htr
Well-Known Member
I hope you don't mind me asking a question but have you tinted the rear windows?
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
It does stick out quite a lot. However it's fully legal and approved for road use. It's well within the capabilities of the Freelander to handle it. I suspect that a normal hatchback would struggle with it though.Jeepers Nodge, that sticks out a lot!
Just as well you don't have my ebikes on it. The front wheels of the car would be in the air.
Colthebrummie
Well-Known Member
Mot later this afternoon, I got the last appointment of the day in the hope that the tester will be tired and in a rush to knock off so not too thorough. It has suddenly devolved a dodgy fron side light, one day it works, the next it don't. I've fiddled with all the suspect connectors and replaced the bulb. Fingers crossed it plays nice for half an hour later and the hill descent/traction control warning light doesn't come on. It's only worth about £500 on a good day so too much of a failure might spell the death knoll.
Col
Col
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Fingers crossed for ya!
kernowsvenski
Well-Known Member
@Nodge68 Can you send a link for the rack please? I need a four bike rack for a Lands End - John O Groats trip I'm doing later this year and that looks good for avoiding the spare wheel.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
It's just a Halfords own brand, tow bar mounted 4 bike rack. The bike nearest the spare is close to the saddle, but remember that I have an 18" rim on the back. I'm very pleased with it, and it's definitely an improvement on putting bikes on the roof.
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Looking to get one the same myself.
So... what have I done with it today?
Well, unfortunately... "written it off". (Or at least, had it written-off for me. I was stationary at the time). If anyone's curious, I HAD decided that I was going to "go in from the top" for the chassis crack repair. I was going to have a go at that this weekend, but, well.... there's not a lot of point now! Pity. I was just getting on top of the jobs and really starting to like the car!
Sadly, just taking the wee lad to an after-school event this evening, a big artic that had got lost on the winding narrow roads round here, carrying a very large steel fabrication that overhung its extended trailer by a few feet either side, managed to rip the side out of it whilst trying to squeeze past. It's not a valuable car. Once he'd burst the driver's front wing, it was pretty obvious it was going to be a write-off. As it was, he then carried on past and took out the driver's door, rear offside passenger door and the offside quarter panel and rear bumper. Nobody hurt though, all this happened at less than walking pace.
So it looks like I'll not be around much longer, but thanks to those who have helped me with good advice this last few weeks!
Well, unfortunately... "written it off". (Or at least, had it written-off for me. I was stationary at the time). If anyone's curious, I HAD decided that I was going to "go in from the top" for the chassis crack repair. I was going to have a go at that this weekend, but, well.... there's not a lot of point now! Pity. I was just getting on top of the jobs and really starting to like the car!
Sadly, just taking the wee lad to an after-school event this evening, a big artic that had got lost on the winding narrow roads round here, carrying a very large steel fabrication that overhung its extended trailer by a few feet either side, managed to rip the side out of it whilst trying to squeeze past. It's not a valuable car. Once he'd burst the driver's front wing, it was pretty obvious it was going to be a write-off. As it was, he then carried on past and took out the driver's door, rear offside passenger door and the offside quarter panel and rear bumper. Nobody hurt though, all this happened at less than walking pace.
So it looks like I'll not be around much longer, but thanks to those who have helped me with good advice this last few weeks!
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Thank goodness your all ok!
Sorry to hear that though :-(
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Don't stay away! Dont have to own a landy to be welcome here!
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Halfords have them. It's not cheap at £190, but it's very strong and secure to the car.
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Yeah just had a look. It's either that or a trailer! The bikes are getting bigger and bigger as the kids grow up and the hippo boot isn't getting any bigger!
Looks worth the price. I looked at it a few weeks back but wasnt sure if it would fit with the spare but now having seen yours im impressed.
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
That's the main thing.
was the driver some kind of knob? I mean, if your driving a large vehicle, A you don't get lost, and B if you hit someone's vehicle, you bloody stop.
I can't stand HGV driver's that can't bloody drive.
kernowsvenski
Well-Known Member
I've got one of these:
Amazon product
It's only a "three seater" though. It's quite a bit cheaper than the Thule equivalent. However, you pay for it in lack of convenience. Just webbing straps to secure the bike wheels, no fancy quick-release ratchet clamps. Also, a hoofing great bolt to tighten it on to the towball each time you use it. Other than that, it's OK though. Can be a bit of a squeeze getting three bikes on AND making sure they don't chafe against each other. Ironically, I'd just nipped out to my local Halfrauds this morning to get a new rear numberplate to put on it for the Freelander....
...won't bother fitting it now...
Irritatingly, I'd promised to take the wee lad and his mate mountain biking tomorrow. Will still do it, but just hope the towbar on my old Alfa is strong enough! (Well, the towbar will be strong enough, it's what it's attached to that I'm worried about)!
Land_girl
Well-Known Member
Haha... I'll need a 4 bike one as there is four of us. Never owned one before so I couldnt compare.
No, in fairness, he did stop, and he was pretty mortified about it. He knows he's probably going to get sacked when he gets back. Gave me his boss' number and let me take a photo of his driving licence. I felt for him, really. (and me)! Yeah, a stupid thing to do, but of course, once he was heading that way, he was stuck. There really was no chance of him turning that rig around for another mile. The guy in the pickup that he just stopped short of hitting went and held up the traffic coming towards us. I volunteered to sit in the middle of the road behind him with my hazards on (on account of the fact that I really wasn't that bothered about someone driving into the back of me any more)!
Ah OK. No chance of putting the smallest bike in the back of the Hippo? A 4-bike towbar mounted carrier doesn't half put a strain on the neck of the towball and the hippo towbar has a fairly small bit of box section projecting backwards to the ball! Basically, it's worth trying your bikes on one of you can. They do need "nesting" together carefully. Also check how easy it is to get the top arms through the frames of the inner bikes to the outer ones. That can be tricky if some of the bikes are kids' bikes and some are adult. Some of them can hinge down to let you get the tailgate open (which is handy if you have anything OTHER than a hippo)! It's a right pain to get into the boot once all the bikes are on.
