[alexstream]

Hi guys,

We live in downtown Montreal. So it is only the one car (the Sienna of course) and forget about camper, trailer, etc.
We are camping in a tent.
We have 3 kids.
Since we like camping, we keep on purchasing some equipment. but our kids keep on growing...
Next year we want to maybe start bringing 5 bikes. If we do, I would like to have access to the trunk because kids are kids, and if I am to roll 5 hours without access to the trunk, some stuffed toy might die in the trunk and some kid might cry his life.
Also I just purchased that huge Pelican icebox... dammit!
Anyhow, here is the current set up:

Too much stuff. all necessary. Trunk will be full, Thule Motion will be full.
Thule Motion XXL on the roof, with OEM bars (i will get the torx screws with the button) not installed yet and I hear it might not fit (oh crap!)
Humongous Pelican icebox
5 bikes, waiting to purchase the perfect bike rack.
3 kids on kids seat in the middle row (yikes! not really safe on top of that)

Needs : clear trunk space to sit 1 kid in the 3rd row.
Find some other place for the stuff I removed from the trunk.
find the perfect bike rack that allows to carry 5 bikes while still having access to trunk

Now I'm looking for some wise people tips. If you had 6 kids and camped for 20 years with them in a Tercel, that's to you I want to talk to! If you don't have kids and go camping with your partner in your car, with the bike in the trunk, go away!! lol

Right now my options are :
1. Change car and buy a Passenger van Sprinter. (I wont do this b/c it costs a 100k, however I will listen to you if you have some hack on the sienna, or on some other cars, I don't know about, like would the Tundra store more?)
2. Preferably : listen to your wisdom and get the perfect bike rack and whatever other add-on I can to pack all the stuff and still be able to sit my kids in the car...

 

[adksienna]

Put a hitch on the Sienna and buy a small, enclosed utility trailer. Your bikes, luggage, and camping equipment will stay dry and safe. It will leave plenty of room in the Sienna for all passengers and in-car travel essentials.

 

[alexstream]

Put a hitch on the Sienna and buy a small, enclosed utility trailer. Your bikes, luggage, and camping equipment will stay dry and safe. It will leave plenty of room in the Sienna for all passengers and in-car travel essentials.

Not a bad idea. Thought about it, But i cant park it at my place. Where do I store it? That's why I'm trying to think out of the box.

 

[alexstream]

Like I found this. But it fits only 2 bikes. Where would I put the other 3? So I need something else. Or to mod this?

 

[Anton]

How many times per year would you want to travel with five bikes? And how far are you planning to go?

Without the bikes it's not that bad. For the limited car camping that we've done, bringing bikes would be a small-payback item that we would just omit if it became a problem. Unless, of course, we were traveling specifically to a bike destination like a long trail.

If camping with bikes is truly part of your lifestyle and you want to be able to do this weekend after weekend to far away destinations, the solution will be a bit different. In that case I would probably find a way to have a trailer or a reliable place to rent one. You may be able to fit one bike on the roof if you cheat the Thule off to one side a bit, but otherwise they are hanging off the back and adding to the tail-dragging load that you already have.

What you describe sounds increasingly like an overload situation that is just asking too much from the footprint that you have available. Keep in mind it's your choice - not a necessity - to bring the amount of stuff you are describing.

 

[Geezer1]

A "swing away" hitch mount 5-bike rack or a swing away adapter than turns a regular hitch mount 5-bike rack into a swing away would allow opening the liftgate without removing the bikes from the rack. IIRC, forum moderator @fibber2 uses a swing away bike rack on this 2015 Sienna.

You'll likely need air bags in the rear springs to help with sagging but those are inexpensive ... around US$100 not including installation which you might be able to do yourself..

 

[gjyalpha]

My setup below for your reference. You can use hitch + back rack on the back for 3-4 bikes. Use long crossbars + cargo box + bike rack on the top for 1-2 bikes and a lot of gears. I installed the air bags on the back axle to help with the sag.

Or it could be also something like this below. Not my car and not a sienna. I took the photo from a neighbour campsite. Surprise to me they could fit 5 bikes on one hitch bike rack.

 

[fibber2]

My Yakima Swingaway rack holds 4 bikes, but you do have to be a bit of a puzzlemaster to intersect the handlebars and other protrusions to get the 4 to fit and play well with each other. I've used it for the NY to VA (400 mile) run and other trips a number of times. We often take the bikes so it was worth the investment to still be able to get the tailgate open without a lot of unnecessary unloading.

 

[dunner53]

Hi guys,

We live in downtown Montreal. So it is only the one car (the Sienna of course) and forget about camper, trailer, etc.
We are camping in a tent.
We have 3 kids.
Since we like camping, we keep on purchasing some equipment. but our kids keep on growing...
Next year we want to maybe start bringing 5 bikes. If we do, I would like to have access to the trunk because kids are kids, and if I am to roll 5 hours without access to the trunk, some stuffed toy might die in the trunk and some kid might cry his life.
Also I just purchased that huge Pelican icebox... dammit!
Anyhow, here is the current set up:

Too much stuff. all necessary. Trunk will be full, Thule Motion will be full.
Thule Motion XXL on the roof, with OEM bars (i will get the torx screws with the button) not installed yet and I hear it might not fit (oh crap!)
Humongous Pelican icebox
5 bikes, waiting to purchase the perfect bike rack.
3 kids on kids seat in the middle row (yikes! not really safe on top of that)

Needs : clear trunk space to sit 1 kid in the 3rd row.
Find some other place for the stuff I removed from the trunk.
find the perfect bike rack that allows to carry 5 bikes while still having access to trunk

Now I'm looking for some wise people tips. If you had 6 kids and camped for 20 years with them in a Tercel, that's to you I want to talk to! If you don't have kids and go camping with your partner in your car, with the bike in the trunk, go away!! lol

Right now my options are :
1. Change car and buy a Passenger van Sprinter. (I wont do this b/c it costs a 100k, however I will listen to you if you have some hack on the sienna, or on some other cars, I don't know about, like would the Tundra store more?)
2. Preferably : listen to your wisdom and get the perfect bike rack and whatever other add-on I can to pack all the stuff and still be able to sit my kids in the car...

Well sir you may be the “Father of The Year” for taking all the kids, the wife, all their, gear, and 5 bikes on 3 week camping trip. I mean my hat’s off to you for your energy, motovation, and spirit But when I look at the pics of that total conglomerated cluster on the back of your van I just have to shake my head. If the police don’t stop you and give you warnings if not actual tickets for obscured license plate( and tail lights) plus lectures about safety then it’s only because they either feel sorry for you or they don’t want to spend an hour with you and your crew trying to get through to you about your very compromised safety. I mean ask some unbiased observers( that you don’t know) what they think about that clusterf_ck you have hanging off the rear of your maxed out minivan. If ever there was a case for a trailer for the bikes or step up to a high top Ford Transit van with spacious 7 person seating or 9-12. Or Nissan, Dodge, Mercedes, even a Chevy full size van . I mean you are packed in like sardines and in the event you are involved in a crash the results won’t be good. I know you can brag to me that you’re getting 21.7mpg but those kids are forever growing and you remind me of unfortunate people having to live out of their car with all of their worldly possessions . I had a very nice Ford Transit high top van that was customized. So an adult <5’8” could stand up fully in it, it had an overhead tv/ dvd/ video game player to keep kids occupied. It had enough room behind the third row bench seat to stack at least 6 adult bodies to the top( sorry about the analogy i just wanted to make it clear), 4 captains chairs, rear a/c and heat. Ample plugs and inverter, a 3.5l V-6 turbo engine and 6 speed transmission. I took this on several trips and just the sheer ability of my wife being able to stand up and walk to the rear to assist my handicapped daughter was worth every penny. So even on a hilly, high altitude trip to Aspen I got 17mpg. Plus this has the hp, torque, and take off power to keep up with any mph flow on the interstates. I added on a trailer hitch($500) so could tow my son’s pop up camper. But beyond that this needed nothing and made traveling so much easier and fun for all. Now not trying to get you to trade off your beloved Sienna but there are more practical and safer options than your packed to the gills, rolling safety hazard. And I bought this new but over a year old for $52k which is close to what a loaded Sienna costs. Best of Luck to you and your family!

 

[alexstream]

Thanks all.
Here are some thoughts.
1. Do I need bikes everytime? No you're right. For the occasional camping-biking trip I coud rent a U-haul.
For the other camping trips I could have a hitch platform.
And for the biking only trips a bike-rack for 5 (saris glide? Velocirax? Combo betweent swing only + simple 5bikes like apex) i shall msg @fibber2 about that!
2. @dunner53 thx for the cars recommendation. I only knew about the out of price spinter. About ghe clusterF. Well the pics you saw is not my setp. However know that Apex 5 is a very legit bime rack and it looks exactly like that. You are right though that maybe we have outgrown our beloved sienna. I try option 1 this summer and will consider if we shoud switch. One key factor will be allowing my kids not to be all packed on 2nd row on longer trips.

 

[Snowy MT]

The U-haul rental isn't a bad idea, and cheaper than owning, especially if you are looking at paying storage for a trailer. Otherwise, there are some really small, light duty trailers that could be stored upright when not in use. They might be able to carry most of the items on your list.

Something like this (scroll down to user photos)

1720 lb. Capacity 48 in. x 96 in. Super Duty Folding Trailer

Amazing deals on this 1720Lb 48In X 96In Superduty Folding Trailer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[creichle]

So, if you are going to try to load 5 bikes you should really look at a vertical bike rack. Something like a velociRAX or Shingleback. They tilt back to allow the door to open. This video on shingleback is showing it on a Sienna. Definitely get the air bags for the rear springs for ~$100. Any fully loaded van should have them. The van will handle way better when fully loaded with the bags at about 20 lbs. I mounted the air fill valve under the gas fill door for easy access.

Testing The Best Vertical Hitch Bike Racks: 2022

With the rise of upright/vertical hitch bike racks in popularity, we felt it necessary to highlight some of the best, tried and tested by our Thread & spoke team. Explore an all-in-one destination for high-quality creative cycling apparel, accessories, cycling history, & tips.

threadandspoke.com

It sounds like you have way more stuff than you can fit. I second the recommendation to get a small enclosed trailer. If you don't have space to store it you can rent one from U-haul. Keeps your bike dry and secured. When you are camping it is a secure dry place you can store stuff including the bikes.
I would not trust a $200-300 two arm style bike rack where you slide them on. If you look at the amazon reviews there are too many failures even on the expensive brands where the bikes fell off, bars bent/broke or the main 2" mount welds broke. They also tend to hang the bikes farther away from the bumper causing the back to sag more. The amount of stress of all this weight on two small bars is too great when you take into account the dynamics of going over a hump, railroad tracks or dip in the road. You can sped a good 30 minutes or more loading and in the end your bikes might get damaged. Vertical is the way to go for 4 or more bikes.
My parents took my sister and I camping since I was in diapers in a station wagon and huge canvas tent. As we grew we added a sailboat on the roof, expanded to a uhaul trailer with bikes, graduated to a popup trailer with a sailboat on the station wagon and canoe on the popup, then finally pulled all that with a Suburban. This was in NY driving from Long Island to the Adirondack mountains near Lake Placid, Sarinac Lake area which is about an 8-9 hour drive, 3h in the mountains.

 

[xsnrg]

I did the same thing you are describing summer of 2021 (and will likely again this year) ... taking the Sienna with 3 kids, all gear, a dog, and 5 bikes. For our 2021 road trip, I pulled the trigger on a Velocirax 5X. Highly highly recommend this rack. You retain access to the trunk, it also makes an awesome vertical bike organizer in your garage if hung on the wall as designed when not on the van. Some of the best money we've spent. I also reccomend a rooftop carrier if you have a rack as well as the airbags in the rear coils. DIY install on the airbags was not bad at all.

 

[alexstream]

airbags in the rear coils

Yes, I have purchased a Thule motion XXL, I've heard too late it will interfere with my tailgate!
Velocirax : do you have access with the bikes on? I read a review that you couldnt.
And do you have your 3 kids on the middle row? It sucks! No?

 

[Anton]

For our 2021 road trip, I pulled the trigger on a Velocirax 5X. Highly highly recommend this rack.

94 pounds!!!

 

[xsnrg]

I did the same thing you are describing summer of 2021 (and will likely again this year) ... taking the Sienna with 3 kids, all gear, a dog, and 5 bikes. For our 2021 road trip, I pulled the trigger on a Velocirax 5X. Highly highly recommend this rack. You retain access to the trunk, it also makes an awesome vertical bike organizer in your garage if hung on the wall as designed when not on the van. Some of the best money we've spent. I also reccomend a rooftop carrier if you have a rack as well as the airbags in the rear coils. DIY install on the airbags was not bad at all.

Not sure how I forgot this one... summer of '22 we had three kids, all our gear, a dog and an XR80 dirtbike INSIDE the van and the 5 bikes on the back. We ended up buying the XR80 in PA when visiting my folks over the 4th of July and needed to get it back with us, lol. I'm always astounded at what this van can haul. I also once hauled a good sized cub cadet lawn tractor inside the van from PA to NC. Only one kid along on that trip )

 

[xsnrg]

94 pounds!!!

Yes, it's not light, def easier to handle with two adults taking it off or putting it on, but when looking at options, I saw none better on the market at the time. I can get it from the garage wall to the van and back myself (wife is usually busy with the kids when this needs done, and I'm too impatient to wait). I'm not a particularly strong fellow, but it can be done if you're smart about it. I doubt a small trailer is going have a tongue weight much less than 94 lbs either. If you have the weight of 5 bikes that will increasingly become larger and heavier as your kids get older, you don't want an underbuilt rack back there taking the bounces at 77 MPH on the highway. Honestly, I love the utility of the rack in the garage when not on the van every bit as much as I love it on the van. That said, the ability to access the trunk with 5 bikes on a rear mounted rack is awesome! If you don't like having conversations with strangers, don't by a Velocirax 5 ... you're going to get asked about where you got it everywhere you go! Almost all the high dollar racks, including Thule and Yakima have horror stories in the 1 & 2 star reviews about failures with bikes flailing around on the highway behind the vehicle. I'm sure it's a rarity, but there were too many for me to discount or want to take a chance on.

 

[Anton]

I doubt a small trailer is going have a tongue weight much less than 94 lbs either.

It's not really the same. A trailer tongue acts about 6" back from the receiver and this rig (200 pounds including bikes) acts maybe 18-24" back from the receiver? That's a lot of force. And 200 pounds of trailer tongue weight gets you a lot of cargo. When I tow my Hobie Cat with some other cargo on it (kayaks, etc) the tongue weight probably still isn't 200 pounds. Put that same weight a foot or more farther back, just to carry 100 pounds of bicycles? To me, the decision there is a complete no-brainer... use a small trailer, get a few hundred pounds out of the van, balance the van better. Put super light stuff (bedding, guitar, clothing) in a rooftop box. Reclaim your cabin space. Minimize cabin projectiles in an accident.

Put a bike rack on something like this: The Weekender - SPACE™ Trailers which looks like it'll even store vertically.

 

[topwop]

Hi guys,

We live in downtown Montreal. So it is only the one car (the Sienna of course) and forget about camper, trailer, etc.
We are camping in a tent.
We have 3 kids.
Since we like camping, we keep on purchasing some equipment. but our kids keep on growing...
Next year we want to maybe start bringing 5 bikes. If we do, I would like to have access to the trunk because kids are kids, and if I am to roll 5 hours without access to the trunk, some stuffed toy might die in the trunk and some kid might cry his life.
Also I just purchased that huge Pelican icebox... dammit!
Anyhow, here is the current set up:

Too much stuff. all necessary. Trunk will be full, Thule Motion will be full.
Thule Motion XXL on the roof, with OEM bars (i will get the torx screws with the button) not installed yet and I hear it might not fit (oh crap!)
Humongous Pelican icebox
5 bikes, waiting to purchase the perfect bike rack.
3 kids on kids seat in the middle row (yikes! not really safe on top of that)

Needs : clear trunk space to sit 1 kid in the 3rd row.
Find some other place for the stuff I removed from the trunk.
find the perfect bike rack that allows to carry 5 bikes while still having access to trunk

Now I'm looking for some wise people tips. If you had 6 kids and camped for 20 years with them in a Tercel, that's to you I want to talk to! If you don't have kids and go camping with your partner in your car, with the bike in the trunk, go away!! lol

Right now my options are :
1. Change car and buy a Passenger van Sprinter. (I wont do this b/c it costs a 100k, however I will listen to you if you have some hack on the sienna, or on some other cars, I don't know about, like would the Tundra store more?)
2. Preferably : listen to your wisdom and get the perfect bike rack and whatever other add-on I can to pack all the stuff and still be able to sit my kids in the car...

OK I only had 3 kids but we did camp a lot and I found a full size van to be the best option. Something like this is what you really need.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/f00145a0-8b08-4c61-af0e-d364b4c55242/

Good luck!

 

[yolomtb]

Another vote for Velocirax. This will hold 5 bikes. Can open rear. Still need to install my AirLift 1000, but so far so good.