2 Bike Racks

[Ayjay]

Or racks to carry 2 bikes!!! Now that I'm in my first full year with the T6 camper, I'm beginning to look at bike racks. I know that this subject has already been done on here quite a bit but I've just had an email from Camperco pushing what seems to be a new Thule rack - the catchily named WanderWay (here: Thule | Accessories For Campers and Motorhomes | Camperco). If this is new to the market, I doubt there's much real experience out there but I just wondered if there were any views as it must be a candidate for anybody looking to buy such a thing. I'm only interested in a 2 bike rack which rules out the VW one. I have also noticed that that the price of others (ie. Fiamma Carry Bike Pro) are down a bit at the moment and I don't mind spending more if I'm buying extra quality but..........
PS. At the moment, I don't want to go the tow bar route but might be persuaded.

 

[Bluesman]

Sorry to hijack your thread but I would be very interested in answers to this as well as I got the same Camperco email and am also in the market for a tailgate mounted bike rack. I'm surprised that nobody has come forward with advice on this and would therefore like to ask if anyone can help. I would also be interested in how easy any of the tailgate racks on the market are to be fitted and removed as I don't think I would like it there permanently. Also how difficult is it for the average 6 ft person to open the tailgate when it's got, say, 25Kg of bikes on it. I was also thinking of using a telescopic ceiling prop to keep the tailgate open if need be - is that a practical proposition?

 

[Ayjay]

Bluesman - On hijacking the the thread, thanks for the bump and all I can say is knock yourself out if it provokes any answers as I've had nothing else so far! For my part, the two bikes that I would put on the rack would weigh in at under 20Kg but I can well imagine that the tailgate struts would still be unable to hold them up and that prop idea is therefore a good one if it works.

 

[Broadside]

With any tailgate mounted rack you will need to put the stronger gas struts on, otherwise the tailgate won’t stay open by itself.

with a single bike on the rack you can open the tailgate ok but with any more it’s not really safe to open it, I have done it with 4 bikes loaded to get the dog in the boot but instantly regretted it!

 

[Broadside]

Sorry to hijack your thread but I would be very interested in answers to this as well as I got the same Camperco email and am also in the market for a tailgate mounted bike rack. I'm surprised that nobody has come forward with advice on this and would therefore like to ask if anyone can help. I would also be interested in how easy any of the tailgate racks on the market are to be fitted and removed as I don't think I would like it there permanently. Also how difficult is it for the average 6 ft person to open the tailgate when it's got, say, 25Kg of bikes on it. I was also thinking of using a telescopic ceiling prop to keep the tailgate open if need be - is that a practical proposition?

Fitting and removing the VW tailgate rack is simple, it’s just two security torx bolts. I leave mine on the tailgate but can remove it and refit in literally 2-3 mins.

The Thule 2 bike rack further up in this thread is virtually identical to the VW rack, I actually think the VW rack is a Thule rack with a VW sticker on it.

 

[Ayjay]

BR - That's why I suspect Bluesmans idea of using a ceiling prop to hold the tailgate up is such a good one! I'm no engineer but I suspect that'a a better option than using stronger gas struts as I suspect that it would be a real pain to close the tailgate if they were fitted and you didn't have the extra weight of the bikes on the rack. It would probably not be a problem for me but my 5'4" and slim wife might see it differently.
PS - Sorry, I only saw your last post after sending mine! Agree, the Tule rack does look similar to the VW one except that it's for 2 bikes whereas I thought VW only supplied a 4 bike.

 

[Broadside]

BR - That's why I suspect Bluesmans idea of using a ceiling prop to hold the tailgate up is such a good one! I'm no engineer but I suspect that'a a better option than using stronger gas struts as I suspect that it would be a real pain to close the tailgate if they were fitted and you didn't have the extra weight of the bikes on the rack. It would probably not be a problem for me but my 5'4" and slim wife might see it differently.
PS - Sorry, I only saw your last post after sending mine! Agree, the Tule rack does look similar to the VW one except that it's for 2 bikes whereas I thought VW only supplied a 4 bike.

yes I’ve got the uprated gas struts. When the rack is not fitted the tailgate does swing up with some speed and is heavy to close down, as you say fine for a 6ft bloke but pretty difficult for someone smaller.

 

[Glennpea123]

Hi all
Looking to purchase a 2 person bike carrier for my T6 tailgate.
Any recommendations out there please?
Don't really want to scuff or scratch paintwork so would tow bar mounted be best? But also may need to access cupboard at boot from time to time?
I have already upgraded struts to lift cycle carrier alone if I choose this type.
I understand that tow bar fitted ones won't tilt that much to allow reasonable access? but they are more robust and heavier?
Need to get this right as I can cos they ain't cheap!
Any experiences/advice out there please?

 

[Rich_13]

I use a tow bar mounted Thule RideOn 3, I have a tailgate T6 also, I've found that I can only fit 2 bikes on due to the upright nature of the back end of the vehicle, if I want a third bike I'd have to loosen and turn the handle bars to not hit the window. The thule does tilt but to access the rear I would probably have to loosen the towbar mount to allow it to drop slightly, no real drama. I much prefer the towbar mounted as I know it's fixed on and unlikely to cause any damage to the bodywork of the van.

Link for the version I have, it does the job just fine and is a bit cheaper than the fancier versions

Thule RideOn

 

[Glennpea123]

I use a tow bar mounted Thule RideOn 3, I have a tailgate T6 also, I've found that I can only fit 2 bikes on due to the upright nature of the back end of the vehicle, if I want a third bike I'd have to loosen and turn the handle bars to not hit the window. The thule does tilt but to access the rear I would probably have to loosen the towbar mount to allow it to drop slightly, no real drama. I much prefer the towbar mounted as I know it's fixed on and unlikely to cause any damage to the bodywork of the van.

Link for the version I have, it does the job just fine and is a bit cheaper than the fancier versions

Thule RideOn

Thanks for reply, looks a good option.
Fixed or detachable towbar, was wondering if the detached would stick out further to allow 2 bikes on the two rack one, without hitting window and without turning handlebars? I really would like to keep the total length down