Bikes in vans?

What's the best way to hold a bike in a Transit van?
I could knock up a frame out of old wood to hold the wheels
with some hooks for the tie-down straps.

 

Get it into the left hand side with the front wheel into the corner, ratchet
strap it down over the frame, front wheel & back wheel to stop is sliding.
Dead easy & wont move unless you go off roading.

--


Nige,

BMW K1200S
Range Rover Vogue

 

IIRK it just takes a bottle of cheap cider and piece of old carpet and you
don't need to tie her down, unless you're into the sort of thing...

 

Fucking hell, we aren't that posh as to have side doors

--


Nige,

BMW K1200S
Range Rover Vogue

 

I'll never forget the trip to Scotland to do the Scottish Motorcycle
show and collect the Nordwest engined Saturno I had just bought. I had
just the Nordwest on the way up and that plus the Norturno to come
back. In my ignorance i thought a tail-lift Luton van might make the
job of loading and unloading easier, particularly once home. To my
horror, on collecting the vehicle from the really pikey but very cheap
hire place, I found the van had very few convenient tie down points
except the sort of rails used in furniture vans. TBF it was really
meant for short haul small furniture van duties. With the aid of a
couple of old camping mattresses and some straps without hooks I
managed to lash the Nordie in place and set off for Edinburgh.

That's when I discovered that it really was meant just for short haul.
The bastard thing was limited to 60 flat out with a following wind.
Some kind of mechanical limit on the diesels injection pump I suspect.
It made for a big overshoot of my ETA. Coming back after the show
packed up late Sunday afternoon was slightly better because there was
little traffic. I even managed to overtake a lorry on the A74 (pre
motorway then) - though it took an inordinate distance to achieve and
I was thankful for the 'you are clear to pull in' flashed lights of
the HGV. The clutch was also heavier than some kind of gym leg
exercise machine. I had groin strain by the time I finally got home in
the early hours.

A trailer and estate car fulfills my competition bike transport
requirments (including sleeping).

 

Now you tell me. No UKRM FOAK to consult then.

Tell me about it.

The next time I hired a van I got a VW 2.5 TDi job, which was a much
better option - except for loading. Unloading was gravity assisted. If
I ever do get a van for the hill climb circus, in my dotage and the
lad's prime, I will go for something that can be fitted out with
rudimentary sleeping quarters and brew/fry up facilities. Lots of
innovative internal design approaches to be seen in the paddock at
most meetings.

 

Beer? )

Two mates (he and she, on R1 and R6) had a camping-racing van. As they
both were sort of hobbit-sized (below 1.65m) they managed to put a bed
right behind the driver seat and then leave place for the two bikes.
Class.

Google, however, returns some odd results for camping bike van:
http://7.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kout2nQCb01qzjbhso1_500.jpg

BTW, I recently received a printed Haynes manual for my shite old car
and in the back cover there was some build your camper van manual ad
porn.

 

You mean you will buy a motorhome/campervan?

 

....conveniently placed for surreptitious fuelling through the side door.

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=117677

 

Certainly not the way I tied down a bike in a mate's trailer. I cranked down
(just a smal amount) on the ratchet strap and "Bang", bike pops a hole in
the trailer floor.

Cheap shit plywood floors are useless in a bike trailer.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

"This content is currently unavailable"


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

**** me, the human snail.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Try this:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=117677&l=acf1bc4147&id=528363400

 

He/she can **** her/himself?

 

Only if it can carry two bikes *inside* with easy loading. I did the
camper van with trailer thing for four years. OK, but subject to the
usual towing constraints. Other than a winnebago type vehicle, a
suitably converted large van with bike storage/workshop plus
arrangements for sleeping and cooking is the preferred option. Oh and
before you say a tent, BTDTGTTS. I need my comfort these days.

 

Horse box.
People space at the front, ramp access at the back, plenty of room
for bikes, tools and junk.

 

Twin axle box trailer would be far cheaper - more room as well. And less
likely to have been covered in horse shit.

 

Borrow a horsetrailer.

My Vstrom fitted nicely to one side of the centre partition on a horse
trailer last Saturday morning after I dropped it in the carpark Friday
night and broke the clutch lever off. Couple of bungees, job done. No
horsepoo either.

Tip: if you drop your bike and the clutch lever breaks off, don't call
the AA and tell them you dropped it as they'll class it as an "accident"
and tell you it costs ?102 to have it taken home. To get it home free
by the AA, the clutch lever breakage has to be a "breakdown".

(I know that now for next time). Still, 20 quid taxi ride home Fri and
a fiver's diesel for towing the trailer Sat morning is better than ?102.

 

Oh yes! Sprinters are the way forward.