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Ladder and bike rack on rear door of van?

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Ladder and bike rack on rear door of van?
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flag Bitelio
FL
Posted: Jun 2, 2023 at 12:49 Quote
Hi. Apologies if the thread should be in a different place but here I go.
We are going to buy a campervan and it has a ladder attached to the rear door. The issue is tha the ladder is on the right side of the double door.
I was thinking about installing a Thule Elite Van XT bike rack on the van, but....the ladder is installed where the bike rack is meant to be.
I thought about putting thd bike rack on the left door, but the bike rack rails would make opening the right door a wee bit difficult (right door opens before the left one, if that makes any sense).
My options are trying to install the bike rack on the left door and moving the rail(s) when I'm not using it to transport the bike so I can open the doors.
Or, an alternative bike rack that could be installed on or around the ladder on the right door.
I could try and move the ladder out of the way and install it on the left door, but its bolted through holes and if I remove the ladder that could could be an entry point for water. Plus I don't really want to drill holes in the left door!!
So....has anybody had the same issue???
I'll try to find pictures to make this a wee bit clearer.
Many thanks in advance!
flag Bitelio
FL
Posted: Jun 2, 2023 at 12:56 Quote
photo
This is the bike rack
flag Bitelio
FL
Posted: Jun 2, 2023 at 12:58 Quote
photo
And this is the ladder.
Thank you
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Jun 2, 2023 at 14:00 Quote
I've watched a ton of adventure van build videos - I would not fear drilling holes in the door to move the ladder to the other side. Then filling in the left over holes would be a simple matter of a rubber bung and/or RTV. Look at automotive hole plugs.
There's a ton of options for what you're considering - probably PB isn't the best forum for van modification. If you haven't already tried, I'd browse for an adventure van forum and lurk there to find more ideas and answers.
Also - have you considered a bike rack in the trailer hitch that can either swing or tilt or move out of the way? Just a thought.
flag Tommy-P87
O+ FL
Posted: Jun 3, 2023 at 4:28 Quote
I probably wouldn't think about moving the ladder, the door is likely to be a bit out of shape from having the ladder bolted to it so wouldn't look great and the left door isn't ideal to bolt to because of where you'd have to bolt it. But like Ben above suggested I'd look to fit a tow bar and something like this https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?50051&gclid=CjwKCAjwyeujBhA5EiwA5WD7_S_Oz7z4eh8b1uWy4vG5wwf9-IqvaKButgHYrSGay7VUNYABDa6WLBoCBBMQAvD_BwE
It's going to make the van a lot longer but definitely the best option I could think of in terms of usability.
flag Kevindhansen
O+
Posted: Jun 4, 2023 at 21:12 Quote
I think Lolo racks has a solution for vans with ladders that’ll work.

https://loloracks.com/collections/van-overland-accessories
flag Bitelio
FL
Posted: Jun 5, 2023 at 2:21 Quote
Hi. Thanks for your replies. I have a couple of ideas in mind but I need to make some (lots) of measurements first, and Sprinter forums to go online too!

Cheers!
flag Bitelio
FL
Posted: Jun 5, 2023 at 2:24 Quote
Kevindhansen wrote:
I think Lolo racks has a solution for vans with ladders that’ll work.

https://loloracks.com/collections/van-overland-accessories
Hi. Yeah, I found that online and it looks good.
But when I asked for an estimate shipping cost, the price was way too much, and no Europe distributor.
I found a UK based company that has something kind of like that, although not as good-looking.

Cheers!
flag Falcon991
Posted: Jun 7, 2023 at 14:50 Quote
If your van has one of those class-3 hitches on it like the first image, just get a hitch rack. You can remove it easily, or I've seen some models that swing out of the way on a swivel. Here's an example: https://yakima.com/products/fullswing
flag atoine
O+
Posted: Apr 2, 2024 at 11:12 Quote
I just installed mine, I went with:
- Flatline Platform Cargo Carrier
- Lolo Racks Bike Rack Kit for Cargo Carrier

Rear Door Bike Rack for Vans

I really like the Lolo Racks, easier to load and less potential damage compared to the North Shore Bike Racks.
I looked at hitch rack options, but it is more cumbersome and it affects the departure angle.

photo

I documented the install process, in case it helps: faroutride.com/rear-door-bike-rack

Cheers,
Antoine
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