Cycle Carrier Options

[Tizme]

I have a standard (60kg max load) 3-bike cycle carrier on the back of my Motorhome, which is okay for my light-ish weight bikes, although I have to stand on a step to fit them on it, but far too high for me to safely lift my partner's e-bike. I think I need a beefier carrier much lower down. I can't see a way of retro fitting a carrier without removing the internal shower wall, something I don't even want to consider!
I also worry about the weight issue and I'm looking at the options to up-plate, however doing that and possibly adding a towbar (for an e-bike carrier) would be quite expensive.
Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[stevewagner]

If you remove the battery and saddle would it make the weight more bearable to lift?

 

[offagen]

Is your partner's e-bike a folding type that could be carried in a bag inside your MH while travelling? That would be the cheapest option and would keep that weight off the rear wall.

If it's not a folding type, it is not only the carrying capacity of the rack (60kg) to consider but also the load on the carrier's fixings to the rear wall. I was advised by the manufacturer of our MH to add spreader plates inside to avoid possible problems with the rack fixings (we carry two electric bikes). We have a rear lounge so it was easy to do that but not with a rear bathroom.

It doesn't look like you could lower the rack much anyway without affecting access to the toilet cassette. There are racks that lift once the bikes are loaded but then you are perhaps up against providing new or additional fixings.

The costly option, as you say, is fitting a towbar or other chassis-mounted type of bike rack. Most are tilting to allow access to the cassette.

I'll be interested to see what other solutions are suggested.

 

[Tizme]

If you remove the battery and saddle would it make the weight more bearable to lift?

Unfortunately that's with the battery removed It doesn't help that I'm only 5'6 and built like a stickman. To get any bike on the carrier I have to lift it to at least shoulder height, I use the step we carry to get me to a height where I can strap the bikes securely but that isn't always the safest way of lifting an e-bike that high! The weight itself would not be an issue (for me, not the payload) if I didn't have to lift it so high.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Fiamma Carry-Bike Lift 77 Bike Rack for high installation motorhomes

Mike.

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[Phill D]

If you are happy with the load on your rear wall you can get a bike rack that drops down for loading and unloading

 

[Tizme]

offagen .

Unfortunately it's not a folder, it a b***** heavy step through, about 3 times the weight of the bikes I ride. All your points are very valid and ones that I have considered and still worry about! I'm hoping the clever people on this forum can come up with a solution

 

[Tizme]

If you are happy with the load on your rear wall you can get a bike rack that drops down for loading and unloading

That's one of my problems, I'm really not happy with an e-bike (even minus the battery) and my standard road bike on the carrier, however, I'm used to lightweight road bikes, so any other type of bike feels too heavy for a carrier that high off the ground.

 

[VXman]

Fiamma Carry-Bike Lift 77 Bike Rack for high installation motorhomes

Mike.

This was going to be my suggestion. I use one for our 2 electric bikes.

Tizme - I know what you mean about the weight but I put trust in the fact that Fiamma say it can take up to 60kg so the motorhome should be capable of taking it. I've done 3000 miles with mine and been on some pretty rough and bouncing roads in the Balkans. There is no sign that the motorhome or rack are not up to the job of coping with the weight.

I think your only other option is a towbar mounted carrier.

 

[Tizme]

This was going to be my suggestion. I use one for our 2 electric bikes.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I worry about the load on the rear wall and the additional weight on the marginal payload available. I think it's going to end up me up-plating and then looking at a tow bar and carrier, expensive!
I suppose as she now has an e-bike, riding behind the Motorhome could be an option

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[offagen]

Tizme, contact your motorhome manufacturer and ask if they are happy with that load on the rear wall rack mounts. We have a large rear window that weakens the rear wall, hence the recommendation that we spread the load of the mounts. You only have a small window so your vehicle maker may have no concerns at all.

 

[Jo May]

One e bike, 25 kgs, on a tow bar- mounted rack. No problem there I think BUT it's when I go over a decent bump (sleeping policeman for example) I cringe a bit because the extra force, momentarily, must be huge.

 

[VXman]

Thank you for the suggestion, but I worry about the load on the rear wall and the additional weight on the marginal payload available. I think it's going to end up me up-plating and then looking at a tow bar and carrier, expensive!
I suppose as she now has an e-bike, riding behind the Motorhome could be an option

I did worry about the weight on the back wall but the carrier was suggested by the Burstner (my motorhome) dealer. It can take 60KG and is designed for motorhomes. The dealer was happy to fit it so I conclude it must be ok on the back wall too. Done 4000 miles now including a lot of bouncing down rough Italian roads and it looks/feels solid.

I have up plated to 4250kg and have added rear air assist because I also carry a scooter in the garage. That cost in total less than £1000 (and reduced my road tax every year) so probably cheaper than the tow bar alternative.

 

[MisterB]

Contact icantremember - they have the perfect solution that sadly didn't work for me, but might work for you?

 

[scotjimland]

Towbar rack is a solution.. down side for you is the added expense of fitting a tow bar with 7 pin electrics..

We have two road bikes but also two e-bikes which we sometimes take. and they were too heavy for the Fiamma door rack mounted on one of the rear doors..

I had a towbar already fitted so buying a Thule rack was the obvious solution.

It is so easy to use.. lifting the bikes on and off is a doddle . It has been a game changer.. no more heavy lifting..

I bought the Thule rack (Volvo Branded) from a Volvo dealer on ebay for £350 .. with a saving of about £100 over the retail price.


Thule Carrier on ebay

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[Nanniemate]

offagen .

Unfortunately it's not a folder, it a b***** heavy step through, about 3 times the weight of the bikes I ride. All your points are very valid and ones that I have considered and still worry about! I'm hoping the clever people on this forum can come up with a solution

I had the same issues and lifting the stand bike was fun at 5'2" went through a load of scenarios and rather than send on fittings for the the van that would disappear with the van bought a lighter ebike weighing in at 16kg with the battery
And it's a lot more fun as the lighter the bike the easier it is. I rarely use the power assist only if I've peddled way too far or on steep hills and I'm not that fit either

 

[richard8]

As a previous comment go over a lump in the road and the downward weight far outweighs the supposed carry weight on the back of your MH. I had a towbar fitted to my MH (well I fitted it) and have covered many thousands of miles with two e-bikes on a Pendle bike rack.

 

[Blaydon]

Hi folks. I would never hang weight on the wall. I think it just asks for trouble. I would get a tow bar and rear bumper fitted then mount the bike rack on the tow hitch. I had a Witter system which used the two big bolts to mount the base.
However it is worth keeping an eye on the bolts. A long time ago we were rolling along in Denmark and I saw some parts of bikes i should not see in the mirror. One of the bolts had sheered and the whole rack had spun. One bike knackered.
Even so I would always put the weight on the tow bar not the wall. You also get a bumper/ reversing aid into the bargain.

 

[Paul Wilkins]

This was going to be my suggestion. I use one for our 2 electric bikes.

Tizme - I know what you mean about the weight but I put trust in the fact that Fiamma say it can take up to 60kg so the motorhome should be capable of taking it. I've done 3000 miles with mine and been on some pretty rough and bouncing roads in the Balkans. There is no sign that the motorhome or rack are not up to the job of coping with the weight.

I think your only other option is a towbar mounted carrier.

Agreed. I take our two Orbea e-MTBs on our Fiamma bike rack (minus the batteries) and have been carting them about all over Europe with no issues with the rack. I admit the bikes are a little tricky to get on the rack and I wouldn't say I'm the sveltest of folk.

 

[John-Laika]

On our old motorhome we had a towbar fitted and was advised by Halfords to use a Thule 3 bike rack on it for the two electric bike we bought of them it's not just the weight but it was easier to put one on the inside rack and one on the outside rack. The rack fits low down so is a bit easier to lift thw bikes onto the rack.
Without the battery they weight 20 kgs each and it takes the both of us to put them on the rack.
I would never trust them on a back wall rack.
We have now changed our motorhome and they now fit inside the hold but mot the reason we changed the motorhome it dud make it a lot easier and secure.
We will now be selling the rack as its not needed

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[TonyEmm]

I have a standard (60kg max load) 3-bike cycle carrier on the back of my Motorhome, which is okay for my light-ish weight bikes, although I have to stand on a step to fit them on it, but far too high for me to safely lift my partner's e-bike. I think I need a beefier carrier much lower down. I can't see a way of retro fitting a carrier without removing the internal shower wall, something I don't even want to consider!
I also worry about the weight issue and I'm looking at the options to up-plate, however doing that and possibly adding a towbar (for an e-bike carrier) would be quite expensive.
Anyone have any suggestions?View attachment 824043View attachment 824043

Only my opinion but, I’m not a fan of wall mounted bike carriers, even for standard bikes!
I say that because my first (s/h) Hymer had a Fiamma 3 bike carrier fitted. The first time we used it was to a club site up around Harrogate somewhere.
all seemed okay until we entered the site and went over a speed bump at the entrance.
The whole bloody lot fell off!
Not TOO much damage but, could have happened at 50mph on another road!
The bike carrier wasn’t the problem, it was the way it had been fitted with no spreader plates. Just damn great big coach screws into the back panel…

I’ll admit it doesn’t answer your query!

 

[Paul Wilkins]

On our old motorhome we had a towbar fitted and was advised by Halfords to use a Thule 3 bike rack on it for the two electric bike we bought of them it's not just the weight but it was easier to put one on the inside rack and one on the outside rack. The rack fits low down so is a bit easier to lift thw bikes onto the rack.
Without the battery they weight 20 kgs each and it takes the both of us to put them on the rack.
I would never trust them on a back wall rack.
We have now changed our motorhome and they now fit inside the hold but mot the reason we changed the motorhome it dud make it a lot easier and secure.
We will now be selling the rack as its not needed

We use one of the Thule racks on our car. It's a really well designed piece of kit and very solid when mounted on the tow ball. Expensive.. but pay cheap, pay twice.

 

[Funmeister]

We also have the Thule towbar Rack. Can't fault it ! Well worth the investment long term,

 

[Aireworth]

Have a look at the chassis mounted bike racks from Armitages - for example here. Another alternative

 

[Blaydon]

Have a look at the chassis mounted bike racks from Armitages - for example here. Another alternative

This is where we got our tow bar/bumper from. Good products.

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[Apacheman]

Might be cheaper going down the new folding e-bike route. Can pick 20” wheel models up from around £500 upwards and travel with it in the van. Get a bit of something back for the old e-bike. Tow bar and bike rack will cost you a lot more plus add weight to where you don’t really want it.

 

[Kayak Kid]

I have a 60kg Fiamma Rack and added two horizontal aluminium spreader plates running between the bolts across the inside wall of my garage.