Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by Nikole

Camper van adventures don’t have to stop where you park it.

There are many ways to get around that don’t involve guzzling gas! You can scooter, walk, or better yet ride a bike. What better way to haul your bike, than with a bike rack!?

Welcome to our official bike racks for camper vans guide!

It’s crucial how you transport your bike. You could end up scratching your vehicle or damaging your bike.

Unfortunately, a universal bike rack for automobiles does not exist. You’ll need one designed solely for a Motorhome.

It can also be stressful loading your bike depending on the rack system you have. Trust me I have had a few racks in my time where I just wanted to rip it off my vehicle and burn it! Don’t worry I will help you find the most stress-free bike rack.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Do You Even Need a Bike for Your Adventures?

Before you even begin to wonder which type of rack you need, you need to think about whether or not you even want to haul a bike.

Here are the only reasons you need to be convinced that bikes are something you need!

1. Bikes make you extremely mobile, taking you places a huge van cannot.
2. They provide great exercise (it’s hard to work out in a tiny camper van!)
3. You can try out new biking trails
4. Saves that super expensive gas

Okay now that I have you convinced that you need a bike let’s jump into which bike rack is right for your camper van.

Mounting Points for Camper Van Bike Racks

First, let’s go through all of the mounting spots on your vehicle where a bike rack may be installed.

• Back hitch
• Inside the van
• On the rooftop
• Spare tire
• Ladder-mounted rack

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a universal bike rack for vans, as there are many different back door options. Some vans may have a tailgate that lifts up like in a minivan, or some have two doors that swing away and out from each other like in a sprinter van.

Back hitch bike racks are perfect for just about any type of van. You have to make sure you have the appropriate hitch for your specific van and bike rack. If you have swinging doors in the back, consider getting a bike rack that swivels back and forth, more on that later.

This bike rack is probably one of the easiest systems to load and unload your bikes from and can be fairly universal.

Inside the van

Storing your bikes inside of your camper van is a great option for when you are just starting out on your van life journeys. We did this at first, and it worked great.

It can be a hassle getting the bikes in and out, depending on the layout of your camper van. Also, make sure your bikes are tied down unless you want them rolling around everywhere breaking stuff in your van.

The only downside to putting your bikes inside your camper van is the possible damage it can cause. Any dirt or rocks that get stuck in your bike tires are now scratching up your van floor.

Rooftop carriers

Rooftop bike racks for camper vans are fantastic for those without a hitch mount. However, if you aren’t that great at lifting things over your head I would look into another way of mounting your bikes.

You also run the risk of scratching your vehicle while lifting the bike above your head.

Ladder Mounted racks

Ladder-mounted bike racks are installed directly to an already existing ladder on the back of your camper van. These are perfect for 2 or fewer bikes that are lightweight.

In order to reach the rooftop of your camper van, you will need to remove your bikes. Unfortunately, this can be a hassle.

Bike Racks for Vans Without a Hitch

If your van doesn’t have a hitch, you have several options to work with when it comes to mounting your bike on your camper van. That includes rooftop bike racks, ladder mounts, and spare tire mounts.

Roof Top Bike Rack

If you don’t have a hitch mount and don’t plan on installing one soon, then rooftop bike racks for camper vans are a great option for you. When looking at rooftop bike racks you need to consider a few things.

1. Is your roof too tall for a bike to be sitting on top of your vehicle? Remember certain bridges, drive-throughs, or parking garages have low clearance, and can sometimes be a hassle getting around them.
2. Remember to look at how much weight your crossbars/ rooftop/ and bike rack can carry, and don’t exceed those limits. Don’t just look at the weight load of the bike rack.
3. Even though some rooftop carriers, like the one listed below, offer an easier option to get your bike off the roof of your vehicle, it can still be more challenging than other mounting systems.

With all that being said, what IS the BEST rooftop bike rack for your van? After extensive research and love for Thule products, I came to find that the Thule Upride Roof Bike Rack is the best one you can use on the road. Here’s why!

• Provides a steady transport for your bike
• Fairly easy to take on and off of your vehicle
• You don’t have to take off the front tire of the bike in order to place it on the rack
• Fits a wide variety of wheelbases

When thinking about roof racks for camper vans remember there is a weight capacity for the rooftop of your specific van, for the crossbar system, and for the bike rack. Keep in mind that there are other items you can haul on your rooftop.

let's say you are hauling a bike and a rooftop cargo carrier. You will have to add up the weight between the cargo carrier and the bike in order to make sure you do not exceed the weight capacity of your vehicle's rooftop.

Spare tire Bike Racks for Camper vans

A spare tire rack is a great option especially if you already have a spare tire mounted on the back of your vehicle. These bike racks won't hold as much weight as other racks, but they are perfect for 1 or 2 lightweight bikes.

The FIERYRED 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack is a universal system that should work on most vehicles. Just know that there are two straps that need to hook to the inside of your vehicle through the bottom of the van door.

Here are a few specs of the FIERYRED bike rack.

• Holds up to two bikes
• Holds up to 75 pounds
• The whole system is universal and should fit most spare tire mounts
• Built-in anti-theft lock

Bike Racks for Camper Vans with Double Doors

If you have double doors on the back of your van you can still have a bike rack even if it is a hitch mount rack. You can get a ladder rack or a hitch-mount rack that swivels out.

Swiveling Hitch Mount Bike rack

If you have swinging doors on the back of your camper van, you can still get a hitch mount bike rack. Make sure it swivels out (like the one pictured below) so you can still easily access the back doors without taking the bikes on and off.

Some doors may still not work with these types of racks. Our Ford Transit Connect camper van works very well with this type of bike rack. If you have bigger doors try you may want to look into something else for your bikes.

I love hitch mount bike rack systems, however, because it allows us to carry our E-bikes with us on our adventures. It carries just about any size tire, making it exceptionally compatible with most bikes.

Here are a few other things I love about this camper van bike rack.

• Carries heavier bikes (this also depends on your towing limit for your van)
  Carries most types of bikes
• Can lock the bikes to the rack
• Anti-sway (wobble) system

Another great option for a hitch mount is the RockyMounts BackStage 2" Receiver Swing Away. Although it comes at a hefty price this is the ultimate way to get your money's worth. It's super easy to access anything from the back of your van because the rack easily swings out of your way.

• No loading and unloading so you can get in and out of the back of your camper van
• Easily swings out of your way
• Requires a 2 " receiver
• Can carry up to 60 pounds

Ladder racks

Ladder racks are great for camper vans that have doors that swing out instead of up. Typically you would want these for taller vans with ladders, making it a great alternative to a hitch mount bike rack.

All you have to do is secure the bike rack onto the ladder and place your bikes verticle on the rack.

If you want a ladder rack that will give you the biggest bang for your buck, check out the Camco RV Ladder Mount Bike Rack.

Here are some of the specs of the Camco Rv ladder rack.

• Holds a combined weight of 60 pounds
• Easily installed on an already existing ladder
• Carries up to 2 bikes
• The rack itself only weighs 5 pounds

Comparison chart for bike racks

Here is a chart to make your bike rack purchasing a tad easier at a glance. It summarizes just about everything I have gone over in this post so far.

How Do You Instal a Bike Rack on a Camper Van

Installation depends on which bike rack you have decided to go with. Do you want to install a roof rack, hitch, tire, or ladder rack?

Roof Bike Racks for Camper Vans

In order to have a bike mounted on the roof of your camper van, you will need a vehicle-specific crossbar system installed.

Here are the basic steps to install a rooftop bike rack on your camper van.

1. Make sure all components are present when unboxing.
2. Fasten the roof rack on the crossbars of the camper van and install the skid plates perpendicular to the crossbars.
3. Depending on which rooftop bike mount you go with you may have to take off the front tire and attach the fork of the bike to the skewer near the front end of the van.
4. The back tire, and sometimes the front tire should have a strap of some sort to secure the bike.
5. If you have a rooftop mount that doesn't require tire removal, there should be a bar that fits over the tire or the middle of the bike to keep it from swaying.

Hitch Bike Racks for Camper Vans

If you are going for a hitch mount for your bikes, you will first need to install a hitch if you don't already have one. If you already have a hitch then you will need to make sure the bike rack you find will fit the hitch you already have.

You will find that most bike rack hitch mounts will fit a 2" receiver.

Here is the gist of how you will install and use a hitch mount bike rack. Keep in mind that this is for racks that will cradle your bike's tires (like the ones I listed above), not the ones that will hold the bar of the bike.

1. Find the appropriate mount for your camper van hitch.
2. Mount the bike rack hitch rod in the hitch of your camper van.
3. Place your bike tires into the cradle near the bottom of the mount.
4. There will typically be two J-looking hooks that you will place upside down over the bars of the bikes (to secure them in place).
5. Lastly, you will strap in the tires, with straps that are built into the mount.

Ladder Bike Rack

Obviously, if you are mounting your bikes with a ladder rack system, you will first need a ladder. If you don't have a ladder, go with a different bike rack.

Here is the basic install of a ladder rack for your camper van.

1. The first thing you need to do is figure out how high up to put the rack on the ladder. Place the bike rack high enough to where the bikes won't hit the ground, but low enough to where you can easily reach it.
2. Then you will hook the bars of the bike rack onto the rungs of the ladder.
3. You will need to tie the rest of the bike rack onto the ladder with the tie straps that are provided.
4. The bike will then rest upside-down (handlebars facing towards the sky, and the bottom tire facing towards the ground) along the cradles of the rack.
5. Make sure you strap those bikes into the cradles.

Tire Mount Bike Rack

Some camper vans have a spare tire on the back of their van attached to their door. Make sure the spare tire is already on the door, otherwise go with a different rack.

Here is how to install a tire mount bike rack.

1. Well to be honest the easiest way to show you how this type of rack is installed is by showing you a video. Rob Jarrell does a great job describing this process.

Other Camper van Bike Rack tips

1. Remember not to overload your bike rack, always go a bit under the weight capacity that is stated in the product information.

2. As with anything you store on the outside of your camper van, always make sure your bikes are fastened tightly to whatever rack it sits on. Remember your bikes will be going through possible weather and wind while on your journey.

3. Speaking of weather, remember that while traveling long distances there may be possible rain (who can really predict the weather though). Most bikes are weatherproof, but some bike seats are not. Be sure to cover your bikes or the parts of your bikes that aren't quite weatherproof.

4. Bike pedals can cause damage to surrounding items or scratch your vehicle paint. Especially if you have ladder racks, rooftop racks, or spare tire racks you can easily scratch your vehicle while loading and unloading.

Try these pads that will cover your bike pedals and prevent damage to your camper van.