Securing eBikes in the back of a panel van

[DiggyGun]

Looking for a better method than using bungee straps in the back of a panel van to make the eBikes secure and to stop them moving.

Looked at using a wall mounted bike repair stand fitted to the wood panelling in the back of the van, but the dimensions aren’t compatible and the jaw doesn’t open wide enough for tubing on the eBikes.

How do other panel van users secure their eBikes in the back of their van.

All tips welcome.

 

[6zfshdb]

I've seen a couple of van owners that use a piece of plywood with roof type bike racks bolted to it. The plywood is sized to take up all the available floor space so it wont slide around inside the van. On one rig I saw, the plywood slid partway out the back of the van to make the bikes easier to load. I use a similar idea in the bed of my pickup and it works well.

 

[stw]

There are "bike rack adapter bars" that might be useful inside the van--perhaps one of these clamped in that van-wall-mounted repair stand clamp.
These are designed as a substitute top-tube to allow those odd size bike tubes or odd bike shapes to work with regular bike racks, but they may be something you could adapt for the back of your van. You may not need to use both ends of this to hold one bike, since you wouldn't be using them to hang a bike from a bike rack. Maybe one end each for two bikes in some arrangement? [edit: I notice late you're in the UK so the links may not help with local sale but may give an idea.]

This one has parts that touch the bike in a way that won't hurt a bike finish:

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/sportrack-alternative-bike-adapter-19thuultrntvbkdptrck/19thuultrntvbkdptrck?sku=14393153&camp=CSE:DSG_92700048853235520_lia_pla-826356919153&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAjwos-HBhB3EiwAe4xM971l4rtRRSOp4sfWaL88DPyAiYrM75UaiatvU5PhSgG64SvdpqpB0hoCpGsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This one is less money but its clamp will allow bike metal to bang about on clamp metal, and I wouldn't use one of the below with any of my bikes unless I cushioned the clamp with a piece of pipe insulation I knew would stay in place. These also show up for sale at Walmart when you do a google search on: bike rack adapter bar

Amazon.com

 

[vincent]

1 up makes a rack piece to go in a van, not sure it is on the website you may have to call

 

[Gordon71]

A variation of this rack insert that i made might work. Mount it on a piece of plywood with 4 eye bolts to secure it in place with a couple of ratchet straps. Possibly only one strap would be enough to keep it from tipping.

 

[ruffruff]

I bought a spare Yakima Holdup tray. It has 4 holes along the main beam the you can attach a 90 degree angle piece of metal.

Then attach the 90 to a board or screw it directly to the van bed. But I'd do a board so you can slide it in or out.
This setup has worked better than I ever imagined.
It cost something like $150 for the tray and $9 for aluminum brackets($5.00 of which was a cutting fee!)

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Yakima/8890280.html

 

[Nutella]

Just buy fork mounts then bolt them to a board, or directly to the floor if that's your thing. You can get fork mounts for every type of fork. https://www.ebay.com/itm/234077893360?hash=item36802132f0:g:XRAAAOSwzoVg42EF

 

[DiggyGun]

Thanks for all your comments so far. I’ll look into these and see what I can source in the UK. I do though like the thought of DIY options.

 

[ruffruff]

Just my two cents, but removing the front wheel to load gets old in a hurry. And you have to store the wheel so the rotor doesn't get bent and you should proabably put a spacer in the brakes to hold the pads, especially over rough roads.

 

[theemartymac]

My first thought as a perfessional redneck ingineer, would be to grab one of those hatch/rear-window racks off a buy and swap site for nearly free, and secure it to the side of the van so you can just tilt up the arms and cinch the bike to it as needed. The right folding style would tuck out of the way nicely when not in use.

 

[DiggyGun]

As previously mentioned, I did opt for a DIY approach. Affixed two furniture legs to the back of the van. One on the side wall to hold the seat post and one on the floor to hold the front wheel, using Velcro to attach it all together.

Have tried it out and all seems to be secure

.

 

[ruffruff]

wow, great simple idea!
Maybe for a long cross country drive when you won't be unloading for awhile use zip ties?

 

[Dallant]

This would be easier in a van than the pickup bed with a topper. Actually don’t need the straps at all.