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T5 STYLE BIKE RACK suitable for T6

Well new T6 rack supplied by Steve at SMG has arrived - fitted today without any trouble and pretty chuffed. Am glad i waited for the original style rack - it does the job and looks smart when folded up. It failed the fat bike challenge, but i will order some after-market straps to secure the wheels to the rails. 4 x normal sized bikes should be do-able with a bit of juggling, but you need to be about 6ft 3" plus to fit a gents bike on the first rail without using a step of some kind.
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Well new T6 rack supplied by Steve at SMG has arrived - fitted today without any trouble and pretty chuffed. Am glad i waited for the original style rack - it does the job and looks smart when folded up. It failed the fat bike challenge, but i will order some after-market straps to secure the wheels to the rails. 4 x normal sized bikes should be do-able with a bit of juggling, but you need to be about 6ft 3" plus to fit a gents bike on the first rail without using a step of some kind.
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Looks very neat :thumb
Do you know if 2 x adult & 2 x kids would fit onto this rack, I'm weighing up a tailgate v towbar.
 
Looks very neat :thumb
Do you know if 2 x adult & 2 x kids would fit onto this rack, I'm weighing up a tailgate v towbar.
Hi Richy - it is a neat well designed bit of kit. I will keep it on as i am a regular cyclist. Def fit 2 x adult and 2 x children bikes on. If i had ordered the pre tow bar wiring the decision might have been tougher - i have a monkey bike and could have hooked that onto a tow bar rack - killing two birds
 
Well new T6 rack supplied by Steve at SMG has arrived - fitted today without any trouble and pretty chuffed. Am glad i waited for the original style rack - it does the job and looks smart when folded up. It failed the fat bike challenge, but i will order some after-market straps to secure the wheels to the rails. 4 x normal sized bikes should be do-able with a bit of juggling, but you need to be about 6ft 3" plus to fit a gents bike on the first rail without using a step of some kind.
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Nice rack and nice ride ;-)
 
Well new T6 rack supplied by Steve at SMG has arrived - fitted today without any trouble and pretty chuffed. Am glad i waited for the original style rack - it does the job and looks smart when folded up. It failed the fat bike challenge, but i will order some after-market straps to secure the wheels to the rails. 4 x normal sized bikes should be do-able with a bit of juggling, but you need to be about 6ft 3" plus to fit a gents bike on the first rail without using a step of some kind.
View attachment 14173 View attachment 14173 View attachment 14174

Looks great on your Beach, glad you got it in one piece.
 
Any VW dealer can order it as it is a Genuine German VW Accessory. If it was a UK only accessory then it would only be available in England. Price wise it retails at ÂŁ538.00 inc vat but you will pay ÂŁ486.00 inc as a VIP

I've just tried to order one from our VW dealer and they have said that it can't be done !!!!, I didn't want to get into a debate about it so,
Can I order one from yourself please.

Cheers Richy
 
Hi Richy - they are a matt finish ..... unpainted almost
Thanks CALI FATE,
I'm going to order a set of the decals from the shop, but i wasn't sure what to go for as they come in either matt or gloss finish.
So matt is shall be :thumb
 
I've just phoned Steve @smgcowfoldparts to pay for my "T5 style VW bike rack for a T6" - nice bloke to deal with & refreshing to find someone who just does what they said they'd do with no fuss.

If ParcelForce can now get it here for the weekend I'll post some pictures ASAP with a road bike (or four) fitted.
 
I've just phoned Steve @smgcowfoldparts to pay for my "T5 style VW bike rack for a T6" - nice bloke to deal with & refreshing to find someone who just does what they said they'd do with no fuss.

If ParcelForce can now get it here for the weekend I'll post some pictures ASAP with a road bike (or four) fitted.
Its a massive box - looks like a mattress from a single bed - my pick up man had a transporter van, anything much smaller and it wouldnt have fitted in
 
The box is 170 x 93 x 35 cm, and 15 kg. Just about to arrange shipping of 2 to Denmark.
 
Anybody found a decent bag/box for the rack? Don't like the bradrup one.
 
Okay, I've read all this and I see that the genuine VW T5 bike racks don't fit the T6. So, buying a second hand T5 rack on eBay isn't an option. That's a shame.
The genuine racks look excellent and appear to operate really well but are very expensive. I had a look at the Fiamma alternative on a T5 in a car park. It had feet that rested on the top of the bumper and had done a lot of surface damage. So, buying a rack will have to wait a long while.

I'm assuming that the folded rack protrudes beyond the bumper and therefore makes the van over 5 metres long. Ferries restrict length to 5m, so rack (and bikes) will have to be put inside the van during ferry crossings. Is the VW rack easy to remove and re-fit?
 
Never had my T5.1 Cali with the bikes on the rack checked for length on a ferry. Height is sometimes an issue of where to put you on the ship, especially on North Sea ferries. So I wouldn't worry and say it's less than 5m.
As for removal , it's not that hard (2 bolts) but why remove it. Mine was on all year round.
 
Never had my T5.1 Cali with the bikes on the rack checked for length on a ferry. Height is sometimes an issue of where to put you on the ship, especially on North Sea ferries. So I wouldn't worry and say it's less than 5m.
As for removal , it's not that hard (2 bolts) but why remove it. Mine was on all year round.

Wightlink. Vehicles are measured for length and height on a regular basis. Max length 5m (or pay a lot more). Max height 2.24m (or pay more than double).
 
Wightlink. Vehicles are measured for length and height on a regular basis. Max length 5m (or pay a lot more). Max height 2.24m (or pay more than double).

Wow that's harsh. Not been to the Isle of Wight and just done cross channel , North Sea and the good old tunnel. So one to watch if I ever stray that way. Perhaps fold up bikes are the answer.
The carrier when removed is suprisingly large. So much so I struggled to get it into the Cali in its box when I picked it up from the dealer. It was not much better out of the box. I did have the kids in the back though.
 
I've just taken receipt of my 'ugly' T6 rack in anticipation of my new cali arrival and thought I'd hang it on my t5 cal to visually demonstrate why it doesn't fit. You can workout from this the T5 rack wouldn't fit the T6 either.

But to anticipate the question of why go for the 'ugly' one i thought Id explain...

In simple terms it's better at carrying cycles. I say that as someone who is foremost a cyclist. It holds them further from the vehicle which reduces the chance of the bars fouling the elevated roof when opening the rear door. The securing clamps are very easily removable when not in use and also prevents you having to take all your bikes off when you realise you haven't threaded the last clamp though all the frames (the times I've done that!). it also makes fitting multiple bikes much much easier. The clamps allow it to accommodate different styles of bikes better. I say the last three points as someone with a towball carrier with the same clamping system. But the main improvement is the way the wheels are secured; given a number of my bikes have carbon rims I find the new wheel support of great comfort (plus no more losing of straps along with the annoying gentle tap of them hitting the window in the wind at night). Also the extra floor height allows for a better fitment for the Thule backup box. As for ugly... that will always be subjective, but each to their own ;)


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