Bike Rack other than Bikes

[alistair-irvine]

Hi Fellow MP.
I have the original MP bike rack fitted to the Van, and I was wondering if anyone has not used it to carry Bikes , but fitted a storage box to it instead.(or Bag)
A bit like the tow bar storage system were you can attach a box, or bag.
I know the MP bike rack has a max limit of 70kg which is the same as some of the tow bar storage solutions, as I was contemplating buying a tow bar and box for the van ,but I may not need to now .
Any help would be gratefully received

 

[caMPike]

Actualy searching for same solution, having good experiance using tailgate bike-rack as ski-rack in winter, 3 ski sets fit perfectly inside of closed bike rack. Now for summer need to add extra space for gears and found bag which seems to me could fit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/HandiHolda...2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1

 

[alistair-irvine]

Hi MP's
I took the plunge at the weekend and bought the Thule box. The holes in the bottom where already pre-drilled , however I had to drill 1 each side at the bottom to align up with the bottom rails of the bike rack. The top holes I drilled trough the metal bar that runs internally of theThule box, and the U clamps fitted spot on. I bought a piece of flat bar to go under the bike frame, the nuts on the outside so i can unbolt and lift off , as I am tall enough to reach the top bolts Whole thing solid as a rock .

 

[caMPike]

It is a big box, have You checked struts how they will handle extra load?

 

[alistair-irvine]

Hi ,
Yes .the bike rack has a max load of 70kg, so I assume since its a original optional extra the designers have accounted for that.
The thule box has a max load of 50kg so I think i will ok , good shout though

 

[caMPike]

Original air struts has limited power of 880N to support and keep tailgate up in open position.
Keep in mind the tailgate won’t remain open even with empty box, also very depends if you have manual or electronic operated gate. In case of manual You can change the struts with higher support power