Find me a van then...

[Couchy]

Bars will still get in the way of eachother

Not if you space off the wheel clamps a few inch on each one, 2 forward one back you’ll have a lot more space

[weeksy]

In the Caddy (sadly no pics) I used to take the front wheels out and had fork clamps mounted on the floor (ply floor so it was easy). Doing it that way with the bars turned you'll easily get 4 bikes side by side. There's some very clever stuff around now if you're prepared to pay. I had kit from this lot in the Crafter, it was well worth it:

https://loadedbikes.co.uk/

Bars will still get in the way of eachother

Loosen them off. In my garage I have 3 bikes hanging off 2 x 18" bars.

Can't. They're triple clamp forks like a motorbike, and like a motorbike they'll only turn 45deg. I'd have to completely remove from top yoke to turn fully.

[Yorick]

In the Caddy (sadly no pics) I used to take the front wheels out and had fork clamps mounted on the floor (ply floor so it was easy). Doing it that way with the bars turned you'll easily get 4 bikes side by side. There's some very clever stuff around now if you're prepared to pay. I had kit from this lot in the Crafter, it was well worth it:

https://loadedbikes.co.uk/

Bars will still get in the way of eachother

Loosen them off. In my garage I have 3 bikes hanging off 2 x 18" bars.

Can't. They're triple clamp forks like a motorbike, and like a motorbike they'll only turn 45deg. I'd have to completely remove from top yoke to turn fully.

Even so, they'll be much narrower than they are as superates.

[weeksy]

In the Caddy (sadly no pics) I used to take the front wheels out and had fork clamps mounted on the floor (ply floor so it was easy). Doing it that way with the bars turned you'll easily get 4 bikes side by side. There's some very clever stuff around now if you're prepared to pay. I had kit from this lot in the Crafter, it was well worth it:

https://loadedbikes.co.uk/

Loosen them off. In my garage I have 3 bikes hanging off 2 x 18" bars.

Can't. They're triple clamp forks like a motorbike, and like a motorbike they'll only turn 45deg. I'd have to completely remove from top yoke to turn fully.

Even so, they'll be much narrower than they are as superates.

Doesn't need to be. 3 bikes, 2 riders, it's big/spaced appropriately for what we need.

[dern]

You could make a track that raised the centre bike by 6 inches or whatever you need out of a cheap roof rack bike carrier.

[weeksy]

You could make a track that raised the centre bike by 6 inches or whatever you need out of a cheap roof rack bike carrier.

Still not sure i really need to matey. It's fairly effective as it is, fairly well spread out, plenty of space for 'stuff' and pretty much works well as it is.

The one thing i would like is it to be a bit quicker/easier to load and unload.... but i can't see any way to improve that at all. Things take a certain amount of time and really it's only a couple of mins. Having the paddock stands fixed in the back would arguably improve that, but also restrict other things at the same time, so they'll stay as unthethered.

Need to give the back a clean out today actually.

[Couchy]

Tie down straps permanently fixed to floor/side, bit like the uplifts so it takes 15s to tie each bike down. I’ve got them high in my bus and they go on the seat pulling each way takes no time to load.

[weeksy]

Tie down straps permanently fixed to floor/side, bit like the uplifts so it takes 15s to tie each bike down. I’ve got them high in my bus and they go on the seat pulling each way takes no time to load.

Yeah they don't come out/off, they stay in place anyway.

[weeksy]

I got 34mpg from the first tank. As it was not the sort of conditions today that need the screen/windows clearing with the air-con i thought i'd switch it off when i was out.

Over a 2 hour trip.
2023-01-05_12-51-18 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Got to be happy with that... mostly motorway and sitting at 67mph on the Cruise control.

[weeksy]

2023-01-09_12-49-11 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2023-01-09_01-05-26 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2023-01-09_01-05-32 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2023-01-09_01-21-02 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[MrLongbeard]

Screw a couple of rows of https://www.first4magnets.com/magnet-ma ... 2|ps_2_679 on them, should help stop small parts growing legs and going missing when you're working on the bikes

[weeksy]

Oh man this starts getting fun when you get to the bigger pieces.

I'm doing the side piece behind the driver... it's top to bottom in height and about half a van length. I'm not quite sure how this one will go.

I've got it cut out, laid and the glue now drying with the carpet on.... Then need to flip it and do the edges onto the back side, then re-fit and screw back in.

I REALLY don't like drilling towards a van panel... i know i shouldn't drill through the side of the van, but it still makes me nervous !

2023-01-10_08-42-05 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[weeksy]

2023-01-10_09-10-01 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[weeksy]

2023-01-10_10-21-08 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Side done... that's it till this evening/afternoon. Wheel arch next and then over to the passenger side later in week

[Count Steer]

Looks a bit gloomy in there. May I recommend one of these? https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-rech ... 00lm/339pg

Is it a sound deadening kit you're fitting or are the boards already in there and you're padding them with carpet tiles? (Or cutting the boards as well?).

[weeksy]

Looks a bit gloomy in there. May I recommend one of these? https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-rech ... 00lm/339pg

Is it a sound deadening kit you're fitting or are the boards already in there and you're padding them with carpet tiles? (Or cutting the boards as well?).

Boards/Ply already are in place, so i'm just removing them, carpeting them and re-fitting them. I didn't bother with sound deadening stuff, it's a van not a Lexus. I don't think it'd ever reach the status of a car no matter what i do with it. It's not carpet tiles, it's just a 5m x 2m length of carpet you then need to cut, glue and re-mount.

Lighting is something i'm debating. Whether to do with a 12v setup and get a grown up to wire it in. Or even an LED that can plug into a USB battery pack thing. It's the sort of thing that whilst i may get things done this week, this month, i may then find in the coming months that i change my plan, swap things about and do things slightly differently.

[Taipan]

Not sure I really see the point of carpeting the panels? That's more something people do with campers, than utility vans. It's certainly not the most durable of coverings and I doubt it'll be looking good in a few months time. I think you'd have been better off just painting them white for better light reflection. You can easily repaint after it gets scuffed etc.

[weeksy]

Not sure I really see the point of carpeting the panels? That's more something people do with campers, than utility vans. It's certainly not the most durable of coverings and I doubt it'll be looking good in a few months time. I think you'd have been better off just painting them white for better light reflection. You can easily repaint after it gets scuffed etc.

Was as much an experiment as anything. See how it looks, see how it lasts and address it from there.

Whilst it is a utility vehicle, it's also a van we use day to day and will be sitting in, around, potentially even one of us sleeping in it at times.. lunches, meals there'll be a fair bit of time with the van this year potentially.

[weeksy]

2023-01-10_12-40-03 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Got slightly spoiled by the backing of the carpet tile on the top of the wheel arch, i didn't use the carpet i've used everywhere else because i wanted to put something harder wearing on the top as that's where we'll be sitting with muddy arses and with boxes being lobbed on there etc. But the carpet tiles have a thick black base, which is what we can see on the top of the wheel arch. I'm not convinced yet that it'll get left like that

[MrLongbeard]

But the carpet tiles have a thick black base, which is what we can see on the top of the wheel arch. I'm not convinced yet that it'll get left like that

Turn it over, use a sharp knife and a steady hand and cut a chamfer out of the backing, resultant leading edge will now be thinner and more cooperative to being formed over the edge of the wheel arch