Mountain bike storage ideas

[themoreweexplor]

We're beginning the shopping process for our first RV. We'll be living in it full-time. Here's the difficult spot we're in:

We have (2) $5000+ mountain bikes that we will be bringing with us. Obviously we won't be leaving them outside on a bike rack (far too easy and tempting to steal). Aside from a toy hauler Class A, does anyone have any good ideas of how to store the bikes? Since we'll be riding them several times each week, we don't want to have to take them entirely apart each time we store them. I'd be ok with removing the front wheel if needed, but if we could leave them intact, that'd be idea. The bikes are about 4' high, 6' long, and the handlebars are over 2' wide.

Any great ideas out there?

[tropical36]

themoreweexplore wrote:
We're beginning the shopping process for our first RV. We'll be living in it full-time. Here's the difficult spot we're in:

We have (2) $5000+ mountain bikes that we will be bringing with us. Obviously we won't be leaving them outside on a bike rack (far too easy and tempting to steal). Aside from a toy hauler Class A, does anyone have any good ideas of how to store the bikes? Since we'll be riding them several times each week, we don't want to have to take them entirely apart each time we store them. I'd be ok with removing the front wheel if needed, but if we could leave them intact, that'd be idea. The bikes are about 4' high, 6' long, and the handlebars are over 2' wide.
Any great ideas out there?

You didn't say what your RV preference or budget was and enough money will find a cure for any problem, like huge basement storage in a class A DP high end motor-home.
Now on the lower end, my neighbor has a well cared for, low mileage, 2008 Damon Outlaw for sale, that has Murphy bed in the garage. Also has an overhead bedroom above that with a staircase. Either way, one could move the bikes far ahead in the coach at nighttime if they wanted to use the garage BR.
This particular coach mentioned is on a W24 Workhorse chassis with the 8.1 GM engine and a six speed Allison transmission.

[themoreweexplor]

That is EXACTLY the sort of thing I'm looking for. That'd be perfect.

I know that a Keystone Alpine 5er has a similar idea. It's not a full huge toy-hauler garage, but big enough for the camping gear and bikes without taking up TOO much room inside. I could even get a little bike stand going in there.

[carringb]

Newmar came out with a new Canyon Star floor plan, the 3922 which has a small bike garage in the back.

[themoreweexplor]

I share the same exact concerns. A toy hauler would be cool for all the space for my toys, but now I'm at a HUGE trailer, a 40' + trailer, and a huge 1-ton for daily driving.

Storing the bikes in the Toad is one of my favorite ideas right now, unless I could find a coach with HUGE storage bins, or an external "shed" option.

I know we're in the class a forum, but on topic, does anyone make a little lockable "shed" that goes below the tongue on a 5er? That'd be a great place to store bikes when not in use. If it had little plastic walls that enclosed that area into a lockable container, that'd be cool.

[willald]

themoreweexplore wrote:
Great feedback willald, thank you. I feel like you understand my needs.

Unless we go with a 5th wheel toy hauler, we'll have a 4x4 toad for getting to trailheads in the middle of nowhere. We have a hitch-mounted rack which is great for transporting the bikes, just not great for storing them long-term.

I'd be ok with a tarp to cover them from the elements, but I worry about leaving my bikes outside in the middle of nowhere, easily accessed, while I'm off backpacking for 4+ days.

Problem with a 5th wheel toy hauler, is that the garage in the back takes up a lot of space you could otherwise have as nice living space, that you will want for full-timing. That, and you'd have to have such a massive pickup to tow it, you may not like having to wrestle a 1 ton dually pickup into locations where your trailhead may be for biking or hiking.

I like the 4runner idea, provided you can find one that is flat towable. A 4 runner might even be light enough, that a big diesel pusher MH may not be necessary to tow it.

Will

[themoreweexplor]

Great feedback willald, thank you. I feel like you understand my needs.

Unless we go with a 5th wheel toy hauler, we'll have a 4x4 toad for getting to trailheads in the middle of nowhere. We have a hitch-mounted rack which is great for transporting the bikes, just not great for storing them long-term.

I'd be ok with a tarp to cover them from the elements, but I worry about leaving my bikes outside in the middle of nowhere, easily accessed, while I'm off backpacking for 4+ days.

[themoreweexplor]

I'm not opposed to keeping the bikes outside. I'm opposed to keeping the bikes on a traditional bike rack outside, exposed to the elements and theft.. If they were enclosed in some kind of lockable container, that'd work for me. I just don't know of many containers like that.

I figured I'd come to the RV experts to see what other people are doing.

[themoreweexplor]

Toad TBD, but it'll be 4x4. I'm thinking a 3rd gen 4runner. If we did that, we could fold the rear seats down and store the bikes in the toad.

I'm open to the idea of a 5th wheel toy hauler, or something like an outlaw, I'm just trying to explore all my options before I start narrowing down my list.

[willald]

..Since you're going to be full-time, I'm betting no matter how much basement storage you have, you will fill it up with other stuff and will not want to tie a bunch of it up with bikes. Also, being full-time, you sure aren't going to want the bikes inside, either. Since you don't want the bikes outside, that pretty well rules out keeping the bikes anywhere on or in the MH. 🙂

Given your requirements, I think you're limited to two choices, already mentioned: Either a large enclosed trailer to carry both bikes and your toad (and maybe a small shop), or get you a toad large enough to carry bikes inside back of toad. As mentioned in previous post, a good size SUV or pickup truck with a shell should allow such.

I vote for getting a pickup with a shell as your toad. Depending on the shell you use and the pickup, you might could fit the bikes in the back without even having to remove the front wheel. I agree that an enclosed trailer could be difficult to deal with at some campgrounds, I wouldn't want that, either.

Also, going with this approach would allow you to take the bikes with you to off-the-beaten path places with your toad, that you would not want to take the MH. From what it sounds like you want to do, I'm thinking this would be something you'd want, right? 🙂

When we towed a TT with a large SUV (Ford Excursion), that's what we did - all 4 of our bikes fit in the back of the Excursion. A pickup would be even better, that way you wouldn't be getting the inside of your vehicle dirty when you have to put bikes away dirty. Now, we carry our bikes on the back of our toad with a hitch mounted rack, but I do sometimes miss being able to store the bikes inside like we used to.

..Only downside to the pickup or large SUV for a toad approach: With a toad that heavy, your MH choices will be limited somewhat. Most all gasser MHs will not have a hitch receiver capable of handling a toad that big. You will probably have to go with a diesel pusher of some variety, which will mean a bunch more $$.

[themoreweexplor]

I'm fine with them being inside as long as they're not in the way while I"m living in my RV. I want to be able to use my kitchen, bedroom, and living room while my bikes are stored away somewhere safe.

[John_Wayne]

What are you going to use for a toad? Small 4 door pick up with a shell or SUV and you can carry the bikes in the back of either one of these.

[Raist11]

msmith1199 wrote:
You don't want them inside, you don't want them outside, you don't want to take them apart, you don't want them on a rack, you don't want a toy hauler Class A, but you want to take them? Hum, I'm going to have to think about this one for a while. Is this like one of those puzzles where you have to get the bent nails separated?

Yeah, this ^^^ exactly. You have basically ruled out all options other than getting a bus conversion like a Prevost (not sure what others are that big) that have HUGE basement storage. You have two other options. First is to tow an enclosed trailer. The benefit here is you can have a small workshop for your bikes as well. The second option, custom build a lightweight cover (fiberglass?) that goes over one of those hitch mounted cargo carriers that you can turn into a bike rack. Then you can cover and lock.

Really that's all it is, super huge basement storage RV, a cargo carrier on the back turned into a little bike shed or a trailer.

I suppose you could paint them camouflage and lay them down in the trees where you're parked.

[azSkier]

That's the reason for the box. I want to place padding between and around the bikes and have them reasonably contained while travelling. I don't think upright storage within the basement is possible with any MH.

I have picts of the bikes just lying in the storage tray. But, This site will not allow me to upload the photos.

FYI - Looks like you are in Utah... I am just now relocating to SLC and will have the MH in storage in the SLC area in December.

[themoreweexplor]

Awesome, please post pics once you build that box, I'd be very interested to see it.

With a hydraulic dropper post, I can't remove my seat easily. Fortunately we can remove the front wheels easily. Seeing that the bikes are carbon fiber, it'd be ideal to store them standing up, rather than lying on their sides, but we could accommodate them on their sides if we built some good foam cutouts for them.

[azSkier]

I just went through the process of figuring how to carry somewhat expensive mountain bikes around. I ended up purchasing a 45ft motorhome and will carry the bikes in the basement. I cannot easily remove the front tires, so I will remove the seat, pedals and detach the handle bars to allow the 2 bikes to lie flat in a storage tray.

I will build a container using 1/8 x 12 x 76 aluminum plate to contain the bikes and allow additional stuff to be stored inside the box. I will have a lid on the container so I can store some long, flat items on top. Getting the container walls built within the storage tray is my next task.