If you are like us, you frequently use your van on adventures away from home and bringing your bikes is a must! We are focused on more than mountain biking and often have a road bike or two in tow as well. In this guide we will explore the many different storage options and different factors for creating your ultimate adventure van bike storage. As with everything in the van world, options are countless and we are here to help you find what is best for you!

The first question you need to ask yourself when setting up your vans bike transport system is whether you want them kept internally or externally. There are benefits to both but the primary drivers either prioritize ease of access and interior space or putting the bikes security and protection first with an interior storage setup commonly referred to as a gear garage.

For the purpose of this guide the storage systems are broken into 2 main categories, inside or outside the van. We will then break down into more detailed setups in each category.

	Internal Bike Storage (Gear Garage)	External Bike storage
What we like	-Best security from theft -Protected from elements	-Fastest loading and unloading -Saves internal space
What we don't	-Takes up internal space	-Exposed to elements and theft.

 

Gear Garages (Inside)

Gear garages come in many shapes and sizes allowing you to customize them to your hearts content. We are covering the 3 primary garage layouts for vans. Gear garages mount bikes using through axle mounts that can be attached directly to the floor, using a bracket with L-track or to a drawer system. If you are not height limited by your bed you can keep both wheels on though this is a less common setup.

Gear garage planning

Before landing on a design layout there are some items you should consider in the planning phase as well;

• Account for your handlebars. This is critical for drawer systems where you will be pulling your bike in and out. You must ensure the cabinets have space to clear the handlebars by being slightly lower or recessed.

• Tying down your back tire and securely mounting the bike itself for travel on bumpy roads. If your bike isn’t fully restrained it can migrate around. The worst case scenario for this would be rubbing against something and damaging it or your bike.

• You can overlap your bikes front to back creating a tighter fit but just make sure you are strapping them so pedals etc. can’t move and rub the other bike.

• Through axle clearance. Depending on the fork mount you need, make sure you can easily thread your thru axle in and out.

What do you do with the spare wheel?

Most bikes stored inside the van have the front wheel removed, so don’t forget to figure out a way to store that front wheel. This could mean using a tire bag that you hang, or strapping the tire to your bike.

Lengthwise Gear Garage

Bike Capacity:1-4

Bike Mounting Method: Fork Axle Mounts

What we like: Out of the elements and can store other seasonal gear.

What we don’t: Takes up valuable internal space and requires a raised bed.

By directly mounting Fork Axle mounts to the floor or using L-track you can store up to 4 bikes in a vans gear garage. Getting that many bikes in and out takes a bit of extra time and fiddling but for many keeping your bikes out of the elements is worth the trade off.

Heavy Duty Bike Drawer Gear Garage

Bike Capacity:1-6

Bike Mounting Method: Fork Axle Mounts

What we like: Ability to mount bikes in the opposite direction saving space, easily access all bikes without removing others first. Easy access items at the back of the gear garage.

What we don’t: Takes internal space and requires a raised bed.

Bike drawers are typically wooden or aluminum. You attach your bikes in a tray the same way as you would mount to the floor or the Radio Wave tray is setup for direct mounting without drilling. Using a tray is the cadillac of gear garage setups and if designed correctly has minimal effect on the storage height of the bikes. Being able to pull out the drawer cuts down on the bike jenga and gives you easy access to gear in the back of your garage.

Perpendicular Gear Garage

Bike Capacity:1-2

Bike Mounting Method: Fork Axle Mounts

What we like: Out of the elements and uses the least amount of internal space.

What we don’t: You cannot access the rear bike without removing the front bike.

This storage setup is great for those who do not want a large gear garage and will never carry more than 2 bikes. In the design phase you need to account for the handle bar width or plan to turn the handle bars which will require additional support to stop the bike from falling over. As the bikes will cover the full width of the van there may be space constraints for water tanks and other storage as well as access issues to electrical systems which are normally located towards the rear of the van.

Vertical Gear Garage

Bike Capacity:1-2

Bike Mounting Method: Fork Axle Mounts

What we like: Does not require raised bed, provides a multi purpose space

What we don’t: Different bed system layout

Another gear garage layout we have recently stumbled upon hangs the bikes vertically in a standup garage. This design requires the van to be built out specifically for this layout and you can even build out the garage to be a wetroom/shower!

 

External Bike Storage (Outside)

Storing bikes outside the van is the most accessible transport method. It allows you to keep both wheels on for faster loading and unloading. As your bikes are outside the van you are saving valuable internal space too. The ease of access makes this a popular option for people who are shuttling regularly or do not want dedicated space inside the van. External bike carrying setups include removable hitch mounted racks, aftermarket door mounted carrying options and on a vans roof rack.

For outside storage don’t forget to lock your bikes and the rack itself as they are both hot commodities these days. Even with locks do not leave your bikes unattended.