bike rack for Topaz - recommendations?

What works best for carrying 1-2 pedal bikes on a 2001 Topaz? - which is a T4 tailgate with no cutouts - and, you have to open the tailgate at least a bit in order to turn the gas on for that ever-important cuppa on a long trip...
Are the cheaper towball racks (Thule, Exodus, Twinny) substantial enough?
Do the fittings damage the door?
Will it fall off?

I am planning a few longer road trips and I don't want my bike to disappear!
Reading other threads, the Fiamma which is not a towball one is alot of weight on the rear door hinges or on the rear bumper.
Please help me decide!

Thanks,
Ruby

I use a Thule towball rack on mine.
It does tilt, but not enough to open the back doors, although it is very easy to undo and lift off.
I bought the two bike rack as I transported two bikes, but should have gone for the three bike rack, leaving the rack closest to the rear doors empty.
This then would give clearance so the handlebars don't hit the doors!

PB

Try Roofbox who do a selection, and I think, some that tilt that may be suitable. We have an Atera from them. Can’t fault their service.

Thank you, both.
 I'll try Roofbox.  Though I was specifically looking for help with this from someone who owns a Topaz or other tailgate VW high top T4 - ???  as the issues are quite particular.  
Best wishes
Ruby

I don't have a tailgate-mounted one, but I've heard from others with Fiamma-style racks. One additional issue is the extra weight of the rack and bikes making the tailgate very hard work to open fully.

I'm pretty sure that on both the T4 and T5 it is recommended that you fit uprated tailgate struts (which are readily available), and that in itself causes a problem - when the bikes are not present, the tailgate has a habit of lifting lighter people off their feet when they go to open it!

Another thing that I don't like about the Fiamma-style ones is that when folded up, they obscure quite a lot of the view out of the rear window. Some people don't mind that, but I prefer to be able to see in both interior and door mirrors.

I have a towbar-mounted one (on a T5) that's by Thule. They can be modified slightly to drop down further, which (on the T5) allows the tailgate to be opened with bikes in place. IMO the best of the type is the Atera Strada DL - but note that the DL2 does not slide backwards as far as the DL3 and the tailgate may not clear. And one other thing - it's expensive!

...I've got a Fiamma on my T5, and have always had them for T4's. Never had any problems with hinges, biggest advantage was taking the rack off easily when not required. Have never needed tailgate up with bikes on, some advance planning required. Sometimes you get weak struts that won't support the rack weight, but new struts aren't too dear and you can always use the plan B method - a broom handle !

Hi Ruby. I have the Fiamma rack made specifically for the VW T4 and T5 vehicles. It hooks over the top of the tailgate but , if properly adjusted, the load (max 60Kg) is carried mainly by the rear bumper. This is underpinned by a heavy duty steel rear bumper strut which is well able to carry the load.  The top hooks, in my view, do little more than keep the rack upright.
I have carried two bikes and a medium sized box, I fitted an extra channel rail to do this.
I don't consider the Fiamma rack to be particularly heavy.  I have the standard gas struts and they hold the tailgate and rack easily.  It is not possible to raise the tailgate with a bike loaded as the bike fouls the upper bodywork.
Note that this rack is specifically made for the VWs.
Keith

...I've always adjusted the feet so they don't quite touch the rear bumper - whilst there is the steel channel underneath, the outer plastic shell is quite flexible and flimsy, I wouldn't want all the weight on it - it would probably bend down onto the channel but not a good idea in the long term. Just MHO.

Thank you everyone for your comments and contributions.  I feel so much better placed to make a decision for myself now.  I really appreciate everything each of you has said.  I've got a feeling I shall head for the Thule 9502 - since it tilts it's better for my purpose than the Roofbox ones, and cheaper than the Fiamma, though I shall just have to make sure the 7pin plug is working for the light board.  I was thinking some of the cheaper towball ones, but I just don't quite trust them over a long distance and I value my bike!
Many many thanks to all.
Happy campervanning this lovely springtime!  Ruby

Repoort
In my view the feet at the base of the Fiamma rack are there to transfer the load to the bumper.  If not, then there is no practical reason to include them.  The rack is designed specifically for the T4/5's, which supports that assumption.
I have removed the rear bumper on two occasions; to fit a towbar and , recently, to replace faulty reversing sensors. So I know that the plastic bumper cover is in direct contact with either the steel inner bumper bar or, as in my case, the replacement tow bar structure. The outer plastic cover suffers no distortion from any weight applied by the bike rack.
Keith

That's really useful to know Keith, thanks.  Makes sense.  I stand on my rear bumper regularly and it copes fine.
Ruby

We have an Atera Strada dl3 which is towball mounted and allows the rear doors to open with the bikes still on ( we have 2 electric bikes on ours). There are videos on YouTube showing it work.

Keith, there is a flex on my back bumper, small but it's there - I can only think that mine does not fit exactly like yours, though the ends are perfectly even and level.

Repoort
The rear bumper inner support bar is held by two spurs that locate into the ends of two of the longitudinal chassis members.  They are locked into the chassis by two bolts each,  I found that there is slight vertical movement before bolts are secured, possibly as much as 7 or 8mm at the level of the surface in question.  It is possible to lock the bar in its lowest point of travel and this would then not be in contact with the plastic bumper. 
It could be adjusted on a garage lift, in about ten minutes, without disturbing the outer bumper.  The only bogey might be a water tank or some other conversion fitting.
Keith

It's been a while since I last looked at this, but from what I can recall from several years ago, there is ~supposed~ to be a plastic bracket that mounts above and behind the steel support beam, and provides a slightly higher plastic "shelf" that the rear edge of the plastic bumper is supposed to be supported by. Like this:

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The facelift T5 has something similar, but a different part number. When I spoke to P F Jones about fitting a towbar, they said that some T5s have this support fitted from the factory, and others do not, and that there did not seem to be any rule to explain why. Without it the rear edge of the plastic outer bumper flexes up and down a bit more than most owners would like. Our 2005 model had one fitted.

I had a Fiamma rack on the T5 Topaz fitted from new and used it for 9 years with no problems and took it off when I P/X the van and put it on eBay and got £100!
__________
Richard

....thanks to Kieth and my near name-sake for the explanations of why my bumper has some flex in it - it's been the same for the last five years I've had the Trooper, so I think I can live with it now, as the Fiamma isn't fitted all the time. Topic digression over !