Propping up Tailgate with three bikes on?

[Lone Wolf]

just wondering if anyone has a good suggestion for propping up tailgate loaded with bikes?

I have a the VW bike rack and have to get into the back sometimes on a run.

it can hold two bikes if hot, but three no way

I have heard of people using a decorators extension pole.

I might try this or would you go to the inconvenience of taking a bike off?

Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[GeekGrimmy]

Our conversion included upgraded gas struts. We did have the van for a few weeks while they were out of stock and it was pretty annoying having to faff about with either getting someoen to hold it open or fetching a pole to wedge it.

That was only a few weeks and it kind of started to grate, I couldn't imagine living with that long term. I don't think i would really trust just wedging a pole in there with three bikes on it. The weight of two bikes was enough for it to sag down but three would probably close with some heft i would think if the pole was to slip.

If you're going to be out and about with the weight of three bikes and need to get into the tailgate without wanting to remove bikes, then upgrading the gas struts would be a must for me.

 

[Dilbert]

then upgrading the gas struts would be a must

The uprated struts are not designed to hold the tailgate up when bikes are loaded. The uprated struts just counteract the extra weight of the bike carrier and/or the tailgate chair insert.

The danger, as well as human, of trying to lift the tailgate loaded is that you will also damage the tailgate at the lower mounting points of it accidentally slams down.

 

[Dilbert]

I have a the VW bike rack and have to get into the back sometimes on a run.

And, just to add, this was the reason we moved to a tow bar mounted carrier that could be slid back to access the rear.

 

[t0mb0]

I’ve opened it slightly to quickly grab something from the back before with bikes on but there’s no way I’d prop it open for any length of time, there’s just too much weight on it.

Struts won’t help, any strut strong enough to hold that weight would mean you’d never close the tailgate again!

 

[GeekGrimmy]

The uprated struts are not designed to hold the tailgate up when bikes are loaded. The uprated struts just counteract the extra weight of the bike carrier and/or the tailgate chair insert.

The danger, as well as human, of trying to lift the tailgate loaded is that you will also damage the tailgate at the lower mounting points of it accidentally slams down.

Fair enough, i've never actually opened the tailgate with any bikes on it myself when I think about it. Just the weight of the carrier itself was enough to make it a bugbear for the few weeks we were without the upgraded struts.

 

[Ayjay]

The whole tailgate strut thing was what eventually swung me over to a tow bar rack. A friend of ours fitted updated struts for a 4 bike rack and my Mrs who is quite small could almost swing on the handle when the bikes weren’t loaded. Also, it went up a bit too fiercely. Mind you, I can’t open the tailgate at all with the rack fitted and it maybe doesn’t look quite as cool!

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks lads, yeah already got the upgraded struts so may have to have a second think

 

[jack454]

a freind of mine has 2 x swivel hinge mounted poles like awning poles that are fixed either side of the internal tailgate and held in place by 28mm pipe clips when the tailgate is closed, there are run across the tailgate horizontaly, and when he needs to prop it open, he drops them both out the clips and they reach the floor either side of the tailgate

his is for a bike rack as well and for sitting under when fishing if he has a bike or 2 with him as well
also has the upgraded struts to assist with the lift

 

[Lone Wolf]

Blimey that sounds a good idea With the swivel poles

 

[Deleted member 24435]

And, just to add, this was the reason we moved to a tow bar mounted carrier that could be slid back to access the rear.

Hi Dilbert, which carrier did you go for? Do the handlebars touch the van when on the rack? We were looking at Pro-User Diamant SG2 Plus, over the weekend after having issues with our VW tailgate bike rack and Skyline Aurora roof

 

[Dilbert]

Hi Dilbert, which carrier did you go for? Do the handlebars touch the van when on the rack?

We went for the Altera DL3 so that we had the clearance when slid back with a tailgate. Info here: Atera STRADA DL 3 to 4 bike carrier (UK lights) no. AR2603.

We do have to turn the handle bars 90 degrees on the the bike that is nearest to the van so that we have the clearance for the tailgate to open (they would not touch the tailgate when it's closed) but that is a 30 second job for our bikes.

 

[Deleted member 24435]

Thank you