RV Bike Rack Options

A large proportion of our customers take bikes with them on their adventures and require either a bike rack to be fitted to their motorhome/caravan or an easy solution to store the bikes in the motorhome boot. The topic is usually first discussed during the sales process, and we always do our best to provide the most suitable option for the customer’s needs. Options available have also changed throughout the years and I am happy to share my thoughts in the article below.

​Enjoy the read and please feel free to ask if you have any questions!!!

There are many different bike rack brands such as Thule and Fiamma and the specific brand used varies between dealers and type of vehicle. We predominantly use Thule bike racks due to the quality and suitability of the product.

Note: Bike racks can not be fitted safely to all vehicles. For example vehicles with a rear bathroom or lounge, caravans and campervans always should be assessed for suitability first.

What bike rack is suitable for my vehicle?

If you are looking for a bike rack to be fitted on your caravan or motorhome your options can be limited by the design and built of it.

Caravans:

Some caravans have extended drawbars and therefore can be fitted with a front mounted bike rack on top of the drawbar. However most caravans have a reasonably short drawbar, and this option is not suitable.

Your next option would be to fit a "standard" bike rack mounted to the back wall of the caravan. Please note that the caravans back wall will need to be assessed to determine that mounting a bike rack and carrying bikes will not damage the vehicle.

If your caravan is suitable, you will have the option of fitting a manual or electric wind-down bike rack. The wind down option allows part of the bike rack to be lowered closer to the ground and enables the user to fit bikes easily without lifting them to a high point. E-bike users often consider the option due to the weight of the bikes and to future proof the system.

If the back wall of your caravan does not allow a bike rack to be fitted, you will need to investigate options for your towing vehicle.

Motorhomes:

Assuming the back wall of your motorhome is strong enough to fit any "standard" bike rack your options are as above however we strongly recommend the wind-down option if you carry e-bikes. It avoids lifting heavy bikes to a high point and prevents potential injury as well as future proofing the system.

​If you are either unable to fit a "standard" bike rack to your vehicle or are simply uncomfortable to carry expensive bikes on a rack Thule has recently released a safer option. The Thule Velo Slide bike rack is specifically designed for motorhomes with a large boot and can be a great option. Gary fitted this option to his personal motorhome pictures in the middle above and strongly recommends it.