FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install Owl carriers myself?
Owl carriers are designed to be very simple to install. Most require no drilling and bolt to factory holes. Anyone handy with basic tools should be able to install our products. We also have detailed installation videos for each product on our site.
What hinges do I need to mount Owl gear?
If you have an NCV3 (2007-2018) than you don't need to worry about your hinges. If you have a VS30 (2019-Present) then you need to determine if you have 270˚ or 180˚ hinges. Revels and Storyteller vans all come with 180˚ hinges so you don't need to swap them. Please look at the image below. If you have 270˚ hinges then you need to add those to your order to mount Owl gear. They swap in about 15-20mins.
Can I use this on my Promaster/Econoline/VW?
We do not have anything available for these makes at the moment. We hope to add additional vehicle lines as we grow but we currently don't have a timeline for those additions. We strongly recommend not attempting to install one of our units on a van is it not intended for. This will void your warranty on the carrier and it would not be returnable.
Can I put on dual Sherpas and carry 4 bikes?
Yes, many customers have done this as a great way to carry a lot of bikes and not have some giant wobbly hitch mount.
Can I mount e-bikes to your carriers?
E-bikes can be carried but you have to stay within the limits of the carrier’s weight rating. That means if you have an 80lbs e-bike, you would only be able to mount one not two. Another option is to remove your battery from the e-bike as the battery can be a significant portion of the bikes weight.
Are the hinges strong enough?
We have tested and sold hundreds of carriers with hundreds of thousands of combined miles without a single hinge issue. The hinges on the MB are very strong and have no difficulty supporting the loads are mounting. While there is no officially stated weight limit for the hinges but we offer product guidelines that our engineers have approved.
All of our carriers and their loads are evaluated by our mechanical engineers, real world testing and industry data as a whole. In our research, we have not been able to find any instance of damage to any hinges with our gear or anyone else's.
Most importantly we stand behind our products and if there ever was an issue, and it was the result of our product used properly, we would work closely with the customer to make sure they were taken care of.
Do Owl products work on NCV3 vans (2007-2018) without the magnetic door catch?
Owl carriers have been designed to work only on vans with the magnetic catch because they are the required factory door support. Vans without this magnetic catch do not have that reinforcement and require a different mounting point. We do not currently sell any options for vans without
Ladder + Tire Carrier Sensor Issue
A few of our customers have reached out regarding pinging of the backup sensors when reversing after Ladder + Tire Carrier installation. While most vans should not have this issue, a small number of vans do. As best we can tell, this is due to the installation of the parking sensor being “aimed” differently. Most customers with the issue have been able to reach up behind the flexible plastic bumper, adjust (fiddle with) the sensor closest to the ladder, and aim it slightly away from the ladder. This solution has worked for most customers. Suppose you’re still having the problem; try unscrewing the bottom footpeg, and see if the issue goes away. If the issue goes away, we can try shortening the footpeg. Feel free to trim your footpeg down on your own (hacksaw or bandsaw). If you need us to ship you a shorter one, we can also do that.
What van do I have NCV3 (2006-2018) or VS30 (2019+)?
In this photo the NVC3 van is on the left and the newer model VS30 is on the right
After installing a carrier my backup sensors are going off?
While the vast majority of vans do not have any sensor pinging when reversing, some vans do experience issues. There are a couple of options. You can turn off the sensors from the media touch screen in the van (top left). If you prefer a more long term solution you can adjust the bumper cover or tilt the sensor. Tilting the sensor is quick and easy.
Each bumper sensor has a clip top and bottom holding it in. Work you hand up to one of the sensors. Unclip the bottom clip while pushing in on the bottom of the sensor face. The sensor should tilt slightly (see picture). You only need to tilt the sensor a VERY small amount. Our suggestion is tilt the sensor slightly, check to see if it pings. Repeat until it is tilted enough to stop pinging and you’re pretty much done. The snug fit of the sensor means it should stay put. If you want to secure it more you can put a drop of RTV (silicon gasket maker) joining the sensor to the housing. When the RTV drys it will hold the sensor securely but can be removed should you ever need to remove the sensor.
Tire Fitment Guide (from Van Compass Website):
Tire Size - What will fit your van
6 x 130mm, 84.1mm bore
245/75/16 stock tire size
Factory Steel - 16 x 6.5, 54mm offset
Factory Alloy - 16 x 6.5, 63mm offset
* Numerically smaller offset makes wheel stick out further
* Offset is measured from center of wheel to mounting surface
* Wider wheels will make tires bulge less. The inner clearance may be less than factory wheels when comparing to aftermarket wheels at the wheel flange, but the strut/tire interference occurs towards the middle of the tire bulge. Less tire bulge will keep the tire away from the strut in some of these situations. We are taking notes as we mount wide tires on aftermarket wheels. The offset calculations help to get a ballpark for fitment. Tire bulge and manufacture can be different when mounted.
- 265/75/16
- 275/70/16
- 265/70/17
- 275/65/17
- 2” Striker lift kit installed
- 265/75/16
- 235/85/16
- 275/70/16
- 285/70/16
- 285/75/16 * may require front mudflap and front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
- 255/85/16 * will require front mudflap and front bumper trimming
- 235/85/17
- 255/75/17
- 275/70/17
- 285/70/17 * may require front mudflap/ front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
- 255/80/17 * will require front mudflap and front bumper trimming
- 285/75/17 * will require front mudflap/ front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
Wheel Facts:
6 x 130mm, 84.1mm bore
245/75/16 stock tire size
Factory Steel - 16 x 6.5, 54mm offset
Factory Alloy - 16 x 6.5, 63mm offset
* Numerically smaller offset makes wheel stick out further
* Offset is measured from center of wheel to mounting surface
* Wider wheels will make tires bulge less. The inner clearance may be less than factory wheels when comparing to aftermarket wheels at the wheel flange, but the strut/tire interference occurs towards the middle of the tire bulge. Less tire bulge will keep the tire away from the strut in some of these situations. We are taking notes as we mount wide tires on aftermarket wheels. The offset calculations help to get a ballpark for fitment. Tire bulge and manufacture can be different when mounted.
- No lift kit installed
- 265/75/16
- 235/85/16
- 275/70/16
- 285/70/16
- 285/75/16 * may require front mudflap/ front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
- 255/85/16 * will require front mudflap and front bumper trimming
- 235/85/17
- 255/75/17
- 275/70/17
- 285/70/17 * may require front mudflap/ front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
- 255/80/17 * may require front mudflap and front bumper trimming
- 285/75/17 * will require front mudflap/ front bumper trimming, and 14mm wheel spacers
- Wider tires can be installed with wheel spacers if desired, may need to trim plastic.
- 2” Striker lift kit
- 305/70/16 * 14mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 295/75/16 * 14mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 315/75/16 * 14mm spacer, front mudflap removed, pinch seam trimmed and front bumper plastic must be trimmed.
- 295/70/17 * 14mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 305/70/17 * 14mm spacer, with aftermarket wheels in the 7.5 to 8” wide range
- 315/70/17 * 14mm spacer, front mudflap removed, pinch seam trimmed and front bumper plastic must be trimmed.
- 35/10.5/17 * Front mudflap removed, pinch seam trimmed and front bumper plastic must be trimmed.
- 35/12.5.17 * 14mm spacer, front mudflap removed, pinch seam trimmed and front bumper plastic must be trimmed.
6 x 130mm, 84.1mm bore
245/75/16 stock tire size
Factory Steel - 16 x 6.5, 54mm offset
Factory Alloy - 16 x 6.5, 63mm offset
* Numerically smaller offset makes wheel stick out further
* Offset is measured from center of wheel to mounting surface
* Wider wheels will make tires bulge less. The inner clearance may be less than factory wheels when comparing to aftermarket wheels at the wheel flange, but the strut/tire interference occurs towards the middle of the tire bulge. Less tire bulge will keep the tire away from the strut in some of these situations. We are taking notes as we mount wide tires on aftermarket wheels. The offset calculations help to get a ballpark for fitment. Tire bulge and manufacture can be different when mounted.
- 265/75/16
- 275/70/16
- 265/70/17
- 275/65/17
- 2” Striker lift kit installed all sizes larger then stock will require trimming. Check out our mudflap relocation kit.
- 265/75/16
- 235/85/16
- 275/70/16
- 285/70/16
- 285/75/16 * will require 16mm wheel spacers
- 255/85/16
- 235/85/17
- 255/75/17
- 275/70/17
- 285/70/17 * will require 16mm wheel spacers
- 255/80/17 * will require some front mudflap and front bumper trimming
- 285/75/17 * will require 16mm wheel spacers
Wheel Facts:
6 x 130mm, 84.1mm bore
245/75/16 stock tire size
Factory Steel - 16 x 6.5, 54mm offset
Factory Alloy - 16 x 6.5, 63mm offset
* Numerically smaller offset makes wheel stick out further
* Offset is measured from center of wheel to mounting surface
* Wider wheels will make tires bulge less. The inner clearance may be less than factory wheels when comparing to aftermarket wheels at the wheel flange, but the strut/tire interference occurs towards the middle of the tire bulge. Less tire bulge will keep the tire away from the strut in some of these situations. We are taking notes as we mount wide tires on aftermarket wheels. The offset calculations help to get a ballpark for fitment. Tire bulge and manufacture can be different when mounted.
- No lift kit installed - all sizes will require fender trimming - check out our mudflap relocation kit
- 265/75/16
- 235/85/16
- 275/70/16 - Max size with adaptive cruise control
- 285/70/16
- 285/75/16 * may need 16mm wheel spacers with certain tires
- 255/85/16
- 235/85/17
- 255/75/17
- 275/70/17 - Max size with adaptive cruise control
- 2” Striker lift kit - no trimming
- 235/85/16
- 255/75/17
- 285/70/17 * may need 16mm wheel spacers with certain tires
- 255/80/17
- 285/75/17 * may need 16mm wheel spacers with certain tires
- 305/70/16 * 16mmwheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 295/75/16 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 315/75/16 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 295/70/17 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 305/70/17 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 315/70/17 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 35/10.5/17 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance
- 35/12.5.17 * 16mm wheel spacer for front strut and tire clearance.