Anyone attached a bag to the *folded* OEM bike rack?

[a892374923874]

Here's my extra storage completed.

I had 2 bags made by bags4everything.

• 1 bag in a "D" shape to sit high up on the tailgate bike rack and clear the bikes on the towbar rack. This is with zipped panels at each end, and eyelets in the back so I could mount it to the rails. This is going to be for light bulky items such as bike helmets and levelling ramps. Or if it is raining when we leave a campsite we can put anything wet in there.
• 2nd bag to sit in between the rear windscreen and the bike rack. This will carry a Burley flatbed bike trailer https://burley.com/en-uk/products/flatbed in space that is otherwise unused.

Pics of the 1st bag and the mounting - it is empty.




Pics with a shower tent in the 1st bag and the 2nd bag in position. This pic makes it look a little unwieldy but that's just because it is a closeup. I'll take a photo from further away if anyone is interested. I could probably put a strap around the trailer bag to keep it off the windscreen.

 

[a892374923874]

Couple more pics in use.

The good thing is the bag cleared the bikes on the towbar rack, and the boot lid stayed up with a few fairly lightweight bulky things in the bag.

There's about 5 to 7kg in the bag and nearly 60kg of bikes on the rack. There's also a few extra kg of stuff in the chair storage compartment.

I did get the van weighed fully loaded in this configuration. We were 40kg under the 3080kg overall limit, but the rear axle was 30kg over its limit, so we reshuffled some heavy stuff in the boot forward.

 

[jackster]

Why remove anything? I also have the "newer rack" and decided to just use it like a shelf with some Thule lockable straps. Photos with a Weber Pulse 1000 and a large SUP on it during my recent trip to the West coast of France.

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Hello! Reactivating this old thread... does anyone know what this Evolve box is and what towbar mount it goes on? Assuming the tailgate boot can open with it on! Thanks!!!!

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Hello! Reactivating this old thread... does anyone know what this Evolve box is and what towbar mount it goes on? Assuming the tailgate boot can open with it on! Thanks!!!!

That’s the MFT Backbox attached to the MFT carrier which then mounts to the towball. The Evolve sticker was added (Evolve electric skateboards)


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[jackster]

That’s the MFT Backbox attached to the MFT carrier which then mounts to the towball. The Evolve sticker was added (Evolve electric skateboards)


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Wow thank you for the speedy reply. I've found it. It looks pretty much ideal, even if a little pricey. Would you recommend? Btw. I'm hugely jealous of your entire set up, it is exactly what I need now the kids are outgrowing the California

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Wow thank you for the speedy reply. I've found it. It looks pretty much ideal, even if a little pricey. Would you recommend? Btw. I'm hugely jealous of your entire set up, it is exactly what I need now the kids are outgrowing the California

I have a MFT Backbox listed for sale on the forum. Open to offers!

 

[B16 JOG]

We have a set from Terranger that can convert the bike rack to a carrier rack. Basically (temporarely) removing the fold down bike carrier part and adding some generic, fixed carrier parts. Then we can attach our spare wheel or a box, a canister, sand boards, what have you. You then get something like this:

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That’s brilliant!

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Wow thank you for the speedy reply. I've found it. It looks pretty much ideal, even if a little pricey. Would you recommend? Btw. I'm hugely jealous of your entire set up, it is exactly what I need now the kids are outgrowing the California

I still love mine and the fact that it’s modular. I also have the longer slide in side pieces for winter and we can fit 2 long (175) alpine snowboards and all our winter gear.

Your should also consider how much weight you will need to haul? With the Backbox I can hold 60kg as I also have a special “swing away” bracket it’s mounted to so I can simply swing the box curbside rather than using the tilt feature which is more complicated when full. Using a stock rack add on bag or box limits the total weight you have available.




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[jackster]

I still love mine and the fact that it’s modular. I also have the longer slide in side pieces for winter and we can fit 2 long (175) alpine snowboards and all our winter gear.

Your should also consider how much weight you will need to haul? With the Backbox I can hold 60kg as I also have a special “swing away” bracket it’s mounted to so I can simply swing the box curbside rather than using the tilt feature which is more complicated when full. Using a stock rack add on bag or box limits the total weight you have available.




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Ok, that's interesting ! Is the swing away bracket sold by MFT? I do also have a high level cycle carrier with a soft but very large duffle type bag on it. Is the limit on weight you mention because of the force on the rear axel? Our idea is to have less inside the vanb(so it will be lighter from that point of view) to make the rearranging of spaces easier and allow us to park up in places like parking platz which don't allow tents

 

[jackster]

I have a MFT Backbox listed for sale on the forum. Open to offers!

Thanks Chipb. We're in York so it's not possible to collect unfortunately

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Ok, that's interesting ! Is the swing away bracket sold by MFT? I do also have a high level cycle carrier with a soft but very large duffle type bag on it. Is the limit on weight you mention because of the force on the rear axel? Our idea is to have less inside the vanb(so it will be lighter from that point of view) to make the rearranging of spaces easier and allow us to park up in places like parking platz which don't allow tents

The weight limit of the stock rack mounted above the plate and is n front of the window is much less. I don’t recall exactly so someone will likely correct me, but I believe it’s 35-40kg including the rack. That’s why you can’t put heavy e-bikes on if.


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[bvddobb]

The weight limit of the stock rack mounted above the plate and is n front of the window is much less. I don’t recall exactly so someone will likely correct me, but I believe it’s 35-40kg including the rack. That’s why you can’t put heavy e-bikes on if.


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It is 60kg.