Fitting out a van

[sukahutan]

Just bought a Renault Trafic, H1L1. It has a wooden floor but that's all. Any suggestions how I go fitting it out, which I've never done before, so that I have have some secure storage. Photos would be ace. Thanks.

[scifi]

I suppose it has got tie-down anchor points, so you will need some Ratchet Straps.   Just use two straps, one on each handlebar, and compress the suspension about half travel.  Put the strap clips into the anchor points.   Once you have found the correct length of the straps, you don't ever need to alter that setting.   I use a rock behind the back wheel, to stop the bike moving back and fro.

Add some boxes for tools, and helmet, and you will most likely find a space for your boots and fuel.

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[section swept]

Protect the internal sides of the van body by panelling out with some 3-ply wood to keep the weight down. Add a few wooden battons at footrest and handlebar height to lean the bike(s) against when putting them in the back. Rather than a rock ( as suggested previously, which may work well if it stays in place) to stop the bikes moving in transit try to arrange the tie downs mor effectively i.e. from one tie down anchor through and around the rear wheel to the other side anchor. A nice bright led interior light would be a benefit and maybe some where to attach a small vice at the rear of the van, but out of the loading area. Black out any rear door widows to keep toe rags eyes from seeing what’s in your van. Get yourself a good immobiliser so the van is still there in the morning, nice for the toe rags to discover that not only have they nicked your van but ended up with a bike and some goodies too!

[turbofurball]

Because I cart around a couple of bikes at a time I got basic wheel chocks off a famous auction website, they were something like £20 each.  Otherwise, you can point a single bike at the front corner at 45 degrees.

If you don't have a bulkhead, weld at least one heavy bar accross otherwise if you have an accident your bike can end up in the passenger compartment (a 70Kg bike will go through plywood like a knife through butter in a 50mph frontal crash).

In other news, having a couple of lights and coat hooks in the back is super useful, and having tried different solutions I decided to keep all my parts and tools in stackable plastic boxes - it means you can move everything around easily should you need to transport other things besides bikes

[2stroke4stroke]

1

Edited December 26, 2018 by 2stroke4stroke
Wrong topic

[turbofurball]

13 hours ago, Solarflares said:

... Could even run a mains-inverter for a decent compressor and powerwash (bucket-fed!) - so you can clean your bike and blow it off before you set about changing filters , oil etc. ...

I have a 12v water pump and a couple of water containers, it gives about the same pressure as mains water so enough to get non-clay mud off   Hadn't thought of an air compressor, but that would be super handy for tyres as well as blowing muck out - much better to transport and store with some pressure in them!

[blow_away]

Re. the ratchet straps, I prefer to put these through the bottom yoke rather than over the handlebar. You can end up pulling down with more force than you realise,  so go round a strong component.

[oni nou]

https://youtu.be/qlR-bSRA74A?t=1m37s I would not worry too much about the strength of your handlebars ...unless they are old steel ones.

Edited December 26, 2018 by oni nou

[2stroke4stroke]

I 've never been happy with the thought of subjecting alloy bars to the prolonged stress of compressing the forks using hooks on the bars.  But I'm old enough to remember when alloy bars were felt to be too easily bent and indeed subject to fracture.

[goudrons]

I used a bit of 2 by 2 and made a wooden block that is just high enough to slip under the sump guard. It's about 12"x 12" x 12".

Once slipped under there, I ratchet down from the foot pegs and the bike clamps down on the sump guard rather than the suspension.

It's all very tight without having to put massive force back through the frame and suspension with the straps.

Two straps are enough, but if you use four, one For and one Aft each side, the bike will go no where.

 

I did the same trick with a trailer, Bike sits over a bar under the sump level with the trailer axle, the rear wheel swings free over the rear.

It's really only half a trailer, as there's nothing at the back, it sits up right against the garage wall out of the way. Again, you get a much tighter hold without pulling too hard on the frame and suspension.

 

[oni nou]

On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 11:24 AM, goudrons said:

 

It's all very tight without having to put massive force back through the frame and suspension with the straps.

 

 

Massive force??  ...what massive force is required to hold a trials bike onto a trailer or in a van that would cause it to break ........If a trials bike is capable of completing the Scott trial or SSDT without breaking then why is it suddenly very fragile when its on a trailer or transported in a van........bizzare

Edited January 5, 2019 by oni nou

[goudrons]

Your cheap 25mm racket strap is capable of putting around 800kg of force through it.

I doubt the wire in the springs that are made to support around 70kg of bike and an average rider of say 90-100kg are designed to be held compressed under even half that load for any length of time without damage.

It's designed to hold 165kg - 200 kg in it's natural uncompressed state, and not to be held compressed with 800kg or even 400kg on it.

You wouldn't load an average car with 800kg in the boot, so yes it's a massive force to hold a bikes springs under.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by goudrons

[oni nou]

23 minutes ago, goudrons said:

Your cheap 25mm racket strap is capable of putting around 800kg of force through it.

I doubt the wire in the springs that are made to support around 70kg of bike and an average rider of say 90-100kg are designed to be held compressed under even half that load for any length of time without damage.

It's designed to hold 165kg - 200 kg in it's natural uncompressed state, and not to be held compressed with 800kg or even 400kg on it.

You wouldn't load an average car with 800kg in the boot, so yes it's a massive force to hold a bikes springs under.

 

 

 

 

 

That explains it,...now I understand why you are worried about your bike breaking .....perhaps if you just tightened the straps just enough to hold the bike ...."Stop stroking that mouse Lennie".

[goudrons]

If you had read my original post, you'd understand I do. I tighten it enough for it to go no where, without compressing the suspension and with as little force on the straps as possible.

Using a block under the sump allows you to pull the bike down on to that rather than pull it down against the suspension, it won't bounce on the straps and as a bonus you can prop the bike up on it without having to hold it while you strap it down.

Make the block just tall enough and you can also use it as a stand if you need to work on the bike in the field and the whole thing costs peanuts.

I gather I may not be totally alone in my thinking as the concept of blocking the suspension is nothing new. "Fork Savers" have been available for motorcross bikes for years, but they only do half the job and aren't suitable for a trials bike due to the mudguard arrangement.

[oni nou]

4 hours ago, goudrons said:

If you had read my original post, you'd understand I do. I tighten it enough for it to go no where, without compressing the suspension and with as little force on the straps as possible.

Using a block under the sump allows you to pull the bike down on to that rather than pull it down against the suspension, it won't bounce on the straps and as a bonus you can prop the bike up on it without having to hold it while you strap it down.

Make the block just tall enough and you can also use it as a stand if you need to work on the bike in the field and the whole thing costs peanuts.

I gather I may not be totally alone in my thinking as the concept of blocking the suspension is nothing new. "Fork Savers" have been available for motorcross bikes for years, but they only do half the job and aren't suitable for a trials bike due to the mudguard arrangement.

.....I have used a trailer/van 1000'sof times to carry a bike and strapped the bike down by compressing the forks to keep tension on the straps and I never broke a spring or blew the fork seals or had a bike fall off or fall over in transit or boken the frame/handlebars etc....and it was not just sheer  luck.

Edited January 8, 2019 by oni nou