I have now used my Thule XT3. its really easy and works well. See below photos taken yesterday.
Thule VeloSpace XT 3 Or Atera STRADA DL 3 - bike rack
- Thread starter czmate1999
- Start date
Marmite76
New Member
Hi skinnysye I have a VW T6 2016 barn door lowered and am thinking of buying the Atera STRADA DL3 rack. Will the lowering of the van stop the rack sliding back enough to open doors fully? How much clearance is there between doors and rack once opened with bikes on?
Don't know if you've bought already, but clearance is tight... see photo. As mentioned previously, it's the black plastic bolts that catch. I think I'm going to change mine though - it's a great rack for our road bikes... but for long wheel-based enduro-style mountain bikes it's not stable enough and the wheels are hardly sat on anything at all.
Considering a Thule or a tailgate rack.
Hi, how does this work with your new Cube eBike?
Cheers. I should have had a look at Bala.
Works fine. I have it on the position closest to the van as it is the heaviest bike. I turn the handle bars but that’s it.
ANd the tailgate can open with the bikes loads on the rack?Works fine. I have it on the position closest to the van as it is the heaviest bike. I turn the handle bars but that’s it.
Just looks its gone up £100 since you bought yours.
Yup, I had the three bikes on and it still opened up ok. I always open up slowly though.
I know, crazy right - think it may have been on some kind of offer.
Hmm mine is a Thule 925. I don’t think I have the cable move option.I settled on the Thule XT3 which i purchased from Halfords for £485.
It arrived almost fully assembled with only the upright bar needing to be added.
View attachment 72558 View attachment 72559 View attachment 72561
Installed the XT3 and the tailgate would not open... not a problem though...
View attachment 72562
You are able to adjust the XT3s opening position, see above pic, just move the bolt to the next opening position (on both sides
View attachment 72563 View attachment 72564
Looking at it and how it opens you may have to adjust the handle bars on your bike, but as i haven't used it yet i cannot say for sure.
Overall, I am initially impressed with the build quality and ease of installation.
Hope this helps you if you are looking at the XT3.
CZ.
Trellislfc
New Member
Please can you confirm if this rack will interfere with the reversing sensors on rear bumper?We have moved from the VW T6 tailgate mounted carrier to a tow ball mounted Atera Strada DL3. The main reason for the move was that you cannot open the tailgate when the bikes are mounted (and it is less height to lift an e-bike!) This was a pain on our travels when stopping in Aires and wild camping for a night.
We used the Atera Strada DL3 with 2 e-bikes attached on our trip to Spain and Portugal pre-Covid 19 this year. When we first got it I was concerned about the about of movement in the carrier itself. The curved slide mechanism adds to some movement. However, after using continuously on our 4,500 mile trip, it was never removed and did not budge. It was completely fault free and served us very well.
The DL3 is the bike carrier that gives you most clearance with a tailgate van. Especially if you are lowered as you have less height and, therefore, clearance to the ground to hinge back on.
Thule make great carriers (the T6 tailgate carrier is made by them) and I am sure it is more substantial (and of course with that comes weight). If I could open the tailgate with a Thule carrier, I would probably go with a Thule. But I cannot complain that the DL3 does not do the job and there are many happy users.
@Trellislfc
If your towbar electrics are coded in, the reversing sensors will turn off completely when the bike carrier is connected.
If your towbar electrics are coded in, the reversing sensors will turn off completely when the bike carrier is connected.
As @RunDSG said. We have factory fit sensors and tow bar electrics. The sensors are deactivated if a trailer/bike carrier/lighting board is connected. The reversing camera if fitted remains activated.
Yup. Exactly same for me. Reversing is not super easy… LWB + bike rack… we’re really long. But the guidelines and looking through the bikes is still better than nothing.
I’ll be
I’ll be interested to see what you come up with. I could see this working with a wired or wireless rear dash cam, but they wouldn’t normally be weatherproof.
Motorcycle ones are.
I'll report back as and when. Sorry to correct you but the wireless ones that I've looked at so far have all been weatherproof (ie. the Autovox range). TBH, as a reversing camera, they would be about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike if they couldn't take a bit of damp!
Hadn’t even thought of that. Used to ride motorbikes and never had a dashcam. Haven’t actually seen these. Nice idea though.
I have a Atera Strada DL3 I'm selling due to a change in van if you're interested?
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