Thule VeloCompact 2 bike tilting carrier

Hello,

I have read in a few posts people can open there GC’s back doors with the Thule VeloCompact 2 bike tilting carrier on the towbar.

We have a 680 and we as looking to buy the carrier but looking to understand:

1 - can you open the doors with bikes on the carrier or just the carrier empty.

2 - do the the reverse sensors sense the bikes and constantly warn you as seen as you are in reverse

If anyone has any pictures of the carrier / bikes on the carrier tilted with the doors open I would love to see them.

Thanks for the help.

Martin - new to the group.

We have a T6.1 not a 680, but Thule tech support confirmed that the Velospace XT range is the one that is needed for us. I have been using a VeloCompact and it does not have the clearance on the van to tilt and open the door, but had on my estate car.

There is a thread here on this ( https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/advice-please-thule-velospace-xt-3-bike-tow-bar-carrier.42872/ ), but EMail Thule if you don't get a response here, they were quite responsive to my query.

In relation to the electrics and sensors, ours has a factory fit tow bar, so when attached the van automatically deactivates the rear sensors. It also can detect faulty bulbs on the bike rack, which is good.

We have the Thule EasyFold XT 3 bike rack, which is used on our GC680 with factory fitted towbar. We had to get a replacement tow hook which had a longer neck and mounted this on the lowest setting of the towbar.

This enables the opening of the rear door when tilted, although not fully, you can get into the rear storage. If the bikes are removed and the rack folded to its storage position and tilted both doors can be fully opened.

We have a 3 bike rack - but only ever intent to carry 2 bikes.
In so doing the bikes are fitted in the rearmost 2 slots.
Then no handlebars ever get close to the doors in transit.
It allows room, that when the rack is extended out, the rear doors can be opened. Access is still tight, but safely doable.
I do have some images. But it may take a search to find them.
If I find them I will post them.

PaulGC680 said:

We have a 3 bike rack - but only ever intent to carry 2 bikes.
In so doing the bikes are fitted in the rearmost 2 slots.
Then no handlebars ever get close to the doors in transit.
It allows room, that when the rack is extended out, the rear doors can be opened. Access is still tight, but safely doable.
I do have some images. But it may take a search to find them.
If I find them I will post them.

Click to expand...

Do you know the model you have?

Hi
It’s an Altra Strada DL
We purchased it for the Transporter
But it fits the same with the same clearances on the GC
The image shows the rack with 2 bikes, on the rearmost slots, in the extended/access position.
Hope that helps.

martinbagnall.home said:

Hello,

I have read in a few posts people can open there GC’s back doors with the Thule VeloCompact 2 bike tilting carrier on the towbar.

We have a 680 and we as looking to buy the carrier but looking to understand:

1 - can you open the doors with bikes on the carrier or just the carrier empty.

2 - do the the reverse sensors sense the bikes and constantly warn you as seen as you are in reverse

If anyone has any pictures of the carrier / bikes on the carrier tilted with the doors open I would love to see them.

Thanks for the help.

Martin - new to the group.

Click to expand...

I’ve fitted a Memo device to my tow bar. This allows the bikes on the carrier to swing to one side and you can on the back doors. If you have a factory fit tow bar and wiring the rear parking sensor stop working when you plug a trailer to it.(It also stops the stop start from working)