sunnydazed
2021 170 2wd 4cyl Diesel
Installing the CA Vans Stop-Stay Door Safety System
Hi all, been a while, but i have a few projects lined up for the van this month. First up is installing the rear door struts.
Bought one of the first units and just got it a few days ago. The problem that it solves is adding a soft open and a pseudo-lockout for when the van doors are open. For those reading this that are early in their build, let me explain--I love having the Owl Vans components on the back of my van: getting the spare tire out and accessible (driver side rear door) and the storage box with lots of mounts on the passenger rear door. The not-so-obvious downside to these is that they add significant weight and mass to the rear doors. I am less worried about the stress on the door hinges but am more concerned about the doors unexpectedly closing in windy conditions or if parked on an incline/decline.
Back in 2021 during my first phases of my build, i was working during a windy day. A big gust caught the heavier passenger rear door and it started closing and knocked me over with its mass as the outdoor box was fully loaded. I was lucky that i was able to slow it down a bit but it could easily have done much worse. Ever since that i'm super-careful as the doors carry a significant amount of weight. This is actually why I went to a shower tent for outdoor showers vs the original just shower with the doors open with a curtain strung up between the doors. The wind in the Western US was always blowing the doors around which made for an interesting shower.
Anyhow back to the install. Yes these are just struts mounted via rivnuts but its a nice solution that so far meets my needs. Given that I use my van for bike trips, i am always dealing with the doors shutting on my bikes while on the slider tray this gives me some peace of mind. My first take is that they open nicely and, more importantly, hold the doors open despite wind gusts. It actually takes a fair amount of effort to close them, which was a surprise, but not a bad thing.
Here's the official install video. It's pretty basic, especially if one already has experience with setting rivnuts but, IMO, it was more challenging than i was expecting. The challenge is getting the rivnuts to sit level and plumb on an area on the bumper, that, at least on my van, has some curvature. Rivnuts require that the bolts be inset straight or it becomes a challenge. Fortunately, in my build, i have significant experience with rivnuts.
Overall, i'm pleased and happy with the quality. My biggest concern was that i had to fit my around some trim and my offset bike slider tray as you can see in the pics below.
Hi all, been a while, but i have a few projects lined up for the van this month. First up is installing the rear door struts.
Bought one of the first units and just got it a few days ago. The problem that it solves is adding a soft open and a pseudo-lockout for when the van doors are open. For those reading this that are early in their build, let me explain--I love having the Owl Vans components on the back of my van: getting the spare tire out and accessible (driver side rear door) and the storage box with lots of mounts on the passenger rear door. The not-so-obvious downside to these is that they add significant weight and mass to the rear doors. I am less worried about the stress on the door hinges but am more concerned about the doors unexpectedly closing in windy conditions or if parked on an incline/decline.
Back in 2021 during my first phases of my build, i was working during a windy day. A big gust caught the heavier passenger rear door and it started closing and knocked me over with its mass as the outdoor box was fully loaded. I was lucky that i was able to slow it down a bit but it could easily have done much worse. Ever since that i'm super-careful as the doors carry a significant amount of weight. This is actually why I went to a shower tent for outdoor showers vs the original just shower with the doors open with a curtain strung up between the doors. The wind in the Western US was always blowing the doors around which made for an interesting shower.
Anyhow back to the install. Yes these are just struts mounted via rivnuts but its a nice solution that so far meets my needs. Given that I use my van for bike trips, i am always dealing with the doors shutting on my bikes while on the slider tray this gives me some peace of mind. My first take is that they open nicely and, more importantly, hold the doors open despite wind gusts. It actually takes a fair amount of effort to close them, which was a surprise, but not a bad thing.
Here's the official install video. It's pretty basic, especially if one already has experience with setting rivnuts but, IMO, it was more challenging than i was expecting. The challenge is getting the rivnuts to sit level and plumb on an area on the bumper, that, at least on my van, has some curvature. Rivnuts require that the bolts be inset straight or it becomes a challenge. Fortunately, in my build, i have significant experience with rivnuts.
Overall, i'm pleased and happy with the quality. My biggest concern was that i had to fit my around some trim and my offset bike slider tray as you can see in the pics below.