Uebler i31Z tilting and folding bike rack (3 bikes) no. 18130

What makes the Uebler i series so special?

Uebler's i series are very light but immensely strong and will carry all types of bike, up to a maximum wheelbase of 130cm. They fit any type of tow ball, are fitted and removed when folded, with minimal strain on your back, and when folded are small enough to fit into the car boot, so you'll have no 'not enough parking length for the bike carrier' parking problems or risk of damage or theft of your bike carrier when you're out on your ride.

This one is the i31Z - it weighs only 18kg, takes 3 bikes, comes as standard with the 'Z' ratchet strap bike holders for box section bikes - usually ideal for chunky eBikes - and tilts to 60 degrees. Note that there is no 90-degree tilt 3 bike version of this carrier.

If you haven't fitted a typical tow bar carrier before you're unlikely to appreciate the significant benefits of carrying it to the tow ball, and fitting it, from what is basically a vertical position rather than a horizontal position. A typical bike carrier imposes considerable strain on your back as you walk it towards the tow ball, with the carrier tending to bump against your shins or knees unless you're strong enough to hold it with straight arms. In contrast you walk Uebler's i series onto the tow ball, standing upright, then move it past the vertical and push it down until it clicks into position. The patented iQ fitting automatically adjusts and self-tensions for your particular tow ball. Fitting couldn’t really be faster or easier.

Other features and specifications:

• The i31Z is very light weight - only 18kg - which not only makes it easy to move around but also allows for a greater payload, an important consideration if you need to carry two heavy eBikes. Note that the weight of the bike rack plus your bikes shouldn't exceed your tow bar nose weight.
• The maximum permitted load depends on the tow ball nose weight - 57kg for a nose weight of 75kg, 72kg for a nose weight of 90kg.
• Tilting is done via a foot-operated lever below the number plate, so both hands are free to hold the outer bike and lower the load until it reaches the tilt-stop.
• The iQ tow bar fitting system includes a reassuring green indicator which shows when the rack is correctly fitted on the tow ball.
• Each bike holder arm is very easily fitted, repositioned or removed with only one hand, leaving the other hand free to support the bike. Position the bike holder arms wherever they can get a good grip on the bike frame or seat post without the risk of friction damage to bike paintwork.
• The Z bike holder arms include a long reinforced strap and protective padding to protect the frame. The Z fittings are designed for larger eBike frames - note that the S bike holder arms are available as accessories, and are shown in the list below.
• Maximum bike frame diameter for the standard Z bike holder arms: 115mm round tube, 120 x 80mm rectangular tube, 95 x 95mm square tube.
• The i31Z has a wide 220mm between the wheel tray centres, making it easier to load chunky downhill MTBs and eBikes, also reducing the risk of the bikes rubbing together.
• The wheel trays are particularly wide - making them suitable for wider tyres.
• Wheel straps for tyres up to 3" are supplied as standard; longer straps for tyres up to 4.5" are shown in the accessories list below.
• Note how the lights, always the most vulnerable part of any tow bar carrier, are protected when the carrier is folded.
• The lights are 13 pin ‘5 function’, including fog lights and a reversing light; in any event we will include free of charge (unless you know you don't need this and you 'untick the box') the lighting adapter you will need if you have a 7 pin lighting socket. Note that the fog lights should work with a 7 pin system, but the reversing light won't work.
• Everything is lockable; the rack is locked to the car and each bike is locked to the rack, all using the same key.
• A loading ramp and storage cover are available as accessories.
• There's a full spares programme.
• Dimensions when folded (W x H x D): 61 x 22 x 82cm.
• Dimensions when unfolded (W x H x D): 119 x 89 x 78cm
• 3 year warranty.
• Uebler's i series win most comparative product test awards; for example, Auto Bild (2022), Camper Vans (2022), Mountain Bike (2021), Bike Bild (2021).
• Made in Germany. Everything except the lighting units and wiring, even the plastic parts, is made in the factory in Forchheim in Bavaria, Germany.
• Note that there's a version of this carrier with built-in reversing sensors, the 18130-DC, including a small screen and acoustic device that plugs into the dashboard cigarette lighter.

Uebler i series are part of our 90 day exchange scheme; see the tab for full details.

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

These are our standard charges; there are usually surcharges for all offshore destinations and some remote postcodes - for details please see our delivery information page.

Delivery of other items

Delivery times

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays).

Cut-off times for Express Delivery orders
Express Delivery orders placed before before the cut-off times shown below will usually be desptached on the date of order. Express Delivery orders placed after these cut-off times will be despatched the next working day.

Delivery FAQs

When will my order arrive?
There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for postable items where Royal Mail has a Saturday delivery. Express Delivery orders placed on a Friday (before 1pm) should be delivered on the Monday or Tuesday, Express Delivery orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday should be delivered on the Tuesday or Wednesday. The arrangements for Very Heavy Items are different and are shown above.

What about Next Working Day delivery?
Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next working day, if the order is placed before the cut-off time (see above). Some will arrive on the second working day if there has been a "split-delivery". So-called “split deliveries” happen when the couriers do not have enough trailer space for everything that should be moved around the UK, so they will load what they can and leave the rest for the next trailer.

Is my delivery day guaranteed?
No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. As well as split deliveries, all courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.

Do I need to be at home?
We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver to an address which suits you – this does not need to be your home address. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

Payment options:

We take the following cards, and also PayPal. Please note that the entry on your card statement will be from "The Roof Box Company".

Secure payments

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Deciding which bike carriers to buy is not always easy, especially as you may not have had experience of using bike carriers before. We hope that our buying guides provide useful guidance about which bike carrier 'strategy' will be most appropriate for your circumstances, as well as highlighting the best features of particular models. We also have troubleshooting FAQs - for example, some customers struggle at first to fit four bikes onto a tow ball carrier, and wonder whether a different carrier would allow the bikes to be spaced wider apart. (It won't, but we have some good tips which make bike fitting much easier.)

Our bike carriers Exchange Scheme covers roof mounting and tow ball mounting bike carriers only. Rear door mounting / strap on carriers are not included, and nor are roof bars. It allows you to exchange within 90 days of invoice date. Most exchanges are for roof mounting upgrades, or are tow ball carriers with very basic tilting systems being exchanged for easy to use sliding / tilting carriers.

These are the rules of the bike carriers Exchange Scheme:

• You are allowed one exchange only.
• The original equipment must be in "as new" condition, subject only to fair wear and tear.
• The replacement items must be different models from the originals.
• The replacement items must not be part of a package deal or be from our Bargains section.
• Roof bars are never part of the Exchange Scheme.

This is how the exchange scheme works:

• We charge in full for the replacement items, including the appropriate carriage charge and a charge for any packaging needed for the return of the originals.
• We pay the return carriage costs.
• When the originals arrive back here we refund you for their invoice value but you won't get back more than the invoice value of the replacements. In other words, if the replacements are cheaper than the originals we won't be giving you "extra cash back".

Please note that we can only collect exchange scheme items from mainland UK.