Best Van for Storing Bikes?

[adam277]

I've been looking to buy a van to store my bike in as I am not going to pay £100 a month for a garage.
The way I see it is if I got to get 4 wheels I may as well get one I can put shit in.

I've been looking at the Mercedes Sprinter Luton with tail lift. Seems like a great choice and a tail lift would make getting my bike in and out a hell of a lot easier. The other choice is a transit but all I'm hearing it that the benz is better.

Any tips?
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Bikes: Previous Bikes: Piaggio x8 125: 2012/2013, YBR 125: 2013/2013 BMW R1150GS 2013/2017, Honda CBR600RR 2017/2017, Honda CB500 2018/2018, Suzuiki Address 110cc 2019/2020, BMW R1200GS 2021-2023
Current Bike: Honda CBF 125: current

[Enduro Numpty]

I'm assuming you have nowhere to put up your own shed/garage. If a van's going to sit on the road then MOT's, tax and insurance will be a factor. If you have somewhere to put up a shelter I would think that a prefabricated concrete shed of decent proportions and a shit load of security would be a more cost effective and secure option.

Other than that I have no idea about what's the best van. I know from my days with off road bikes that the thieves stole bikes regardless of the van and sometimes took the vans too!! Think later vans like modern cars were a bit harder to nick.

[Beehive Bedlam]

I don't envy you getting a GS out and in the back of a van for the daily slog.

[adam277]

[Supermoto_Fan]

Entering the real world in 3...2...1
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[stinkwheel]

You can fit most bikes in a vito. Although I'd check the height if it's an 1150GS.

Has the advantage of a side door each side. Deploy an awning and you've got a respectable wee workshop.

Mine has a tailgate rather than back doors which gives me somewhere dry to stand.

If the lift is a no-go, make sure you have a proper ramp, they aren't expensive (I fucked around with old doors and stuff for years before I realised).

In gear with the clutch in to come back down a ramp. Use the clutch as a brake (clutch out, brake is on).

One of those wheel chock things gives you both somewhere to park it in the van AND something solid to anchor it down to.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[adam277]

[stinkwheel]

I've seen a few caravans done too. Which have the advantage of not needing an MOT, tax or insurance...
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Ste]

[andyscooter]

Trying to get a bike from sideways on a tail lift to length ways in a van on you own
Regularly

Good luck with it

Also Luton vans tend not to fit in a lot of carpark spaces due to height restrictions to stop pikeys
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[G]

Where are you?

Around here's it's about £10pw for a garage. That could easily be the insurance cost for a van per year, before you get to other costs like MOT.

A van IS useful for lots of things.

If you're going that route, consider how you will use it.

[adam277]

[quote="Ste"]

[G]

[dodgydog]

[G]

Or get a properly-sized tail lift .

If it's a vito sized van, shouldn't need two ramps if you're not small.

If it's a bigger van - ride it in.

[grr666]

I'm van shopping at the moment, had kind have decided on a Trafic tbh. Mainly because my Kangoo has been so plucky
and reliable for the 4 and a bit years I've had it. Barely spent anything on it and it just keeps on going. I also want
to transport bikes from time to time, although my main purchase reason is work related. Anyhow my genuine
question, what's so good about the Vito? It seems a bit smaller than the Trafic at a glance, I've driven plenty of
Sprinters of all shapes and sizes, but never a Vito. Haven't commited to a van yet, but am ready to buy. So
why did you buy yours G?
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[G]

I bought mine mostly on fuel economy - I wanted something that could do long trips with a bike or two in at the best economy.
The traffic is equivalent to a Transit I believe, while the Vito matches the new Transit connect.
The crew cab version is light enough that it counts as a car for a lot of things, including speed limits.

Sometimes it'd be nice to have the bit-wider size of the next step up; but if using it for daily stuff, nice to have that little bit extra for car parks and so on.

It drives more 'like a car' than other vans; though this doesn't overly bother me either way.

Mine has badly suffered from rust - first of the 2nd gen ones. Later ones and non-white ones not so bad.

[Evil Hans]

[G]

Yep. "Dual purpose vehicle" is the classification.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles

Must weigh under 2040kg unladen and...

[Evil Hans]

[G]

I could swear that 2040kg used to be lower or something - as there's quite a few that count as that (ie transits etc).

Incidentally, generally; most SWBs will be under 2m so get into car parks. The Vito does that with the roof rails on too which the next step up doesn't generally.

I'd love a van with a lower floor to give more height without the hit on external height/aerodynamics. A FWD only model should be able to do this well (got a feeling an older Renault wasn't quite good on this aspect); unfortunately not aware of any around of a reasonable age.

The shorter Vito is about the same length as an estate car.
It can also be insured as a car, which may be of benefit if being used as a daily-driver.

[stinkwheel]

A vito will also take a royal enfield, five bicycles, two weeks camping gear, a chiminea, my wife with all her cycling, motorcycling, camping and canoeing gear AND a 16 foot canoe on the roof and still do 90mph down the M6.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Rogerborg]

[G]

Similarly:
Two supersports track bikes, 5 spare wheels with tyres. Manual tyre changer. 2x kit bags with full leathers. 2 x full suspension 6' travel mountain bikes. Push bike gear. 100 litres of fuel and water containers. Good selection of tools and parts. Two people in the front. Computer and camera gear etc.
Also towing a caravan.
And for the first segment, a medoium sized dog in the back too!

A bigger van would have been nicer; but had every accessible enough to do mountain biking and only have to properly-unpack for trackday.

[chris-red]

Lutons are MASSIVE, a bit of a strange vehicle to get on a whim.

Rather than bump my bike off the kerb I approach it then wack the throttle open and 'jump' it. I figure there is less chance of it bottoming out. I wonder if a similar principle could be applied to getting a bike out of a luton van...
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