I am thinking of buying a Fiamma Caravan Bike Rack XLA Pro 200 to fit to the A Frame drawbar of my Bailey Pegasus, has anyone used this rack on their van? I would be grateful for any advice or problems encountered with the rack, is it worth buying?
I currently use a roof mounted rack on my Landrover Discovery but because of the height it is very difficult to put the bike on and take it off, also the top of the bike is about 3.2m from the ground and projects appox 60cm above the height of the van. Not only does this cause problems when booking a ferry but also worried about encountering low bridges hence considering the Fiamma rack.
What about a rack that goes in between van & car - we have one thats connected to the towball. You then just attach a pole to it when you want to take the bikes. Its great - will try and find a piccie.. I wouldnt want to put anything onto my caravan. Similar system to this http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4.php?emulate=accgen&query=11770
I have a detachable towball and don't think there is a bike rack that I can use with the detachable towball whilst towing the van. The Fiamma rack is designed specifically for the caravan drawbar see here http://www.agentfiamma.co.uk/carry-bike-caravan-xl-a-pro-200-2054-0.html .It seems from the description that it is ok for the Bailey Pegasus but I want to make sure before buying.
Quote: Originally posted by peterrabbit1007 on 09/6/2011
I am thinking of buying a Fiamma Caravan Bike Rack XLA Pro 200 to fit to the A Frame drawbar of my Bailey Pegasus, has anyone used this rack on their van? I would be grateful for any advice or problems encountered with the rack, is it worth buying?
I currently use a roof mounted rack on my Landrover Discovery but because of the height it is very difficult to put the bike on and take it off, also the top of the bike is about 3.2m from the ground and projects appox 60cm above the height of the van. Not only does this cause problems when booking a ferry but also worried about encountering low bridges hence considering the Fiamma rack.
Peter
While you have no problems with the noseweight limit on your Discovery at 150kg just remember that the actual hitch on your Pegasus is only rated 100kg so with the added bike rack + bikes you could be over that limit .
To exceed the hitch limit would be dangerous
As mentioned above, I don't think you'll have the spare noseweight capacity to do it. The Al-ko hitch is rated at 100Kg max. I struggle to get my Pegasus noseweight below 100 without anything extra on the towbar.
Looking at some of Pegasuses on site last weekend and my sisters new Pegasus 2 Acona, the draw bar/a-frame does not seen very long, therefore would bikes in this area not hit either the caravan or car when turning. We have a Adria which has an extremely long a-frame which aids in towing stability and have seen plenty with the Fiamma a-frame bike rack attached, but not many uk vans i.e Bailey etc. What about a rear mounted bike rack that attaches to the tailgate of the Disco.
Remember the average adult bike weighs ~ 15kg. And there's the weight of the rack to consider too. It will all go onto your noseweight...have yiu the capacity to deal with it?
You could of course just turn the handlebars, take the pedals off and put the bikes in the van?
Quote: Originally posted by peterrabbit1007 on 09/6/2011
I am thinking of buying a Fiamma Caravan Bike Rack XLA Pro 200 to fit to the A Frame drawbar of my Bailey Pegasus, has anyone used this rack on their van? I would be grateful for any advice or problems encountered with the rack, is it worth buying?
I currently use a roof mounted rack on my Landrover Discovery but because of the height it is very difficult to put the bike on and take it off, also the top of the bike is about 3.2m from the ground and projects appox 60cm above the height of the van. Not only does this cause problems when booking a ferry but also worried about encountering low bridges hence considering the Fiamma rack.
Peter
Peter,
These bike racks are very good and you will see a lot of them in Europe but not here as they are specially designed for the European vans which have a much longer A frame and are able to take the extra weight. You also have to take the A frame cover off to fit them onto the metal chassis, we had a Burstner and it was great for that but have not found any UK vans that are capable of taking on - sorry.
Mrs P
------------- Things are only impossible until they're not!
I am concerned about noseweight but I thought it might be ok. I am surprised to hear about the noseweight issues people are having with the Pegasus, somebody asked me at a recent stay on site if I had problems with noseweight because they struggled to keep it under the limit.
I carry two Calorlite cylinders in the front locker and the noseweight is usually around 85kg, I am only planning to carry one bike therefore thought I would be able to have keep the noseweight at the correct level.
The product description says it fits the new Alko chassis, but like some of the comments above I am concerned the drawbar of the Pegasus would be too short!
I would love to hear from someone who has used this bike carrier on a British type van and their opinion of it.
I must say I'm not keen on the idea Peter and as many have said, the 'A' frame length is an issue on UK vans, plus increased noseweight etc.
Just to throw another and potentially cheaper option into the ring (and echo Valk_Scot's idea); since you plan to transport one bike only, why not carry it inside the van? I carry two bikes in our van and find it very convenient.
Check out Carabike bike stand which provides a good solid means of carrying the bike in the van. I don't have to remove pedals or move handle bars, bikes just go in as they are.
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Topic: Advice A-Frame Bike Rack
