Need Help with Bicycle Rack on back of E350!

[RememberTheFallen]

As time is running out to finish my van before our big trip I need help with ideas on carrying our bicycles.

I need to save money so a $$$ Thule or Yakima is out.

I want the two bikes (a hybrid and my mtn bike) on the back to keep clean and not restrict airflow/light in the front. The bikes can be stored inside when futon is up but there is no room when when futon is down.

I would prefer they swing out and even better if the door could be opened from inside. I would like something like this;

Or this;

As it meets all of my needs but I am running out of time and need some help with ideas to make the above work with an econoline back door. Have all of the fab tools but brain is fried and can't figure anything out.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[stormlover]

Have a look at this thread: http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...llective-bump-to-bike-rack-threads-12220.html

 

[borison]

Craigslist search for used Yakima and Thule stuff?

 

[jjohnny350]

What kind of budget are we talking here? Swing out on a budget will be very hard.
borison had a great idea, Craigslist search for used Yakima and Thule stuff? You can find good stuff for very cheap used. Even the saris racks that you see on the back if cars I believe will open up far enough to be used on a van. Id much more recommend a hitch mount.

 

[wyndsurfr]

I'm pretty sure stored on the rear, they are going to get as dirty or even dirtier than on the front, just might miss some of the stones and of course the bugs. The airflow around the back of a large vehicle like a van or an SUV actually pulls things into it, maybe you noticed driving on dirt roads that your back bumper and doors/windows gets dirtier than the rest of the van? Anyhow, I picked up a two bike rack that fits in the receiver hitch and has a swing-down feature for opening the rear doors. If that suits your needs, I can send you a couple good photographs of it to get the noodle working, but.... as said, it goes in the rear hitch, so if you need to also tow something it's no good.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

Thanks for all of the replies gentleman.

My little moment of panic and anxiety last night has passed.

I messed around with a cheap carrier I already had in the front hitch today and think I will go with a front mount. I am tall so no obstruction on view and will try to avoid night driving so will not matter too much if lights are blocked some. I will just have to deal with the bugs and crapped kicked up by the road.

I have plenty of metal to make a nice two bike platform carrier that will work either front or back of the van. Gonna closely copy this design I saw last year when looking at a rack for my truck.

Sorry for the panicked post but I really appreciate all of the responses and ideas!

 

[tgreening]

[/URL][/IMG]


But honestly I like the last one in your original post up above.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

[/URL][/IMG]


But honestly I like the last one in your original post up above.

Tom, your photos never show up for me!

 

[tgreening]

Not sure what the issue could be. I checked the folder that pic is in and it's a public folder so as far as I know it shouldnt be an issue. If anyone else cant see it please pipe up.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

Not sure what the issue could be. I checked the folder that pic is in and it's a public folder so as far as I know it shouldnt be an issue. If anyone else cant see it please pipe up.

Ahhhh....it was Tapatalk. Picture shows up fine on the regular site.

So your set up is a lot like the Astro one? Normal horizontal bike rack hung on shower handle like bars? Seems like a fairly simple solution but I worry about the rack take a vertical load. Had any issues?

Thanks for the pic!

 

[tgreening]

Ahhhh....it was Tapatalk. Picture shows up fine on the regular site.

So your set up is a lot like the Astro one? Normal horizontal bike rack hung on shower handle like bars? Seems like a fairly simple solution but I worry about the rack take a vertical load. Had any issues?

Thanks for the pic!

Tapatalk is weird. Most pictures I see, almost no pictures I post show up for me. I haven't figured out if there's a pattern or not.


Not so far but I cheat a bit. I run a ratchet strap down around the bike frame and back to the top mount and cinch it up enough to take some load off the bike rack itself. It's not in this pick but I also installed a couple of attachment points that are separate from everything you see here so I could run a safety/lock cable through the frame just in case of mount failure. It may all be overkill but I was a bit paranoid about it bouncing down the highway and through the windshield of a bus load of elderly handicapped nuns on their way back to their orphanage, or something really bad.

 

[kccourtney]

Here's my setup. Modified van ladder. Because the door hinges are so low on the rear doors, it ends up putting alot of leverage on the tops of the doors when off-roading. We mostly only use it for road bikes and put the mountain bikes in a front receiver mounted Yakima T2. That Rincon Rack from the SportsmobileForum Thread looks sick

 

[stormlover]

Nice looking rig KCcourtney! What size wheels are those? 18" or 20" and 35's or 37's. I'm wheel shopping.

A few thoughts on racks having tried a quite a few before settling on 1upUSA trays on an aluminess swing-away bumper. A hitch mounted Yak or Thule definitely is a dirt collector. And it sucks dancing around the rack trying to get into the rear doors. If I went this route again I'd get go 1UPusa which carries the bikes a bit higher. As for stress on forks the main issues I've seen are on older style forks mounted perpendicular to the van sans wheel. Drop outs were never designed for those kinds of forces (ie., side to side rather than fore-aft). A thru-axle is probably stronger but a system that doesn't need to have the wheel removed is the way to go. I like the vertical hanging approach. Lubes those fork seals as well!

A couple of picks of my setup.

 

[RememberTheFallen]

Jeez, you three are giving me van envy!

Awesome vans!