It can vary a little..
Hi Jeff,
I see your in CLT..I'm not too far from you (8A7 Twin Lakes)if you want a personal tour of the RV-4. I can give you exacting dimensions later today when I get home if you need. The RV-4 can be "customized" to extend the compartment, however the -4 is very sensitive to getting tail heavy if you are talking weight vs. bulk size. I don't ever need to remove the aft stick in mine, but know a few folks that have theirs removed all the time. I can remove the seat bottom and back in about 30 seconds in the event I need to carry something sizable. Not sure what your trying to fit...bicycle or golf clubs could be a stretch without extending the per plans metal compartment. Some folks have made a "windsock" fishing rod tube that passes through the bulkhead which is on my list to do one of these days. I flew solo to OSH a few years ago, and had tent,chair,air mattress, food,3 bags of stuff, 2 cases of beer and tools..looked much like YellerDaisy's, but used the back seat to hold the massive duffel bag full off the beer and heavy stuff strapped in with the 4 point harness.