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Tilt or Swing Bikeracks

Mark Masters

Mark Masters

Messages
34
Location
New Zealand
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204 4Motion
We are taking delivery of a new Ocean next month and want to get a couple of ebikes to use while away in Europe.
The van has a towbar. We are wondering what sort of towbar bike rack to purchase.The swing away one looks good ;can anyone offer any useful advice on the pros and cons of tilt versus swing towbar bike racks.
 
We are taking delivery of a new Ocean next month and want to get a couple of ebikes to use while away in Europe.
The van has a towbar. We are wondering what sort of towbar bike rack to purchase.The swing away one looks good ;can anyone offer any useful advice on the pros and cons of tilt versus swing towbar bike racks.
I don't recall any discussions of swing away bike carriers on the forum, so wonder if they are available for the Cali, or at least in the UK. If they do exist they would need to swing out a long way to allow the rear door to open and would need to be extremely heavy and bulky.
Have you details of such a beast?
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We're working through the same choice at the moment, though have zeroed in on the Westfalia BC60 (£300 off a certain e-auction site). It's just the two of us in the van for now, but the rack can take a 3rd bike. As we've got road bikes, the unit wouldn't be too cumbersome to rotate. We've also got limited space to keep the tow ack, and the BC60 folds up nicely.

Is this what you mean as the different between swing and tilt?
Westfalia BC60 - here
Atera Strada DL3 - here
 
If only ever going to carry 2 bikes it might also be worth taking a look at the Uebler i21 / 90º. https://www.uebler.com/en/portfolio-item/towbar-bike-rack-i21-i31/ It is lighter, folds up smaller and quicker to assemble than the BC60. Also has the best mechanism for attaching to the tow ball I've ever seen. I have the older X21 (modified to go 90º) and it lives in the boot most of there year when not in use.
 
If only ever going to carry 2 bikes it might also be worth taking a look at the Uebler i21 / 90º. https://www.uebler.com/en/portfolio-item/towbar-bike-rack-i21-i31/ It is lighter, folds up smaller and quicker to assemble than the BC60. Also has the best mechanism for attaching to the tow ball I've ever seen. I have the older X21 (modified to go 90º) and it lives in the boot most of there year when not in use.

Hi ... Great suggestion re the Uebler - I had not uncovered that option (as looking at the tilt Thule option) Can you confirm that this is able to tilt back enough to access the tailgate on the Ocean?
 
We have got one of these (the Thule branded version, but it is exactly the same rack) - https://www.volvopartshop.com/thule...folding-towbar-mounted-2-bicycles-14165-p.asp

This does fold out the way of the T6 tailgate when it has a couple of bump stops removed underneath (v easy to do). This then just allows it to be lowered further down so it has the clearance.

It supports 2x60kg e-bikes, folds up small and is easy to mount etc. We are very pleased with ours.
 
Hi ... Great suggestion re the Uebler - I had not uncovered that option (as looking at the tilt Thule option) Can you confirm that this is able to tilt back enough to access the tailgate on the Ocean?
The X21 as standard does not tilt back far enough to open the tailgate. In 20 mins it can be modified to tilt far enough. The i21 comes in two versions 60deg and 90 degrees tilt. The latter according to the text and pictures near the bottom of the page / link I posted says suitable for T6 tailgate opening. There is however a problem if you have mountain bikes with very wide handle bars. The outer bikes handle bar will touch the ground before tilting enough to open the tailgate. This happens with my very large E-MTB (810mm bars) so on longer journeys I just loosen the stem clamp and turn the bars 45º. If carrying two bikes with long bars I'd swivel both as the inner one will be too close to the glass for comfort. Even having to do this going from rack in boot to bike on van is super quick.
I feel the design is very well thought through for speedy setting up / attaching bikes / folding and I'm pretty sure there is no other as light or as compact when folded. This video silently sums up why I feel they are so good. ( This shows the 60º version)
 
We have got one of these (the Thule branded version, but it is exactly the same rack) - https://www.volvopartshop.com/thule...folding-towbar-mounted-2-bicycles-14165-p.asp

This does fold out the way of the T6 tailgate when it has a couple of bump stops removed underneath (v easy to do). This then just allows it to be lowered further down so it has the clearance.

It supports 2x60kg e-bikes, folds up small and is easy to mount etc. We are very pleased with ours.
Sorry but not the same rack. I did try that one, it's very clever but not as light and a fair bit larger when folded.
 
Is there a UK Supplier of Uebler?
I don't think so. Seen a few German online shops that deliver to UK but ~£500 for the i21. Expensive yes but worth every penny in my eyes for the design, build quality and the genius tow ball mounting system. I got my X21 from a Ford parts department as a standard accessory. Anyone want to buy it?

One thing though, this may not be the best rack for many people. I very specifically wanted a strong, lightweight, compact, quick to mount rack that I can keep in the boot. I park my van on the street so it's perfect for me to cycle to the van (if I can remember where I parked it) pop the rack on and go. If I'm going for a long ride I'll also pop it back in the boot as would be easy for someone to reverse into it as low level. The VW rack is a no go as I really struggle to lift a 24kg e-mtb so high onto them. If you have a drive / garage then other racks like the Atera Strada may have other benefits.
 
We are taking delivery of a new Ocean next month and want to get a couple of ebikes to use while away in Europe.
The van has a towbar. We are wondering what sort of towbar bike rack to purchase.The swing away one looks good ;can anyone offer any useful advice on the pros and cons of tilt versus swing towbar bike racks.
I have two Kalkoff include i8 bikes and use the VW T6 two bike tilting towbar rack, it works fine as they are very heavy, there is a Thule equivalent. I tried a few to get the most useful, as far as I can tell there is no way to get in the back if you have bikes, I tried the several including Thule that are supposed to give enough room to open the tail but its not enough. Kalkhoff bikes are great, and the battery is good for 100 miles plus.
 
I have a Witter ZX502 which carries two bikes and will tilt to clear the door. There is an 'E' version of this model, but do not know if the geometry is the same. I did find Witter very helpful when researching the 502.
 
I have two Kalkoff include i8 bikes and use the VW T6 two bike tilting towbar rack, it works fine as they are very heavy, there is a Thule equivalent. I tried a few to get the most useful, as far as I can tell there is no way to get in the back if you have bikes, I tried the several including Thule that are supposed to give enough room to open the tail but its not enough. Kalkhoff bikes are great, and the battery is good for 100 miles plus.

A couple of years ago I spent a great deal of time trying to find a solution to the same problem as posed by Mark Masters. I had two Kalkhoff e-bikes, each weighing about 22kg. and a Westfalia detachable tow hitch.

Initially It looked as though the Altera Strada DL3, which has a "slide away" mechanism which would definitely clear the tailgate of the Cali., would fit the bill but it wasn't capable of carrying the weight of the two e-bikes. I asked searching questions about bike carriers offered by Westfalia and Uebler but no manufacturer or re-seller could provide me with an assurance that their products would tilt away from the back of the vehicle sufficiently to clear the Cali. tailgate.

I eventually bought a Thule EC G6, having tried it on at a re-seller and been persuaded that it did what I wanted. I subsequently discovered that the re-seller's guy who fitted it onto the towball had not mounted it quite correctly and that when correctly mounted, and with bikes in place, it did not tip backwards sufficiently to enable the tailgate to open fully.

I have replace the stainless steel rope stays (which attach between the fixed and moveable element of the carrier with an eyelet in each end of each stay) with slightly longer ones. The replacement stays were ordered from S3i Group, 1 Faraday Close, Snape Lane, Harworth, DN11 8RU. The precise detail of replacement stays (as invoiced) is "3mm Eye-Eye Assembly - 7x19 200mm Pin Centres". The delivered cost of the replacements was £36.79 (incl. VAT).

I'm sure that my replacement of the stays which were fitted to the carrier as purchased will have prejudiced any Thule warranty but the solution works perfectly and the carrier (with e-bikes mounted) can be tilted back to allow the Cali. tailgate to open fully. I'm very pleased with the result.
 
I have a Witter ZX502 which carries two bikes and will tilt to clear the door. There is an 'E' version of this model, but do not know if the geometry is the same. I did find Witter very helpful when researching the 502.
Just ordered the ZX502E, will let you know the result
 
We are taking delivery of a new Ocean next month and want to get a couple of ebikes to use while away in Europe.
The van has a towbar. We are wondering what sort of towbar bike rack to purchase.The swing away one looks good ;can anyone offer any useful advice on the pros and cons of tilt versus swing towbar bike racks.
Thanks everyone for the useful tips on bike racks .
The swing away model we were contemplating was the Thule Vertex Swingaway ,but we have been advised that is not allowed in most of Europe as the numberplate is hidden when bikes are attached ,which is illegal.
We like the look of the Uebler iX21.
 
Just ordered the ZX502E, will let you know the result
If you have the factory fit westfalia towbar the Witter rack will not clear the tailgate. The towball on Witter towbars is further from the bumper and the Witter rack will then clear the tailgate.
 
I have a Westfalia towbar, the rack fits/tilts and clears the door perfectly.

IMG_0040.JPG
 
A picture is worth a thousand words (well used to be!!)
 
Hi Paul, please can you confirm which rack you are using. Tiw bar fitted this Friday and Velospace arriving Saturday (fingers crossed).
 
Kevin, the rack is a Witter ZX502 on a Westfalia towbar, works as per the picture.
 
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