[Backcountry Edge]

After sleeping in the back of the E on a few trips I decided to do the rear hatch opening mod (thanks to all who blazed that trail). While I had the plastic off of the back hatch I decided that if I had a way to open the hatch from the inside I should probably have a way to close it as well. (something that I was finding difficult as well. While I liked the Ursa Minor method, I decided to go the stealth route. Here are the results.

I attached some extra webbing that I had laying around to a the interior bracing on the rear hatch with a screw and fender washer combination. I then wrapped the webbing around the brace on it's way to the hand recess in the hatch to dissipate the downward force so that I would not be pulling directly on the attachment point. I decided to attach the plastic handle to the webbing with a simple bolt and fender washer because I knew that I was bound to lose it if I did not. The end result can be tucked away when not in use and you would never even know that it is there.

Thoughts and improvements are welcome.

 

[ramblerdan]

Super slick! What kind of clip holds the strap to the plastic pull?

Yours is also the first release handle I've seen on the passenger's side.

 

[Backcountry Edge]

The handle attachment hardware was a little bit of luck. I found a small flat aluminum bar that had a threaded post in one of my bins of miscellaneous hardware. I don't remember what it came from but it allowed me to have a nice low profile attachment point. From there I punched a hole in the webbing with a leather punch and melted the end to keep anything from fraying. the fender washer is larger than it has to be but it keeps the handle from falling out once it is unclipped. It could probably be done with less, but it is what was laying around.

I put the release on the passenger side because that is the side that I sleep on so that I do not have to adjust my drivers seat. I simply push the passenger seat all the way forward and my sleeping pad fits perfectly with the tailgate up. String a bungee between the child seat anchors to hold my l.e.d. lantern and I am set.

 

[AztecRol]

Very cool!!!

Here is an idea for someone to try.

When I first saw what you had done, the first thing that came to my
mind was, how about a seatbelt retractor. I bet there are some older
ones that are really skinny that would work really nicely. I am sure
there is an easy way to mount it so it would take the strain, and to
cut a slit into the hand recess, so the belt comes out of it.

Just a thought.

 

[Backcountry Edge]

a seat belt tensioner would be real trick but I am not sure how you would get it to stay in one position so that is is not always pulled up to the hatch. I admittedly have not played around with these devices to any extent so there is probably a way to do it. I also contemplated using a push button cord retractor from a vacuum cleaner that died, but that got complicated really quick.

 

[Eww-an E]

Very creative. Nice job.