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QWILL THE A-FRAME HOLD A BIKE RACK?
I want to buy a new caravan and fit a bike rack on its A-frame. That should be easy enough to do, shouldn’t it? Is it just a case of removing the moulding?
Richard Barber
Peter Baber replies…
Actually, I would be very careful about doing that. You would need to check the caravan’s warranty beforehand, because removing the moulding might count as an alteration too far, and so invalidate the warranty.
In any case, if you are buying a British-made caravan, you could well find that the A-frame isn’t going to be big enough to support any of the current bike racks that are on the market and designed to go in that position.
This is because caravans produced in this country tend to have shorter A-frames. That said, one exception might be Bailey’s Discovery models: they don’t have mouldings on the A-frame, either.
QCAN I CARRY EBIKES ON THE CAR ROOF?
I’m planning to buy a couple of electric bikes to take on tour with us this summer, carried on the roof of the car.
However, I’m worried that an ebike will be heavy and difficult to lift on to a roof rack.
Should I be concerned? And if so, is there an easy solution?
Trevor Burns
David Motton replies…
You’re right to be considering this factor before you go ahead, because ebikes are indeed quite a bit heavier than conventional bicycles, owing to the additional weight of the battery and motor; about 20kg is not uncommon.
I would be inclined to take a test ride before buying and try lifting the bike as you would if loading it onto a roof-mounted bicycle carrier. If it’s too much of a strain, you could consider a folding ebike, which can be stored in the boot or inside the caravan during the journey.
You could also look at a rack that assists the user in loading the bike, such as the Pender ebike lifter. This can hoist bikes weighing up to 30kg onto the roof of your car (ebikelifter.eu).
QWHICH CAMPSITES ARE NEAR CAEN?
We’re planning to tow our Adria caravan to the south of France later this year – we’re driving down from Scotland before crossing from Portsmouth to Caen. Could you recommend any campsites near the latter, where we might stop for a day or two before continuing?
We’ll be travelling with our children (aged four and six), so family-friendly parks would be our preference.
