I built a different kind of rear-door bike rack for my Ducato

[Minxy]

Keep the towbar free.
Don't drill the van.
Don't sacrifice access to the rear doors.
And keep the bike close to the van.

The existing door mounted racks by Fiamma etc already do that. You don't have to drill the doors if you don't want to as they clamp on the edges.

 

[Realist]

Ok for a single bike to transport A to B but I’ll not leave an expensive bike on that bracket, to easy to knick.

If I was staying overnight I’d have to remove the bike and secure it to the van just in case some scrote fancied it.

Nothing like fixing a bike rack of sorts permanently to a van more secure.

Best wishes.

 

[Pie]

We need people to come up with and try out new ideas so good luck with your venture. For me, I dont think your idea is useable as it is - not for me.

I have a few of these types of hanging devices fixed to my garage wall

I am now 60+ and can still swing a light - ish bike up onto one of these hooks. However I would struggle if the bike were much heavier or if the bracket were much higher (yours will be) and it would be very difficult if I had to use one hand to hold the bike and the other to adjust and tighten a quick release at the same time. Sissy tabs would make tightening the quick release a 2 hand job so what holds the bike while you are doing that? Do you have to stand on the bumper while doing all this?

As the only person to have used this system, how did you manage? - the safe transport of the bike is dependent on the quick release being tightened correctly, could the average person reliably achieve this?

You could have a dummy axle that you clamp into your forks at ground level that then hooks over and locks into a hook on the top of the door. You could then provide different dummy axles for the different axle formats there are today (I havent kept up with these). Obviously more difficult to make but possibly safer and more user freindly.

The other thing I would suggest would be to put some clear protective tape (helicopter tape or similar) on the door where the bracket hooks over. This will prevent any grit that gets betwen your padding and the door from damaging your paintwork.

Apologies for being critical, I have designed and built a few things over the years and this is how you have to think!