Tailgate struts

[callum]

Hi folks,
Our van has a fiamma bike rack on it, tailgate just about holds up most of the time, but couls probably do with some new ones at some point.
I am considering mounting a matress topper to the inside of the tailgate which will almost certainly tip it over the edge.
Does anybody have first hand experience of fitting uprated/higher pressure struts? I have heard that some are so strong that it makes it difficult to shut the boot, which will be no good for my wife, or me!
Alternatively i can remove the rack and just put it on when i need it, which is an option.
Any thoughts please.

[maxi_77]

With a ladder on the back door we just used an extending clothes prop with a caravan rubber sucker on the end as a prop

[roosmith]

Two options spring to mind. People cut conduit length ways which slips over the strut when open and holds it no matter what the weight. The other option is speak to SGS engineering. They do the Bongo struts and do talk about reconditioning and ungrading existing struts to hold additional weight, although I haven't spoken to them about combining the two things! I'm sure they can do it though. Remember though that if you upgrade them you might have issues if you later decide to take the bike rack on, you won't be able to shut it.

[dave_aber]

People cut conduit length ways which slips over the strut when open and holds it no matter what the weight.

Called "keeper-upperers".

[roosmith]

Sorry, didn't know the technical term

[callum]

For my own amusement, and as i bought the van with the rack on it, i took the rack off. Tailgate opens and closes beautifully now! I do prefer the look of it without the rack, but it will be handy as a way of fitting a box to it instead of roof box when we do eventually go away.
I'm thinking of fitting a neoprene seal to the cut outs in the spoiler so it looks a bit neater, just have a slit in it so that i can fit the rack when i want.

Pic when i bought the van:


Pic now:


I also removed the hanging fog light and wired the fog into the reverse light. So just one reverse light now, so i have fitted a reversing camera to compensate. I have super bright cree LED's in the reverse, so it's not too bad anyway.

[cmm303]

I'd definitely speak with SGS about having new uprated struts. They might not be much more than getting your old ones uprated and would give you an option to change struts to suit load.