A'van Bike Rack Saga

A'van Bike Rack Saga

When we first took delivery of our A-Van we knew we had to find a way of taking our two bicycles with us on our travels. If you have ever ridden along a beautiful country road with the birds singing or ocean beach with the wind in your hair you will know why taking a bike on holiday is bliss. You see so much more riding a bike, and besides, it’s great exercise. The release provided by bike riding and the simplicity and convenience of an A'van totally compliment each other. Or so we thought. Little did we know that putting a bike rack on an A'van turned out to be so frustrating.

The final attempt looks like a factory job!

Note that the pole carrier is further out

It took over 8 months for us to realise that not many people take a bike with them on their travels. We talked to other A'vanners and searched caravanning magazines with little success. Apart from a brief article in the first A'van newsletter (which was followed by a retraction in the next edition) we had to face the fact that if we wanted to attach a bike rack to a standard A'van we would have to solve the problem ourselves. And so, here is our A'van bike rack story - warts and all.

Our first thoughts revolved almost entirely around where to put it. As things evolved we had far more important considerations to think about - namely how to attach it so that it would not fall off, and ultimately how to compensate for the change in weight without adversely affecting drivability.

The extended chassis slightly stronger gauge

Where to Put a Bike Rack

Putting bikes on the roof of the towing vehicle, or on a rack on the tow bar were options we had seen elsewhere. The car roof at first sounded like a great idea - no tampering with the A'van, but when an acquaintance told of a forgetful competition biker he knew who lost 3 different expensive bikes going under low bridges we started thinking “Alzheimer's'“! Besides, actually putting the bikes onto the roof could ruin Heather’s back. So we gave up that idea. Next we thought of using the bike rack we already had which bolts on to the tow bar of our Subaru Forester. Because the bikes leaned too far over the A'van draw bar they interfered with turning and backing the A'van so this idea was a no go too.

We then looked to our beautifully designed A'van and discussed where we could put our two bikes. Certainly not on the top. The convenience of the A'van is that it can be popped up anytime, anywhere. Having 2 bikes on top defeats the purpose. Next? Putting the bikes on the van draw bar presented the same problems as with the bikes on the tow bar carrier. Silly idea anyway because the bikes would have to sit too high above the A'van. So that left the back of the camper.

The rack locks onto a spigot in the centre of the spare wheel

Attaching the Bike Rack

The design of the A'van is very neat and the spare wheel seemed to be a very appropriate place to fix a bike rack to. On second inspection though, there were obvious engineering problems - the major one being that the back bumper bar, on which the spare wheel is attached, is only lightly welded. Attaching a bike rack to it without strengthening it could lead to problems because continual flexing of the rack with the bikes on and the van in motion would eventually snap the spare wheel off.

We looked around for ideas and amazingly found heaps of friends who were instant experts in bike rack engineering. Various alternatives were offered. Fit a tow bar and ball onto the back of the A'van and attach a standard bike rack to it. The tow bar would need to be welded onto the A'van's sub frame to give added strength.

The tow bar would then stick out beyond the spare wheel. Alternatively a bike rack could be affixed to the spare wheel and the spare wheel frame would be strengthened by being bolted to the sub frame. And the alternatives kept coming. What about lifting the gas bottles up and placing the spare wheel under them leaving the back free for the bike rack? Or fixing the spare wheel under the draw bar? Needless to say none of these ideas appealed to us much. We wanted our own personalised solution.

What took our fancy was we noticed in a brochure that a new A'van was available with a built in storage bin over the draw bar and a longer rear bumper bar. Here appeared to be the answer we were looking for. If A'van could do it why not us? What we did not realise was that the extended bumper bar was there for a reason. Balance. Meanwhile, in a total frenzy, we took a bold decision - to cut the rear bumper off, make it longer and re-weld it to the sub frame. This we thought would make the bike rack much stronger (and unbeknown to us heavier too). What we did was extend the bumper and place the spare wheel further out by one metre. The idea was to fit the 2 bikes between the back of the van and the spare wheel. With hindsight it was a stupid idea - stupid, stupid, stupid. But, we could not stop now so we pressed on.

Weight Distribution Problems

When we picked up the van with this modification we both knew we had created a disaster. Heather did not like the look of the van (it certainly was longer) but I so realised something worse. On our first trip with the bikes in place the altered weight distribution caused the van to swing from side to side especially when we travelled over 90kms. It was a slow trip. Obviously extending the bumper bar and placing the spare wheel so far out meant that the back of the van was too heavy and lifted the back of the car up. The results of our little disaster were there for all to see at the first A'vanners meeting at Crows Nest. It was very embarrassing, but at least we learned something - we found out how many retired engineers are A'van owners. More suggestions. What a mess. Back to the drawing boards.

Unlike our first rack the Fiamma does not damage paint

Not really needed but you can clamp both wheels

The Correct Solution

We booked our now ugly A'van in for reconstructive surgery and crossed our fingers in the hope that the additional investment would finally bring success.

The extended bumper bar was cut back about half the distance and the spare wheel was put back to its original position. At least the back part was now very strong which is not the case with the standard A'van. Next we purchased a Fiamma bike rack made of light aluminium from Coast to Coast RV (cost $395) which could be fixed onto the spare wheel with a simple bolt when the bikes are needed There is a similar rack which can be attached with straps, but its hard to lock the bikes securely on this rack. The rack was also far gentler on holding bikes than the traditional tow bar bike rack you often see on cars.

The good news is that Mark 2 appears to be a great solution. We tested the ball weight of the van with it fully loaded (bikes and water in tank included). To make certain the weight was distributed more evenly we also rearranged items stored in the van. We now store heavy things such as cans of food, metal items such as our BBQ plate and the annex in the front compartments of the van. Bedding and lighter items are stored in the back. The weight balance has been restored. It’s amazing we did not realise the problems created by changing the weight balance of the A'van before we started.

Inserting the spigot - everything is aluminium

Today, after lots of frustration we have a very workable solution that easily, safely and securely easily accommodates 2 bikes, plus has the added advantage of being easy to remove. So, our journey has been successful. You can walk, you can run, you can take you car or, if you are really smart, you can have an A'van AND ride your bike.

Siggy and Heather Nowak

PS: We are happy to answer questions you may have on bike rack alternatives. We are, as you can gather, no engineering experts, but we now know the major pitfalls. Pictured at right is a USA version of the bike rack.

Alternatively, if you have a solution that works (or one that you have tried that does not work) we are keen to share ideas with others interested in solving what appears to be a difficult problem. Happy peddling.

Siggy and Heather Nowak