't be fitted to a swan neck type towbar with integral ball.

 

[flecc]

On the link below, click "vehicle specific bike carriers" at the top horizontal menu bar, then choose Ford. If you click the appropriate year of your Mondeo Estate, you'll see some rear door mounted ones which could be ok with the battery out to lighten the bike.

Rear Rack
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[4beeches0]

Thanks Ian, the Witter one you describe would have been ideal but unfortunately I have the removable swan neck type on my car so its not an option for me. Flecc many thanks for your reply - had a look on the site but the rack recommended would call for a high lift to get the bike up there and I know I would find that a struggle. Ah well, will keep on looking still plenty of time before the caravanning season starts. Happy New Year to all fellow pedelecers !

JohnS

 

[Cyclezee]

Fleccie et al, appologies for slight deveation on this thread (Not sure it's worth starting a new one).
How do you intend to secure/stabilize your bike/bikes inside your Dobolololo, when you get one?
In my trusty old Daihatsu HiJet van, I have only managed to carry one bike at a time by laying it on it's side and turning the handle bars through 90 degrees so that I don't have to remove the front wheel. I'm sure if I could carry the bike upright, as I have the vertical height to do this, I could carry 2 bikes, but how would I secure them without radical surgery to my beloved HiJet? Some sort of removable bracket perhaps which might have to be custom made?

John

 

[Ian]

Tunfortunately I have the removable swan neck type on my car so its not an option for me.

I ordered what I assumed would be a manufacturers swan neck towbar from a main dealer, but when I went to pick the car up they'd fitted a Witter flanged one. I was annoyed at the time but it's turning out to be a blessing in disguise.

Happy new year all.

 

[flecc]

Fleccie et al, appologies for slight deveation on this thread (Not sure it's worth starting a new one).
How do you intend to secure/stabilize your bike/bikes inside your Dobolololo, when you get one?
In my trusty old Daihatsu HiJet van, I have only managed to carry one bike at a time by laying it on it's side and turning the handle bars through 90 degrees so that I don't have to remove the front wheel. I'm sure if I could carry the bike upright, as I have the vertical height to do this, I could carry 2 bikes, but how would I secure them without radical surgery to my beloved HiJet? Some sort of removable bracket perhaps which might have to be custom made?

John

I'm not absolutely sure John as i haven't looked in the flesh yet, but when i saw Alan Terrill's posting about it carrying two bikes, he'd said that there were plenty of securing points to lash to. In photos of the back with the rear seats folded, the attachment bars for those seats are available, and there appear to be some other suitable points. Because the standard Doblo is 6' high, there's more than 4' high back entry so the bikes can go comfortably upright, unlike just about anything else, and that's the big attraction. They do a high roof version as well, but no need for that.

The other thing is, being van based with an absolutely flat load floor, I'd be quite happy to drill it in a couple more places to add securing hooks if necessary.

if you didn't mind drilling the floor, you could add one of the detachable upright bike carrying roof rack attachments. Here's some possibles:

one

two

three
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[Cyclezee]

Brilliant idea using roof racks internally Flecc!
Please don't laugh Flecc, but I think you should have a look at this piaggiovans.co.uk - Piaggiovans before buying a Dobolololo.
Ultra reliable Daihatsu engines and cheap as chips to run, longer loadbay than the Doblo and cheaper as chips. I've got the old Daihatsu LPG van version, ex Fulham & Hammesmith Council, bought it 18 months ago with only 14k on the clock for £1200, it's a town van really, but I drove to Aberystwyth and back in it last Friday, round trip of 380 miles in 7 hours.

John

 

[flecc]

I'd like a van in some ways John, and I like Daihatsu engines, but the Doblo with windows classes as a car, so I can use the nearby council tip free. With a van I have to go to the furthest one many miles away and pay commercial rubbish disposal rates. That doesn't happen often , but the bikes can't cope with everything. There are other restrictions on vans too of course.

And of course, there five seats in the Doblo for when I carry others. They do a seven seat version too.

P.S. I think the Doblo is as big in the back as that Piaggiovan, I'd have no trouble getting four bikes in here (It's longer than the Suzuki van):

 

[Cyclezee]

I was meaning the MPV version Flecc piaggiovans.co.uk - Porter MPV

John

 

[flecc]

Thanks John, but still only 5' 9" in old money. My T bike (Torq) is just about 6' long. I'm going to measure the MPV Doblo version as I haven't found it's load bay length, but I think it's as long.

That Piaggio MPV version does put a new light on it though, so it might end up better for the job, thanks.
.

 

[flecc]

Looked further, but the Doblo 1.3 turbodiesel completely outclasses it, bigger, much faster, economy, load width, seating etc, and new only costs £600 more on the online deal I'm looking at currently.