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er...Hope the title makes sense!
We currently have a LWB high roof Transit camper van that we’re thinking of replacing with a smaller van. In the Transit our bikes go in a bike cupboard in the back, they fit crossways on a shelf above the wheel-arches (front wheels out, bikes nose to tail). We quite like this configuration, as it’s quite space efficient, and keeps muddy bikes away from living space.
We like the idea of a VW Transporter or Vivaro with a pop top and bed on shelf type thing, but we are wondering if we’d get two big full sus 29ers in the back (crossways, front wheels off, Bikes nose to tail). My back of a fag packet calculations say they’ll fit, but if they don’t, it’ll be an expensive mistake for my nut-sack!😄
Mrs has seen fancy sliding seat/bed in a VW, but my idea is to have a fixed seat, bikes behind seat, and the kip in the pop top bit. Fall out of bed into the seat-kitchen space to make a brew without having to move seats etc.
Does anyone know if ‘big’ bikes will fit crossways in Transporter/Vivaros?
Yes front wheel off.
Easiest way is to board off the back section of the bus, put a shelf in at seat level and cross them over with noses lifted up so they are diagonal, that still gives you access to under the seat. With modern wide bars its a bit of a pain as to keep them shallow you need to turn the bars, then the width becomes an issue hence the need to lift the nose.
Most space efficient would be front wheel off, couple of fork mounts on the shelf and just pop the bar and stem off each time.
With a traditional layout there is enough room to do this in a swb and still have a r&r bed, but you just wont be able to get the fridge open with the bed down. In your case if you sleep up top then youve got plenty of room.
Ive gone for bike rack though, a swb t5 is pretty much a compromise and that half a metre of garage space does eat into the cabin. With a decent lock and alarm ive not lost a bike in 4 years.
I have a Vivaro with ply lining, and ride quite long 29ers.
Have to take both wheels off to fit them crossways comfortably. Used to be able to just take the front wheel off a few years ago.
Oh thank Nick, that sounds promising. I know what you’re saying with the wide bars, as we have to skew ours at 45 degrees and fix in the Transit. (FWIR, our bike compartment is only 600 to 650mm deep though).
Trafic, ply lined with shelving units either side between back doors and sliding doors (twin slider).
My L size 29er fs bike fits sideways complete with the front wheel at a 45 or so degree angle. Front wheel rests against one of the sliding doors. Will then bungee against back of front seats.
Have fitted 2 gravel bikes in like that too.
There’s a little more room that far up the van especially with twin sliders as doors aren’t as ‘thick’ as the rear quarter panels especially when wheelarches are taken into account so I guess it would be much harder back there.
Mock up in the back of our LWB T6 ready for conversion in March. 26” though (old school!) in a medium Spitfire and large 301. We’ve worked out with it being 80 cm deep that gives us enough space for a rock and roll bed on the other side if we want. A large 29er would be tight and would probably need to be on an angle if you want to keep one wheel one, loosing space in the rest of the van.
We had a SWB Vivario before this, and though never tried it would have been possible as it is more square than the VW. However the T6 is a much nicer thing to drive.
Bar width asside, would it work if you screwed one of those bolt through fork mounts to the side of the van on each side so the bikes hung back to back? That way if you didnt have the garage the bars would just overhang the R&R bed?
Or wheel hooks on the wall so the bars tuck under the seat?
Friends of ours have done it in a swb T6 without the garage (scroll across).
My issue with this, is getting the rest of your stuff covered in mud! They aren't so bothered as more typically climb and road bike.
We also are working on the basis of garage + pop top bed. However, with the cost for the first fit (garage, swivel seats, electrics, heating, lights, lining etc), I'm getting cold feet at the extra £4k to fit a pop top over a RnR, when we also want to factor in still storage, fridge etc. I might change my mind, which is partly why we are doing it in affordable chunks!
This thread has now got me very excited about our conversion...6 weeks till we drop it off for phase 1 🙂 Its making all the careful saving worth it (hopefully!).