fastening bikes in a van

[Nebulous]

I've just bought a van to carry bikes. A Renault trafic crew-cab long wheelbase. Until now the bikes have been on the roof of my car and I hated them being outside, particularly on very long wet journeys.

The new problem is- How do I fasten them in the back of the van? It is ply lined. I've considered extending the ply box over the wheel arch so I have storage for boxes of tools etc underneath it and a level ply platform between a third and half the width of the van for the bikes to sit on top.

This was an impulse buy, because we found one 350 miles away at an exceptionally good price. I went to collect it yesterday, never having seen or driven one, and on the way home my wife put considerable doubt in my head as to whether it was long enough for my bike. I spent most of the journey thinking this could be a very expensive mistake, but on trying it my bike fits behind the bulkhead with about 4 inches to spare when the door is shut.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I've found it hard to tie a bike down without it deciding to take off and flop around as soon as you start driving. I think it's because they are so light and because there's no suspension to work against (on a road bike at least).

I've been thinking some kind of rigid support might be necessary - possibly just little chocks\slots screwed into the bulkhead and floor to stop the wheels sliding. Then you could tie the handlebars to the side.

If anyone has a better way I'd love to hear it though.

 

[roadrash]

you could try something like this from tredz, or make something similar
.https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Delta-Bike...MIspDtu5Xk5AIVS1XTCh0TawJsEAQYASABEgK8BPD_BwE

.

 

[ColinJ]

Bungee cords!

They are very handy for securing bikes. I have used them in vans, trains and ferries.

It is usually possible to find something to hook them to. In your case you can easily add some suitable anchor points.

 

[Drago]

And you need to consider how you'll then secure them to the van, unless you plan to never leave them unattended within.

 

[Nebulous]

Bungee cords!

They are very handy for securing bikes. I have used them in vans, trains and ferries.

It is usually possible to find something to hook them to. In your case you can easily add some suitable anchor points.

The van claims to have 18 anchor point in the back. I haven't been able to identify that many! Maybe some of them are under the ply. We have a few bungee cords, but I'm thinking the bike might rub as the van is moving?

 

[alicat]

I put bikes in the back of my car with old carpet/rugs as a sandwich layer. It seems to work okay, perhaps because there is less room for things to move around.

 

[Nebulous]

And you need to consider how you'll then secure them to the van, unless you plan to never leave them unattended within.

I haven't begun to think about that yet. The van is alarmed. I'm not very security conscious - I have avoided posting on some of the bike lock threads in the past as I've never wanted to admit to my lack of precautions.

 

[Skanker]

Ratchet straps would be better than bungee cords as they don’t stretch when they move. Halfords sells 1 inch wide ones for van use. I would wrap bits of old cloth around the parts that touch the ply and the parts I am strapping, to prevent any damage to paint.
Just don’t over tighten them and the bikes will stay exactly where you put them.

 

[robgul]

My neighbour has a VW Transporter van - he has what looks like a wall-mounted workstand arm attached to the side of the van and two pairs of blocks of wood on the floor . . . wheel the bike into the van with each wheel between a block of wood - swing the "workstand arm" and clamp it either to the top tube or the seatpost. Works a treat. Might be expensive for the arm but a Thule car rack arm/clamp (buy as a spare part) and little bit of ingenuity could work. And for belt and braces a ratchet strap to hold down to one of the load loops.

Rob

 

[Slick]

Ratchet straps are a nice quick easy way of restraining any load in almost any vehicle type which is why the haulage industry rely on them so heavily. Your anchor points are more than likely behind the ply but it shouldn't be difficult to either expose the existing ones or add some more exactly where you need them.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Ratchet straps are pretty heavy duty for securing a bicycle. It'd be easy to ding a bike by swinging the big metal ratchet into them and it might be easy to damage by overtightening.

I'd use rubber-coated cam buckle straps personally. Less bulky, and more convenient.



If you really want ratchets I'd get the retractable ones from Halfords. They are far less faff, cant exert so much force, and are more-or-less plastic-coated so it's less easy to damage paint.

View attachment 486199

 

[snorri]

And you need to consider how you'll then secure them to the van, unless you plan to never leave them unattended within.

People just put a sticky sign on the back door saying NO BIKES ARE LEFT IN THIS VAN, I haven't heard of that system failing

 

[Heltor Chasca]

you could try something like this from tredz, or make something similar
.https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Delta-Bike...MIspDtu5Xk5AIVS1XTCh0TawJsEAQYASABEgK8BPD_BwE

. View attachment 486172

This is it the solution I settled on. I built the rack from timber and screwed these to it. I easily transport 3 bikes in the back of my pickup which has a fibreglass canopy. Quick, secure, hassle free and takes no time to load/unload. No need for straps or even bungees on my set up.

I can take the rack out if I so wish and it is light and small for storage. Best of all, a rack that was £180 online cost me £30.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

How about some foam along one side and a bit on the floor. Then some anchor points and tensioning straps to secure?