Bike rack

Hi I have a new Broadway  eb when we purchased  it had a bike rack fitted. We have now brought 2 e blkes and want to use a cover to protect  them .problem is the cover now obscures  the light panel. Think this may be a design  fault on the part of autosleeper. (Even with no cover on it is not ideal .) Anyone had the same problem . Any way round this?

Mids wrote:Hi I have a new Broadway  eb when we purchased  it had a bike rack fitted. We have now brought 2 e blkes and want to use a cover to protect  them .problem is the cover now obscures  the light panel. Think this may be a design  fault on the part of autosleeper. (Even with no cover on it is not ideal .) Anyone had the same problem . Any way round this?

IIRC it's been referred to as a problem in other threads here. It's a difficult one to solve, because if you put the rack up high it makes it harder to get bikes on and off (and may get too close to the rear window). I think that A/S's take on it is that if you put bikes on it, it becomes your responsibility to make sure that the lights and number plate are not obscured! I guess the only realistic solution is a separate lighting (and number plate if necessary) board, attached to the bikes or rack.

Yes I agree a lighting board  seems the only way forward.  Not been technically  minded how would you get the power to it. D ok es it mean drilling holes and running  wires? Anyone done this?

The ideal solution is one of these 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiamma-Motorhome-Caravan-Campervan-06146A01/dp/B07CVDNVY9/ref=sr_1_47?crid=2NCWDN1JX9RMK&keywords=fiamma+bike+rack+accessories&qid=1574448259&sprefix=fiamma+bike+%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-47

I have one and it is connected to the power via tow bar electrics (no need to have a tow bar)

You will of course have to make sure that you don't effect the warranty on the van so DIY not a good idea unless your van has a plug and fit on the lighting system.
David

Thanks for this information  this is what I need.will contact  dealer to see if they  can fix one. Not sure about the electrics.  Anyone know if autosleeper have a  plug and fit on the lighting system

Mids,

I started a long thread on this in Jun this year which you should read:

https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t29673-bike-rack?highlight=bike+rack

I modified my Nuevo to take a lighting board.  It was not difficult or expensive.  I have suspended my flying 12N socket with cable ties from the alloy strut that supports the skirt just behind the waste water outlet.  

The lighting regulations require all rear lights to be unobscured from an inside angle of 45 degrees.  Even if a cover is not fitted, the bikes will still obscure the lights.  The C&MC make this clear in their on-line technical advice on motorhome bike racks. Auto-Sleeper's handbooks should also make this clear but they don't.

I had a similar problem with a Fiamma rack on my Nuevo without covers, The back wheels of the bikes obscurred the nearside rear lights. I was able to loosen the wheel channels on the bike rack and slide them along far enough to move the bikes towards the offside then re-tighten them. Pretty sure if I want to put covers over my tatty old bikes I'll be back o square one!

May have found the answer.check the link below . Just need to get power to it


itFiamma Motorhome Caravan Campervan Licence Plate Holder Carrier for Cycle Bike Racks 06146A01- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CVDNVY9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xGN2DbVBSSQ12

Mids,

itFiamma Motorhome Caravan Campervan Licence Plate Holder Carrier for Cycle Bike Racks 06146A01- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CVDNVY9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xGN2DbVBSSQ12

This is way more than I would pay for a lighting board.  If the lighting board has triangular reflectors you should replace them with round or rectangular ones.  If your rear fog lamp is obscured, you should ensure the lighting board has a fog lamp as not all do.  The lighting board does not require reversing lights.  You will need to decide if you want a 13pin or 12N connection for your 7 core lighting board cable and whether you want it mounted, if so where, or simply hung as an in-line flying connector which is what I have.  You should steer clear of more expensive LEDs as the vehicle might not recognise that the lighting board is fitted.  If your dealer fits the motorhome for the lighting board, don't let him sell you the cable that Sargent makes up as it is expensive and over specified for a caravan's supplementary electrics when a tow bar is fitted.  All you need is a 9 pin Mate-N-Lock connector to plug into the VLM5 unit, a short section of 7 core cable and a 12N or 13 pin socket.  The vehicle requires no modification so the warranty should be unaffected.

Rogerscrimini,

If you move a full size bike from the nearside to the offside, surely it will simply obscure the offside?  Its best the mount the bike(s) centrally on the rack.  If this results in either the nearside or offside rear lights being obscured when viewed from an angle of 45 degrees from either the nearside or the offside, a lighting board should be fitted.

Fiamma Motorhome Caravan Campervan Licence Plate Holder Carrier for Cycle Bike Racks 06146A01- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CVDNVY9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.WO2Db1GK7S83

There are no reflectors it's just the lights and I think it's designed for the fiamma pro c bike carry so  should fit ok but it's the bike cover which is my concern.

Mids,

The cover would be one of my concerns.  My Taylormade cover which is for e-bikes so slightly oversize would almost certainly get in the way of the Fiamma's lights.  I can't see if it has reflectors but I am sure it will.  My point on reflectors is that the much cheaper and more normal lighting boards like the one I have are sometimes fitted with triangular reflectors which should only be used on the back of trailers. If you buy the cheaper lighting board you will have to buy some shock cord or light rope to attached it securely to the bikes and rack but this is not difficult to do and it helps to stop the cover from flapping about.

Mids wrote:Thanks for this information  this is what I need.will contact  dealer to see if they  can fix one. Not sure about the electrics.  Anyone know if autosleeper have a  plug and fit on the lighting system

This is the Original thread on the subject referring to the 2019 Nuevo :- https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t29673-bike-rack

I would assume the 2019 Broadway is the same as the 2019 Nuevo and has the VLM5 unit (under the cooker on the Nuevo) which is a token of recognition of the design problem and a part solution.

Yes the Towing Socket has been done DIY by at least two Forum members.

I meant to mention re Lighting Boards. I tried the Halfords one, it is somewhat short and doesn't have a Fog Light, it does have square Reflectors. I found that the Light Clusters were units designed for vertical mounting. They are mounted horizontally on the board in order to illuminate the Number Plate from either side. For vertical mounting the bottom is unsealed for drainage, the first thing I did before using was to do a water test, the unit let water in via the now, side lens and flooded up to the lower terminals.

I immediately returned it for a refund which they did willingly after the assistant made the comment, "we do sell tubes of sealant". The Board may be just about suitable for taking bikes out for a trip on a car occasionally in good weather, but unsuitable for the longer time scale of motorhome trips in my opinion.