How many bike boxes in a rental van?

FrankGrimes

Need to arrange transport for 6 lads and 4 bike boxes from Lyon airport to Bourg D'Oisan at the end of August. Looking at renting a 'full-size van' that's listed as a 9 seater and looks something like this.

Given how big bike boxes are I'm not convinced that it'll fit the 4 bike boxes let alone the 6 lads, but if we at least got the boxes in we could figure something else out for the lads.

Just wondering if anyone has experience trying to jam bike boxes into a van of this size and how many you managed to get in?

RO 06

That van will be too small. You would need something like a long wheel base crew cab transit. It will seat 6 and then you will have space in back for bike boxes.

FrankGrimes

RO 06 wrote: »

That van will be too small. You would need something like a long wheel base crew cab transit. It will seat 6 and then you will have space in back for bike boxes.

Thanks RO 06, sorry that I'm not familiar with that model, would you have a link (just want to be sure I look at the right one) and do you know if these models are offered by any car rental companies? The model I linked was the biggest one we could find from the car rental companies.

cipo

FrankGrimes wrote: »

RO 06 wrote: »

That van will be too small. You would need something like a long wheel base crew cab transit. It will seat 6 and then you will have space in back for bike boxes.

Thanks RO 06, sorry that I'm not familiar with that model, would you have a link (just want to be sure I look at the right one) and do you know if these models are offered by any car rental companies? The model I linked was the biggest one we could find from the car rental companies.

Think you may struggle to rent one of them from s conventional rental company!!!

Lyon to bourg is two hrs.... If all else fails- drive with bikes and a few bodies then pick rest off the bid in bourg d'oisans- the ones you drove earlier will have cold beer and dinner ready!!!

Ps I want to be back there... Awesome area on the bike!!! Enjoy.

Captain Havoc

I think it might work but if not a couple of guys could get the train to Grenoble and you'd go back and pick them up. Alternatively you could draft them all the way Actually, if you're arriving early enough, why don't a couple of you cycle? It's fairly flat.

sleepyholland

Do you need to get the bike boxes to Bourg?
If you don't, then some guys cycling, or buying a bike rack for the van would do the trick. If you need to bring the boxes then ignore me.

mvt

Maybe just rent a small car as well as the van.The cost between six won't add up to much. Thats what we did with just four.You will fit the bike boxes and two people only in that van.Trust me,we learnt the hard way.
Try Autocar.com and use the UK site-works out much cheaper.

TinyExplosions

mvt wrote: »

Maybe just rent a small car as well as the van.The cost between six won't add up to much. Thats what we did with just four.You will fit the bike boxes and two people only in that van.Trust me,we learnt the hard way.
Try Autocar.com and use the UK site-works out much cheaper.

+1 on this. We got stung and had to rent another car on the spot, which was no fun, so book a second in advance and you'll be fine (provided you've 2 drivers!)

velopeloton

That's the same van I have. There are 9 seats in 3 rows. The back row will fold up completely and you can get 4 bike boxes in and still have 6 seats. I have had 6 people, 5 bike boxes and 5 bags in mine.

mvt

Thats some van .
Still think that would be a LWB and don't think thats the model you will get as a rental.They always cover themselves by saying "or somthing similar".
Anyway,more importantly,enjoy the trip!!

FrankGrimes

Nice one folks. Yeh the problem is getting the bike boxes from Lyon to Bourg, cycling would be an option otherwise.

It was looking like a non-runner there until velopeleton showed how much he managed to cram into something similar. I reckon if we book it we'd need to then ring the company to get the details of the model we'll actually get and then figure out if it's an option.

Even an additional car isn't that helpful if the van can't take all 4 bike boxes as most cars won't fit even one bike box, so we'll see what the options are.

blorg

#1 rental companies will not always give you the exact model you order, but something "similar" - we have been stung by this before. "Similar" means same number of doors and seats and doesn't take into account your needs with the bike boxes.

#2 maybe Velopeloton could confirm that the seats fold up in situ and don't need to be removed- as we have ordered a 7 seater before where the seats would need to be removed to fit the bike boxes and the rental company wouldn't keep them for us.

velopeloton

Short Wheel Base Van
This is a Nissan Primastar. The Renault Traffic is the exact same van and is also made by Nissan.


3 rows of seats


It takes about 15 seconds to fold up the back row.

FrankGrimes

Thanks blorg and velopeleton, those photos of the van are very helpful.

It seems that if we could guarantee we would get a 9 seater van (with foldable seats) and not a 7-seater, we might be ok.

Rental companies in France tend to do Renaults and Citroens. Had a look at this Citroen Dispatch Combi van and the 9-seater option would seem to be quite similar size to the Renault Traffic/Nissan Primastar.

So I reckon we'll plough ahead and see if we can get a specific 9-seater model guaranteed.

Esroh

Frank
I would reckon if you being offered a Citroen its a Relay not a Combi Dispatch you would need.

Just from experience re them as plain commercials the Relay has a bigger payload and would be in the same class as the Primastar and the Traffic.

You will see them on the road here mainly as commercials and you will see the difference

markleigh

Can anyone advise me what type of van would be suitable for one bike box (plus 3 passengers)? I'll be arriving in Paris.