Fuel efficient minimal bike hauler options

[trapezeartist]

2 hours ago, dick said:

Can you get the Citroen Berlingo Multispace (estate), or Renault or Peugeot equivalent, in the states? I have a '67 model 1.6 diesel (runs on Ad Blue) that gives 60 mpg average & that includes occasional towing with an 8' x 5' box trailer. My mate has the Berlingo van (double road tax in UK for vans) & carries a 500 Norton trials bike in the back. Remove one of the back seats from the estate & getting a modern trials bike in should be no problem.

Averaging 60 mpg (OK I do drive gently but I'm not mean) I can't go wrong.

Dick.

I use a Berlingo too. I’ve removed both rear seats but there’s no hassle with removing bike wheels or rolling back the handlebars. The Honda Element must be mighty small if you have to do those things.  One thing to bear in mind with putting a trials bike in a car is that it soon gets very dirty. My Berlingo is just for the bike and a few other purposes but I wouldn’t treat my only or main car like that.

[nhuskys]

Small vans in the States at present are.... Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Ram Promaster City (Fiat Doblo). Only the Ford is available with a diesel, but US spec emission controls lower the mpg by quite a bit.  Transit Connect with 1.5L diesel is rated at 30mpg.

All different here, as commercial vehicles are taxed the same when purchased and  commercial vans are cheaper to buy than the car version . In some States, such as NY where I live, a commercial van is cheaper to register and insure, than the car version of the van.

[turbofurball]

14 hours ago, michael_t said:

minivans are pretty handy as well just pop out the middle seats don't even have to take off the front wheel.

Really just depends what else you need the vehicle for.

Ooh, yeah a nice Dodge Caravan with a 2.5 cold air turbo setup is my kinda van

 

10 hours ago, dick said:

Turbo, what is a Festiva? Never heard of it! Fiesta-yes. Got a pic?

They only recently got the Fiesta in the US, the Festiva looks like an old Mazda 121

[ChrisCH]

7 hours ago, nhuskys said:

Small vans in the States at present are.... Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Ram Promaster City (Fiat Doblo). Only the Ford is available with a diesel, but US spec emission controls lower the mpg by quite a bit.  Transit Connect with 1.5L diesel is rated at 30mpg.

Don't forget US gallons are smaller than UK ones.  30mpg in US gallons is 36mpg UK.  Also is the van automatic or shift?  Automatic uses more fuel as a general rule (some new auto are very good).  The new European Transit Connect is Euro 6 which is (as best I know) far stricter than any US emissions regulations.  The new models are returning about 60mpg UK (50mpg US) [1.5 diesel]

The US petrol van is described as having an "impressive" 21mpg.  I am impressed.  In fact I am amazed anyone ever buys one.

https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/6-best-cargo-vans-your-business-226694

 

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by ChrisCH

[2stroke4stroke]

No wonder we think the Americans are profligate.  With reference to the photo above, and to paraphrase Crocodile Dundee, "That's not a minivan, this is a minivan" 128.9 inch overall length

They were occasionally used to transport bikes but the pickup version was more commonly used for such (sometimes two bikes). Should have been delivered with a complimentary pair of wellington boots though☺

Edited January 24, 2019 by 2stroke4stroke

[htrdoug]

Buy 2 vehicles,cheap economy car for everyday and used full size van to haul bikes  and camp in. You will save on hotels on 2 day event,can be outfitted as a rolling workshop with all your need in it. I prefer to buy a bit of fuel in pursuit of comfort. Ram Promaster full size for events,Dodge Caravan 3.8 PUSHROD engine for daily driving(I haul a bicycle in minivan to ride on my lunch break,so enclosed transport is best,and hauling my prized two wheelers on the back of vehicles Is a non starter for me in this cellphoned inattentive driver world),including hail damaged exterior plus rust. Comfortable cruising at 85mph. 20 mpg U.S. is good enough for me(maybe I can switch display to British gallons)Very reliable vehicle so no stinkin’ high repair bills. Pushrod engine rule. In a pinch can haul trials bike in minivan. Liability insurance only on minivan. 20mpg also looks good to me because my previous daily was a lifted Grand Cherokee,12 mpg,but not quite that bad due to 35 inch tires  fooling the Speedo. 

[nhuskys]

3 hours ago, ChrisCH said:

Don't forget US gallons are smaller than UK ones.  30mpg in US gallons is 36mpg UK.  Also is the van automatic or shift?  Automatic uses more fuel as a general rule (some new auto are very good).  The new European Transit Connect is Euro 6 which is (as best I know) far stricter than any US emissions regulations.  The new models are returning about 60mpg UK (50mpg US) [1.5 diesel]

The US petrol van is described as having an "impressive" 21mpg.  I am impressed.  In fact I am amazed anyone ever buys one.

https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/6-best-cargo-vans-your-business-226694

 

 

No manual gearbox available on any USA spec vans. Does Euro 6 have Urea injection?  Between our emission spec, auto transmissions and possibly the way US diesel fuel is formulated.... Our diesel vans get lower MPG. My work Sprinter with heaviest GVW available, 2.1 L Turbo and 7spd auto, hauling 3000lbs everyday, only gets 21mpg. If I drive like a granny, it will get 23mpg. This is 15% better than my older 3.0L 5spd model. I'm buying a Promaster City (Fiat Doblo) for just bikes. US spec is 2.4 L petrol and gets 28mpg. As diesel fuel is generally at least $.60/gallon higher than petrol, it doesn't make sense to buy a diesel that gets 30mpg.

[ChrisCH]

11 minutes ago, nhuskys said:

No manual gearbox available on any USA spec vans. Does Euro 6 have Urea injection?  Between our emission spec, auto transmissions and possibly the way US diesel fuel is formulated.... Our diesel vans get lower MPG. My work Sprinter with heaviest GVW available, 2.1 L Turbo and 7spd auto, hauling 3000lbs everyday, only gets 21mpg. If I drive like a granny, it will get 23mpg. This is 15% better than my older 3.0L 5spd model. I'm buying a Promaster City (Fiat Doblo) for just bikes. US spec is 2.4 L petrol and gets 28mpg. As diesel fuel is generally at least $.60/gallon higher than petrol, it doesn't make sense to buy a diesel that gets 30mpg.

Yes, Euro 6 is urea. We have this spec van as it is now impossible to deliver to some city centres with anything more polluting. Automatic van is about 0.05% of the market here at best.  Owner operator only.  No petrol option on commercials.  The trend is definitely smaller in terms of engine.  The old Isuzu 4WD pickup was 2.5L and is now 1.9L  Bigger engines only on the consumer oriented vehicles for people that are wannabe US red necks.  A few Dodge Ram trucks round here now (US spec engines and ridiculous fuel consumption figures to match).

I had to laugh at the Nissan panel van in the Autotrader review.  It has a bulldozer engine in it.  Very useful if you want to drive through the side of a house for some reason.  I guess a lot of the fuel consumption is hauling round an engine that is bigger than the payload on a lot of small vans.

[nhuskys]

On 1/24/2019 at 8:02 AM, ChrisCH said:

Yes, Euro 6 is urea. We have this spec van as it is now impossible to deliver to some city centres with anything more polluting. Automatic van is about 0.05% of the market here at best.  Owner operator only.  No petrol option on commercials.  The trend is definitely smaller in terms of engine.  The old Isuzu 4WD pickup was 2.5L and is now 1.9L  Bigger engines only on the consumer oriented vehicles for people that are wannabe US red necks.  A few Dodge Ram trucks round here now (US spec engines and ridiculous fuel consumption figures to match).

I had to laugh at the Nissan panel van in the Autotrader review.  It has a bulldozer engine in it.  Very useful if you want to drive through the side of a house for some reason.  I guess a lot of the fuel consumption is hauling round an engine that is bigger than the payload on a lot of small vans.

Dodge made a SRT 10 sports pick up with an 8L V10 petrol engine. I saw one once with number plate "7 MPG" and a bumper sticker that said.... "I'm burning what your Prius is saving!" 

I picked up my USA version of the Fiat Doblo today.

[ChrisCH]

9 hours ago, nhuskys said:

Dodge made a SRT 10 sports pick up with an 8L V10 petrol engine. I saw one once with number plate "7 MPG" and a bumper sticker that said.... "I'm burning what your Prius is saving!" 

 

There is an element of US society that appears to be proud of it's decision to trash the planet for their children.  I like my motorcycles as much as the next person and hope that we - all of us - can find a way to leave the planet in good condition for the next generation of riders without the need to remove every item of pleasure from our lives.  Every gallon of fuel burnt by some moron in a gigantic pick up hauling a quart of beer is a gallon of fuel that would give 8 hours fun on a trails bike.  The CO2 is the same but I have had a full day's riding and the truck has driven to the local store and back.  If people cannot be responsible in their own right at some point it is imposed upon them.  I don't much like things imposed on me and really wish people would just grow up without the need of the government to impose anything.....