Carrying Mountain Bikes / Skis/ Surfboards inside?
 

Hello all,

Noob X5er here. I've been lurking for the past couple weeks while shopping around and am finally picking up my starter X5 tomorrow, an '01 stick shift 3.0.

I did notice that the cargo space is much smaller than my current rides, a '99 4Runner and 4wd Tacoma. Does anyone regularly haul mountain bkes, skis or surfboards? With the 4Runner I could just fold the larger of the 60/40 seats and have enough room for my toys and 2 passengers.

I could use the roof rack for boards and skis, but I prefer to just fold the seats and throw them in the back (surfboards range 6'1" to 7') for convenience and security. I also rigged up a home-made interior bike carrier system similar to the Nissan XTerra- would something like this work in an X5?
http://www.leeparts.com/graphics/06-XACC-026.jpg

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I look forward to enjoying my new ride!

Welcome.

I'd say it's a personal preference as to where you haul your stuff. Looks like a nice clean mount inside, but it takes a lot of space.

I use a Yakima roof top system for my bikes, kayak, and skis. Usually, after engaging in one of these sports, I'm looking for a place to take a nap, and none is better than the back of my X5.

At one point, in my old X5, with the rear seats folded, I fit three mountain bikes in there, all fully assembled. Not sure how I did it, but I put them in handlebar first, and stacked them. Not the best choice if you don't want scratches on your bike.

Donovan - I just got myself a hitch mounted rack since it's a pain to get the bikes on top, plus i'm only 5'10 and I would have a hard time loading the bikes. I used to just throw my bike inside the vehicle but that got old quick since the interior was getting dirty. Here's a pic of the hitch rack (Thule T2) and a picture of our Isuzu Trooper that was rigged for 2 bikes inside. Hope this helps!
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i113/3xv/DSC02422.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i113/3xv/DSC02419.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...IMG_0002-1.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...IMG_0001-1.jpg

Thanks for the advice!

I picked up my new (used) X5 yesterday morning then went for a test drive in the winding mountain roads on the way to my usual trail. WOW! It handles perfectly and took corners like a sports car compared to my 4Runner.

I ended up laying it flat and removing the front wheel for now. I'm glad it came with the plastic rubber mat so no worries about tracking mud inside.

The X5 was so much fun to drive that all I could think while I was on the trails was getting back to my car and driving the switchback roads on SR 35 and 84 in the Peninsula (The perfect test drive track IMHO :D)

During the twilight the fog had set in and the roads were deserted, except for the occasional deer. Even with the dark foggy conditions I was having a blast.

Specs:
'01 X5 3.0 (5-speed)
BMS Supersprint exhaust

(Oh- the only problem I had was taking 30 minutes to get that over-engineered cargo cover back into place after I hastily pulled it out. Didn;t know about all those tracks, wheels, and cogs that had to align perfectly :))

:iagree: I only pulled out my cargo cover once. That was to store is permanently in my garage. Glad to hear you are so excited with your new ride. I've had mine for three years now, and it still puts a smile on my face. Enjoy