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Is there a list of vehicles that can be used to haul a tandem inside?

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Is there a list of vehicles that can be used to haul a tandem inside?

Old 08-05-13, 12:07 PM
  #76  
brons2
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Originally Posted by brons2
Anyone tried a Kia Rondo? I'm about to buy my first (used) tandem after many tens of thousands of miles on single bikes. I have gotten 20 8 foot 2x4s in my Rondo by folding down both the back seats and the passenger seat, and positioning them diagonally. I'm pretty sure it will work this way with the tandem but I need to be able to carry the stoker also (my new wife) so I was hoping it might go straight in. Definitely got a little sticker shock pricing out the Yakima solution for tandems not to mention the effects on aerodynamics and gas mileage.
I answered my own question, the Rondo does fit our Burley but you have to lay the front passenger seat flat and put the rear wheel in first. Ends up with the rear wheel right over the front passenger seat. The wifey had to sit behind me on the side of the back seat that wasn't folded forward.

It might be possible to get the bike down the center with a smaller tandem. There just wasn't enough headroom with our bike, an XL model.
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Old 08-05-13, 12:40 PM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by brons2
I answered my own question, the Rondo does fit our Burley but you have to lay the front passenger seat flat and put the rear wheel in first. Ends up with the rear wheel right over the front passenger seat. The wifey had to sit behind me on the side of the back seat that wasn't folded forward.

It might be possible to get the bike down the center with a smaller tandem. There just wasn't enough headroom with our bike, an XL model.
Once you get your quick relese wheelset you should be able to fit it in with ease. Our XL fit this way in our CR-V.
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Old 08-11-13, 01:05 PM
  #78  
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Well I guess I'm just not high tech enough when it comes to hauling the ol' Cannondale around. I open the barn doors (rear doors) of my 1950 Chevy panel truck, stick the tandem in, tie it down to the 4 eye bolts that I drilled holes into the floor for and go. Good ol' American truck to haul around my ol' American tandem. I've only been doing it for the last 16 years so I'll let younow when the testing phase is done.
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Old 08-11-13, 01:34 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by gsms
... when it comes to hauling the ol' Cannondale around. I open the barn doors (rear doors) of my 1950 Chevy panel truck, stick the tandem in, tie it down to the 4 eye bolts that I drilled holes into the floor for and go.
To mention a tandem set up in a 1950 Chevy panel truck is to obligate a photo for your post.
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Old 08-11-13, 03:41 PM
  #80  
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Do I have to wash it first?
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Old 08-17-13, 10:52 AM
  #81  
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I'm still missing our extended body 95' Ford Aerostar. Used it to haul myself and three friends in individual reclining captain chairs, four single bikes, their luggage, couple ice chests, etc. -all inside- to HHH in Wichita Falls, TX.
I downsized before we invested in our tandem bike. Surely I could have carried two tandems inside with four passengers! Been kicking myself ever since!
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Old 08-17-13, 11:45 AM
  #82  
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I can't say enough good things about our new tandem hauler. It fits 5 people, can fit 5 bikes across (tandems fit without any problems), and gets 25+ MPG on the highway. I have talked to numerous people with mini-vans who say they are hard pressed to get 25 MPG on the highway.


2002 Sprinter Wagon by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr
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Old 08-17-13, 12:31 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by photogravity
I can't say enough good things about our new tandem hauler. It fits 5 people, can fit 5 bikes across (tandems fit without any problems), and gets 25+ MPG on the highway. I have talked to numerous people with mini-vans who say they are hard pressed to get 25 MPG on the highway.


2002 Sprinter Wagon by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr
Those have great capabilities but I want something that will fit in my garage and I believe that is too tall for mine and most home garage doors. - 96.3 inches (8 ft +)

https://www.mbsprinterusa.com/sprinte...specifications
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Old 08-17-13, 12:44 PM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by waynesulak
Those have great capabilities but I want something that will fit in my garage and I believe that is too tall for mine and most home garage doors. - 96.3 inches (8 ft +)

https://www.mbsprinterusa.com/sprinte...specifications
I hear you Wayne. The Sprinter is not for everyone and, as I have only on-street parking, I'm not worried with garage clearance. For some people, the lack of ability to put it in a garage is a non-starter. When I eventually get to the point where I build a garage, I will ensure it is built with a door that will accommodate a Sprinter SHC. The one I have is the HC or low roof model and still measures roughly 8 ft. tall.

BTW, from an aesthetic point of view, to my eye the Sprinter is pretty darned ugly. Very functional and practical, but ugly. Did I say anything about it being ugly?

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Old 08-19-13, 05:20 PM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by photogravity
I hear you Wayne. The Sprinter is not for everyone and, as I have only on-street parking, I'm not worried with garage clearance. For some people, the lack of ability to put it in a garage is a non-starter. When I eventually get to the point where I build a garage, I will ensure it is built with a door that will accommodate a Sprinter SHC. The one I have is the HC or low roof model and still measures roughly 8 ft. tall.

BTW, from an aesthetic point of view, to my eye the Sprinter is pretty darned ugly. Very functional and practical, but ugly. Did I say anything about it being ugly?
photogravity, this vehicle proves your love for cycling! I'm not sure I could drive that day in and day out. :-) It would be a must have if I could justify another vehicle though.
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Old 08-20-13, 08:06 AM
  #86  
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Originally Posted by photogravity
I can't say enough good things about our new tandem hauler. It fits 5 people, can fit 5 bikes across (tandems fit without any problems), and gets 25+ MPG on the highway. I have talked to numerous people with mini-vans who say they are hard pressed to get 25 MPG on the highway.
I would love to get a Sprinter van like that. I don't ever park in the garage either, and my Rondo gets about the same mileage on the highway, around 25-27.

But I don't think it would fly with the Boss unless my Rondo was to require something like a new engine, or heaven forbid it was totaled. Actually if it were to require a new engine she'd probably tell me to get out there and fix it myself since I do so much other maintenance on pretty much everything that we have, cars, bikes, plumbing, electrical, paint, etc, etc ,etc.
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Old 08-20-13, 08:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Paul J
photogravity, this vehicle proves your love for cycling! I'm not sure I could drive that day in and day out. :-) It would be a must have if I could justify another vehicle though.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it proves my love of cycling, but I would say it proves my dislike of putting a bicycle on the roof of the car or hanging it off the rear. As far as the Sprinter goes, I like it more than I thought I would, which is saying a lot since I'm not really a fan or trucks.
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Old 08-20-13, 08:54 AM
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Originally Posted by brons2
I would love to get a Sprinter van like that. I don't ever park in the garage either, and my Rondo gets about the same mileage on the highway, around 25-27.

But I don't think it would fly with the Boss unless my Rondo was to require something like a new engine, or heaven forbid it was totaled. Actually if it were to require a new engine she'd probably tell me to get out there and fix it myself since I do so much other maintenance on pretty much everything that we have, cars, bikes, plumbing, electrical, paint, etc, etc ,etc.
Well there's plenty of ways to manage that dilemma! Can you say loose oil drain pan plug? Then again, it looks like SWMBO may not buy into the idea of a replacement. If you shop carefully, you can find T1N Sprinters (2001-2006 for the US market) for fairly reasonable prices.

BTW, hook 'em horns? There's a fan in my household.


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Old 08-20-13, 09:23 AM
  #89  
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Originally Posted by diabloridr
Mini-vans get no respect, but in many ways they are the most useful vehicles on the road.

My only concern is that the market seems to be pushing manufacturer's to optimize them more towards hauling passengers than stuff, reducing utility while pushing up cost.

Overall we prefer our 2nd Gen Odyssey to the current gen version, it's just a matter how long we can keep it running (140,000 miles so far and no big issues).
Agree on the loss of utility. But if you get a shorty (short wheelbase and a foot shorter overall) KIA or Dodge minivan they are cheaper and not overloaded with bells and whistles and don't fell so minivany and have a tighter turning circle. Not easy to find though.

We decided on a '08 KIA Sedona shorty with 12k on it which was a steal on the used market with full remaining warranty. With modern traction and stability control, we manage Wisconsin winters nicely without AWD.

Here it is rigged out on our 8800 mile trip to Alaska a year ago. It never missed a beat. Nice cushy futon mattress inside kept us comfortable for 6 weeks. Took the Schwinn CrissCross along

250 ponies and loaded to the gills, we still got 21 mpg highway

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Old 08-20-13, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by lenA
Agree on the loss of utility. But if you get a shorty (short wheelbase and a foot shorter overall) KIA or Dodge minivan they are cheaper and not overloaded with bells and whistles and don't fell so minivany and have a tighter turning circle. Not easy to find though.

We decided on a '08 KIA Sedona shorty with 12k on it which was a steal on the used market with full remaining warranty. With modern traction and stability control, we manage Wisconsin winters nicely without AWD.

Here it is rigged out on our 8800 mile trip to Alaska a year ago. It never missed a beat. Nice cushy futon mattress inside kept us comfortable for 6 weeks. Took the Schwinn CrissCross along

250 ponies and loaded to the gills, we still got 21 mpg highway
Have you hauled a tandem in this? We considered getting one of the later models of these that have the timing chain instead of the belt.
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Old 08-20-13, 10:47 AM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by photogravity
BTW, hook 'em horns? There's a fan in my household.
Wow, I have a tabby and white DSH cat that looks very, very similar!!

OK, so to stay on topic, I noticed that the previous poster referenced the short wheelbase minivans. Dodge stopped production of the SWB unit a couple of years ago, if you're shopping new. I don't know about the Kia/Hyundai twins but in general the Korean minivans have not been big sellers. Of course if you can find a good used one, all the better.
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Old 08-20-13, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by photogravity
Have you hauled a tandem in this? We considered getting one of the later models of these that have the timing chain instead of the belt.
The 07s and up have timing chain

No, but I measured 82 inches on center from the base of the seat all the way back to the hatch. There is 11 inches clearance between the front seats.

Hope this helps
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Old 09-10-13, 03:47 PM
  #93  
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You'll need something other than smart phone speakers to really hear this...

My Lexus V8 powered, tandem-hauling Cressida wagon is back on the road!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jJFW-e2qjY

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Old 09-11-13, 07:09 AM
  #94  
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Originally Posted by uspspro
You'll need something other than smart phone speakers to really hear this...

My Lexus V8 powered, tandem-hauling Cressida wagon is back on the road!
uspro A friend of mine did neutral support at races with his 5.0 Ford powered Volvo Wagon. Sounds great!
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Old 09-11-13, 09:28 AM
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I had an '03 Kia mini-van. It was the cheapest quality, most uncomfortable, POS vehicle I have ever owned. On top of that, it depreciated so quickly that when I traded it for my Tundra 4 years later I was still $5000+ in the hole. I gladly rolled it over into the loan on my Tundra.
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Old 09-17-13, 07:58 PM
  #96  
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We are a 'bikes outside' family with two different solutions depending on the trip. For trips with just the family we just put the Co-Motion tandem on a regular receiver-mounted 4-bike rack and let the ends hang over on each side (just to the mirrors). Have driven thousands of miles this way. For larger trips (3 families, 9 people, 3 tandems, a TAB and some singles) we use the in-law's 1995 Buick Roadmaster wagon for all of the people and put all of the bikes and gear in an 8-foot long harbor-freight trailer (with side panels). We are very happy AND COMFORTABLE with both solutions! We just used the Roadmaster solution to get back to Pittsburgh from DC.
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Old 09-17-13, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by cbike
Has anybody considered using a folding trailer to haul a tandem (or bicycles in general)?

I have a 4x8 folding trailer with removable sides that I use for all sorts of things. It folds nicely up and gets winched upright against the wall with a hand winch. So it's a sweet and easy 1 person setup.

I'm pondering to use two fork mounts to haul a tandem and a regular bike with it. The biggest issue is that the fork mounts have to be about 6 inches off the plywood because of front racks on both bicycles. Also I'd like to be able to fold the trailer with the fork mounts attached. I was thinking of adding some sort of metal pedestal on the front edge so it doesn't interfere with the fold. Not totally sure how to do it yet though.
We do this all of the time with 3 tandems, a TAB and singles bikes and gear in the 4x8 trailer (and all with wheels on too!). Very fast and simple to pack and loaded panniers & moving blankets make great padding between bikes. If I can find a picture I will post later.
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Old 09-23-13, 06:47 AM
  #98  
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I have a 2007 Dodge Caliber and an Electra Swing Tandem 3i. The beautiful black cruiser is 8 feet long and super duper heavy despite the 6061 alloy frame. It came to pass that I needed to get the tandem serviced (flat tire and tune up) and was unable to remove the bolt-on rear wheel with internal 3-speed Nexus hub and roller brake, so I had to figure a way to transport the beast to the LBS. My solution was to lay down the rear and front passenger seats on my car, then unbolt the the extra wide cruiser handlebars (which are wider than the interior of my car is tall) and remove both the Captain and Stoker seats. I was then able to lay the bike down across the bed of my vehicle. I was fully prepared to get some rope and tie the bike down with the hatch up, but miraculously, there was inches of clearance to close the hatch securely. The bike mechanic thought I was yanking his chain when I told him I fit the Tandem in the back of my Caliber.

Sadly, taking the tandem out to the local MUP by the river is a no-go, as there's literally no room for any passengers and reassembling the handlebars and two seats just to take it for a cruise is not very user friendly. Needless to say, no upright tandem will work on any horizontal bike rack since the bicycle is typically wider than an entire traffic lane.

Unfortunately, I got another flat shortly after my first ride with the fiance, and dreading paying more fees to the LBS to dismantle the wheels just to change a stinking flat, I watched an 8-minute video tutorial on youtube and fixed it myself. Go figure... I bought some new Bell white walls from Wally World for the bike. The tires are rated for high pressure (65psi), and I inflated them to max, seeing as I'm a 280lbs Clydesdale and with my fiance we total over 450lbs combined plus the wight of the bike. Even at max inflation, the new tires provide cush suspension and really make the bike a smooth riding land yaht. We took it out and it handles much better now. She really is a thing of beauty with those new eye-popping whitewalls! Got lots of complements from the neighbors too...

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Old 09-23-13, 02:30 PM
  #99  
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I wanna cram ours into our Ford 500 and drive 1100 miles to Texas! Rear seat folds down, and I know it won't fit with the wheels on, but it sure will be fun to ride in the warmer weather for a few days. Trip is in November.If it won't fit, we'll have to take our F-250 I guess!
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Old 09-23-13, 06:59 PM
  #100  
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Bikes: Co-Motion Cappuccino Tandem,'88 Bob Jackson Touring, Co-Motion Cascadia Touring, Open U.P., Ritchie Titanium Breakaway, Frances Cycles SmallHaul cargo bike. Those are the permanent ones; others wander in and out of the stable occasionally as well.

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Just put a bike rack on the back of the 500 and go with it. The gas savings alone will pay for the rack and you will be a lit more comfortable too.
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