Tailgate lift

[D&ACalifornia]

Morning all, some advice please for anyone with experience of this. I have just put my T6.1 Ocean in for a warranty check around the gas struts on the tailgate. They only open the tailgate to about 80%, except on hot days when it opens all the way up. I do not have a bike rack on it, although the previous owner did. VW tell me there is nothing wrong with the struts and they are designed only to open 80% in order to access the chairs in the tailgate. I find this difficult to accept but wanted to check what other people’s experience had been. It’s particularly annoying for a person of my height as it lifts to a level which is just above eye height and therefore is easy to miss and a few times now I have ended up inadvertently walking into it!
Any experience or advice on this please?

 

[dspuk]

Loads of previous chat on this - search is your friend. Basically both by design and weather related. You can upgrade the struts if you fancy but be prepared to lose your chin when the weather is hot.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Sounds like your struts need replacing. The roof should should shoot straight up without a bike rack fitted & should require a fair amount of effort to close.

 

[WelshGas]

Morning all, some advice please for anyone with experience of this. I have just put my T6.1 Ocean in for a warranty check around the gas struts on the tailgate. They only open the tailgate to about 80%, except on hot days when it opens all the way up. I do not have a bike rack on it, although the previous owner did. VW tell me there is nothing wrong with the struts and they are designed only to open 80% in order to access the chairs in the tailgate. I find this difficult to accept but wanted to check what other people’s experience had been. It’s particularly annoying for a person of my height as it lifts to a level which is just above eye height and therefore is easy to miss and a few times now I have ended up inadvertently walking into it!
Any experience or advice on this please?

The California already has uprated gas struts to cope with the weight of the chairs. As long as it opens fully during summer and 80% on a cold day but can then be pushed to fully open position and stay there , during winter, then they are performing as designed. Fitting stronger struts can cause the reverse, open fully during winter but dangerously fast during summer and difficult to close on hot days.

 

[WelshGas]

Sounds like your struts need replacing. The roof should should shoot straight up without a bike rack fitted & should require a fair amount of effort to close.

During summer, Yes. Not so during winter but you should be able to push up to 100% and stay there during winter.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I think it's normal, although I'm not sure I buy the argument about accessing the chairs - I suspect once one is removed it'll ping up to full height by itself. The struts will produce different lifting force at different temperatures so there's always a compromise. If your struts were sufficiently powerful to lift the tailgate to the full height now in chilly weather with the chairs in, you'd probably end up doing a pull up trying to close it in high summer.

The key thing is the tailgate stays up, even if you help it into position slightly. It should stay up even with an unloaded bike rack on too. if it doesn't, then that's possibly a failure somewhere and a warranty issue.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I think it's normal, although I'm not sure I buy the argument about accessing the chairs - I suspect once one is removed it'll ping up to full height by itself. The struts will produce different lifting force at different temperatures so there's always a compromise. If your struts were sufficiently powerful to lift the tailgate to the full height now in chilly weather with the chairs in, you'd probably end up doing a pull up trying to close it in high summer.

The key thing is the tailgate stays up, even if you help it into position slightly. It should stay up even with an unloaded bike rack on too. if it doesn't, then that's possibly a failure somewhere and a warranty issue.

Its true about the chairs & also allows for the ‘vertically challenged’ to close the boot without using the handstrap.

 

[RockinNRollin]

Its true about the chairs & also allows for the ‘vertically challenged’ to close the boot without using the handstrap.

Except in summer, when it goes to full height by itself anyway! That's what makes me doubt the bit about the chairs as otherwise it'd always stop at 80%.

 

[D&ACalifornia]

The California already has uprated gas struts to cope with the weight of the chairs. As long as it opens fully during summer and 80% on a cold day but can then be pushed to fully open position and stay there , during winter, then they are performing as designed. Fitting stronger struts can cause the reverse, open fully during winter but dangerously fast during summer and difficult to close on hot days.

Really helpful advice - thank you

 

[D&ACalifornia]

Loads of previous chat on this - search is your friend. Basically both by design and weather related. You can upgrade the struts if you fancy but be prepared to lose your chin when the weather is hot.

Good point - should have searched first - good advice though so thanks

 

[D&ACalifornia]

Except in summer, when it goes to full height by itself anyway! That's what makes me doubt the bit about the chairs as otherwise it'd always stop at 80%.

Yeah - that’s what made me question it really but I guess the environmental factors can’t be allowed for in a standard gas strut piston?

 

[D&ACalifornia]

I think it's normal, although I'm not sure I buy the argument about accessing the chairs - I suspect once one is removed it'll ping up to full height by itself. The struts will produce different lifting force at different temperatures so there's always a compromise. If your struts were sufficiently powerful to lift the tailgate to the full height now in chilly weather with the chairs in, you'd probably end up doing a pull up trying to close it in high summer.

The key thing is the tailgate stays up, even if you help it into position slightly. It should stay up even with an unloaded bike rack on too. if it doesn't, then that's possibly a failure somewhere and a warranty issue.

That’s a helpful test, thank you - it definitely stays up and can be pushed to 100% - just surprised that was the design really but guess it’s a trade off with the force required to close it if they were stronger

 

[D&ACalifornia]

Except in summer, when it goes to full height by itself anyway! That's what makes me doubt the bit about the chairs as otherwise it'd always stop at 80%.

That’s definitely what made me question it - thanks for your response

 

[D&ACalifornia]

Except in summer, when it goes to full height by itself anyway! That's what makes me doubt the bit about the chairs as otherwise it'd always stop at 80%.

Sounds like your struts need replacing. The roof should should shoot straight up without a bike rack fitted & should require a fair amount of effort to close.

Thanks - that’s the balance I guess - being too strong and it’s difficult to close. I’ll test some new ones in the showroom

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks - that’s the balance I guess - being too strong and it’s difficult to close. I’ll test some new ones in the showroom

Don't forget they will be in a warmer environment compared to outside.

 

[andyinluton]

Thanks - that’s the balance I guess - being too strong and it’s difficult to close. I’ll test some new ones in the showroom

With no bike rack on, if you take both chairs out, getting the boot shut can be a challenge in Mediterranean temperatures in summer & opening it you have to be careful as it flies up.

 

[RockinNRollin]

With no bike rack on, if you take both chairs out, getting the boot shut can be a challenge in Mediterranean temperatures in summer & opening it you have to be careful as it flies up.

And check the showroom van has the chairs in the boot too!

 

[Campervanner]

Our cali is 2018. Not knowing any of this we had struts replaced under warranty when we bought it. We kept walking into tailgate when open. Seemed dangerous. Agree with all above about weight and weather but glad we got it done as we store awning room sides in with chairs. Works well for us.