When you want to haul with your van

[jcanavera]

So far I find it very interesting that the local bike shops here in the St. Louis metro area are clueless about what you can use to secure your bikes inside your van. They all seem to tell me that I need to cludge something up to keep the bikes stable. For those looking here is what I have found. Will run me about $310 or as little as $260 via Ebay for the components.

https://www.saris.com/product/traps-triple

You need the appropriate carrier base, trap fork mounts, and wheel mounts. This looks like the best case carrier. As best as I can determine I can set this system up without drilling any holes in the van for mounting any equipment. I think the biggest issue is understanding the dimensions of your front wheel fork. Where is that information located or how do you determine this. Here is the component that the fork attaches to once you remove the front wheel.

https://www.saris.com/search/trapfork mounts

Jack

 

[TaraBara]

LOL.... if you think it's hard to find a reasonably priced bike rack for inside a van try finding a reasonably priced hitch mount ebike rack. I found one on Amazon it set me back $250. I really like it though but there really isn't a lot of options for heavy bikes.

 

[rich c]

I haul in a Ford Transit Connect cargo van. I put the eBike back tires between the seat back and B pillar. Then a strap through a roof beam and around the head tube. Very minimal investment in two straps.

 

[Ron49]

Pricey, but I'd think you could use the trays from a 1Up-USA rack the in back of the van. https://www.1up-usa.com/product/roof-rack/. They will hold the bikes securely in place if they'll fit back there - if interested give them a call as I've seen these things used in a lot of applications (outside rails of a pickup truck bed, for example) and they can tell you if/how it could work.

 

[jcanavera]

Here's a picture of the Saris rack holding two bikes on a recent trip. On this one I left the RadCity home and brought my vintage Raleigh Sprite. The only fly in the ointment was that the fork ends on the Raleigh are a smaller diameter than the fork mount trap supplied by Saris. After determining that there was not a smaller diameter trap rod available, I went over to my local Lowes and bought a slightly smaller diameter bolt that would fit into the Saris trap and support the smaller diameter fork ends of my Raleigh. I did lose the quick disconnect feature in doing this and do have to wrench the bolts on the post. However it works wonderfully and the bike stayed locked in place during transit. I also ran one tie down strap from the rear frame to the seat next to the bikes. This ensured that the bikes could not slide the truck bed rack which is sitting on a carpeted surface. The rack also has a gripping surface that resists the tendency of the rack to slide around. If I had no carpet I probably would have drilled holes to permanently mount the rack. But this is a passenger van, and has a third seat that I remove when I carrying the bikes.

 

[Highway550]

I haul ebikes in a Ford Transit Connect and secure the bike(s) with a floor mount wheel platform and then a few bungee cords.
I can get two bikes in when the with a couch setup and one bike in when the the couch is folded down into a bed.

This works well when the weather is bad and the bike(s) keep dry. I also have a Thule EasyFold XT 2 that is used.

 

[opimax]

I have a Metris I want to do this with a ramp and keep both wheels on the bikes. I want to open the back door, roll the bike up and clamp into place , need to hold 2 bikes. I have not found anyone or anything home I’ll take my money...

 

[Browneye]

There are some hoop-doopb options for motorcycles in vans and trailers - slot rails and chocks, etc., so look there. Not your LBS realm.
Links on request.

 

[6zfshdb]

For around $250, I made a frame using PVC pipe and 2 Thule Sidearm roof racks. It slides out for easy bike loading and is sized it to fit perfectly so no tie downs are necessary. I use it in the bed of my pickup but the same principle would work for a van.



If vertical clearance is a problem, you can remove the front wheel and use the axle brackets mentioned above.

Be aware that the rear van doors could restrict side access to the rack if they don't swing open far enough.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I haul ebikes in a Ford Transit Connect and secure the bike(s) with a floor mount wheel platform and then a few bungee cords.
I can get two bikes in when the with a couch setup and one bike in when the the couch is folded down into a bed.

This works well when the weather is bad and the bike(s) keep dry. I also have a Thule EasyFold XT 2 that is used.

Very nice blog about your E-bike adventure. Looks like you had a great time traveling this year.
If you would like to try something very cool? here is something that might enhance your riding experience even more.

SHIMANO STEPS E-BIKE Dedicated Mechanical Internal Geared Hub Disc Brake 5-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

As a dedicated E-BIKE hub, the SHIMANO STEPS C7000 series hubs feature a 5-speed range and greater strength and durability for seamless compatibility with mid-ship motors.

bike.shimano.com

This is an internal geared hub that is built for E-bikes and compatible with Di2 shifting. So, you can keep absolutely straight chain-line and get electronic shifting.

 

[MOTOW]

Another alternative is a MOTOW Hitch Lift. You’d connect it to a 2” receiver, then attach a rack into its 2” hitch. It has a 300 lb. load limit. You can choose motorized or non-motorized. Made of solid stainless steel here in the US. Check out https://MotowUS.com

 

[MOTOW]

Here are pictures of a MOTOW hitch lift with a Hollywood double rack. Lower and lift with a ratchet or 12v drill. Free shipping.

 

[Mr. Decaf]

So far I find it very interesting that the local bike shops here in the St. Louis metro area are clueless about what you can use to secure your bikes inside your van. They all seem to tell me that I need to cludge something up to keep the bikes stable. For those looking here is what I have found. Will run me about $310 or as little as $260 via Ebay for the components.

https://www.saris.com/product/traps-triple

You need the appropriate carrier base, trap fork mounts, and wheel mounts. This looks like the best case carrier. As best as I can determine I can set this system up without drilling any holes in the van for mounting any equipment. I think the biggest issue is understanding the dimensions of your front wheel fork. Where is that information located or how do you determine this. Here is the component that the fork attaches to once you remove the front wheel.

https://www.saris.com/search/trapfork mounts

Jack

I planned on using this type of solution, but with the fork mounts screwed to a board. Unfortunately, this solution only works with forks that have dropouts. It does not work with through-axle forks.

 

[MikeDD]

I planned on using this type of solution, but with the fork mounts screwed to a board. Unfortunately, this solution only works with forks that have dropouts. It does not work with through-axle forks.

Amazon.com : SUNLITE Bike Block Fork Mount, 110mm : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : SUNLITE Bike Block Fork Mount, 110mm : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Try this:

 

[Alaskan]

Very nice blog about your E-bike adventure. Looks like you had a great time traveling this year.
If you would like to try something very cool? here is something that might enhance your riding experience even more.

SHIMANO STEPS E-BIKE Dedicated Mechanical Internal Geared Hub Disc Brake 5-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

As a dedicated E-BIKE hub, the SHIMANO STEPS C7000 series hubs feature a 5-speed range and greater strength and durability for seamless compatibility with mid-ship motors.

bike.shimano.com

This is an internal geared hub that is built for E-bikes and compatible with Di2 shifting. So, you can keep absolutely straight chain-line and get electronic shifting.

Ravi, do you know what the overall gear range is for the steps 7000 5 speed hub? Not sure if a hub like that would work well in a hilly area but perhaps a combination of gears and assist levels might make it work so long as the high end is high enough and the low end is low enough. Does it use an eight speed chain or something different?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi, do you know what the overall gear range is for the steps 7000 5 speed hub? Not sure if a hub like that would work well in a hilly area but perhaps a combination of gears and assist levels might make it work so long as the high end is high enough and the low end is low enough. Does it use an eight speed chain or something different?

Hi Richard,

The gear range is quite limited ~265%.
This was mainly designed for Shimano E7000 system and city bikes that don't need huge gear range. It is lighter than Enviolo or Rohloff and works really well with Shimano's Di2 system.

Shimano also offers E-bike specific chain (9 speed and 10 speed) that works well with their system.

SHIMANO STEPS 9-Speed E-BIKE Chain | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

Using a new plate dimension, the SHIMANO E6070-9 chain is designed for single chainring E-BIKE drivetrains.

bike.shimano.com

 

[CSH]

There are some hoop-doopb options for motorcycles in vans and trailers - slot rails and chocks, etc., so look there. Not your LBS realm.
Links on request.

Hello Browneye,
Can you send me those links ?

 

[Browneye]

US Cargo control has a bunch of stuff, as does etrailer.com
Try a google search for: sprinter van tie down hardware
Tons of results. The slot tracks are really cool, allows you to set your tiedown points wherever you want, adjustable, versatile.

Mac's has some nice stuff as well: http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/category/VersaTie-Track

 

[CSH]

US Cargo control has a bunch of stuff, as does etrailer.com
Try a google search for: sprinter van tie down hardware
Tons of results. The slot tracks are really cool, allows you to set your tiedown points wherever you want, adjustable, versatile.

Mac's has some nice stuff as well: http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/category/VersaTie-Track

cool....... thank you

 

[Mr. Decaf]

I planned on using this type of solution, but with the fork mounts screwed to a board. Unfortunately, this solution only works with forks that have dropouts. It does not work with through-axle forks.

That looks like a real possibility. Thank you for the recommendation.