RE: [ihc] RE: Macs Lift gate issue

[Tom Harais <THarais@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ryan:

Be glad that yours engages and you have trouble freeing it, rather than visa
versa.  The latch on mine engages, but is easily defeated simply by pulling
hard on the lift gate.  It's insecure enough that I keep a ratchet strap
pulled taught between the lift gate and the Terra bulkhead that I never have
removed to be sure that the lift gate doesn't blow open while driving.  I
also do this to be sure that some less-than-honest person doesn't tug hard
on the lift gate and find out it can be forced open that way.

I've spent an hour here and there pulling & lubing the latch mechanism and
fiddling with the alignment on the inner projections where the forks grab on
the sides but I've never been able to get it to operate correctly.

When I had a tailgate on it (it was a Terra) I was able to get the tailgate
to latch securely with a little "adjustment" but that would always wiggle
loose after a few months of driving.  Usually, the ends of the rods would
round out the square tube that they fit into and that's what made it loose.
I would remove them from the gate and pound the tubing back to square and
reinstall.  Then, after it was all back together, but before I replaced the
cover on the latch, I'd hammer the tubing some more to make it tight to the
square rods.  I always meant to drill through the tubing and rod and insert
a bolt to try and stop the rounding problem, but never got that round tuit
that I needed.

Tom H., '76 Traveler