I managed to give my van a tow bar mounted bike rack that now folds down to allow the tailgate to open properly. I've got a Thule Easyfold XT2 which, as the name indicates, folds to the size of a medium sized suitcase when not in use. Because it is so portable and easy to store when folded up and in it's zip up cover, I have always been willing to put up with the inconvenience on not being able to open the back when we're using the rack unless we either unload the bikes and then take it off or, as we did most of the time during our recent South of France road trip, just lift the whole thing off (ie. bikes 'n all) and drop it back on when we needed to. However, the novelty of doing that started to wear off as it can sometimes be awkward to place it in exactly the right spot to enable it to lock down properly on the tow ball. Anyway, I saw a video on YouTube made by a couple under the name of 'California Time' where they simply took out to thick plastic bungs which doubled as the stops for tilt mechanism on the rack. At first, I wasn't keen on their idea as I reckoned that the bungs probably contributed to the strength of the pivot point but when I got to take it apart, I realised that you could cut them down to a size which allowed the rack to fold enough but still maintained the structural integrity. An hours work and job done - I've just been out (in the rain) to test it and the tailgate clears the rack easily. I just need to make a prop of some kind now otherwise all the weight will rest on the handlebars of the outside bike when it's folded. A 27" length of roofing batten with a V cut into one end should do nicely but that's for later. If anyone's interested, I can explain some more and take some pics.
or a gaping big hole for a towbar manufacture to fill.....
