Truck Door Should Have Hatchback Supports.

[Dallas]

Dear fellow Elio reservist. I love everything about the current design of the prototype. However just having the design of the trunk have the same design as a hood of a regular car seems to me not the best design to be had. I would want the trunk door to open like a hatchback. When you open it there would be a support system to keep the door open and when you were done loading you would simply close it like you would a hatch back. In a hood design the pole that would hold the door up would get in the way. Plus there is always the danger of knocking that pole from position and the door coming down on your head. So I hope the Elio designers see that fact and at least offer that as a option. I believe most would rather have that then a hood style design.
Dallas

 

[zelio]

Dear fellow Elio reservist. I love everything about the current design of the prototype. However just having the design of the trunk have the same design as a hood of a regular car seems to me not the best design to be had. I would want the trunk door to open like a hatchback. When you open it there would be a support system to keep the door open and when you were done loading you would simply close it like you would a hatch back. In a hood design the pole that would hold the door up would get in the way. Plus there is always the danger of knocking that pole from position and the door coming down on your head. So I hope the Elio designers see that fact and at least offer that as a option. I believe most would rather have that then a hood style design.
Dallas

I know the trunk lid will open more completely in the production model - or at least I was told that in Portland. I suspect they will have it open and close in a manner that adds the least amount of weight to the end product. I am just grateful they added the trunk because that was not in the original design. This is definitely a case where Elio Motors listened to their potential buyers and made an adaptation. :-) Z

 

[Neal]

If it doesn't come with one, you can get a cheap hydrolic lift and make it work I would assume.

 

[Lil4X]

There are numbers of gas struts available for trunk lids and hoods in the replacement market. If Elio doesn't have one, it would be relatively easy to DIY one of your own.

 

[Chris F]

I was wondering this myself. How much extra weight and cost would an hydraulic lift add? I would like to get out the bag of groceries without worrying about knocking the stick out of place.

 

[Neal]

I was wondering this myself. How much extra weight and cost would an hydraulic lift add? I would like to get out the bag of groceries without worrying about knocking the stick out of place.

They are very light. I replaced on on my mother in laws jeep. Maybe a pound?

 

[Lil4X]

I was wondering this myself. How much extra weight and cost would an hydraulic lift add? I would like to get out the bag of groceries without worrying about knocking the stick out of place.

That's a real concern. I nearly knocked the prop rod out from under the hood of my daughter's Dakota last week. That's a big heavy hood for having no counterbalance springs. I think my family would have found a body half in and half out of the engine compartment had that piece of pig iron landed on me. Fortunately the Elio won't have that problem - with or without springs.

 

[samwichse]

I'd rather they just put a torsion spring system like the trunks of most sedans have.

Extremely cheap to manufacture (certainly cheaper than a gas charged strut with all its seals and sliding parts), lightweight, and it never wears out.

 

[outsydthebox]

I'd rather they just put a torsion spring system like the trunks of most sedans have.

Extremely cheap to manufacture (certainly cheaper than a gas charged strut with all its seals and sliding parts), lightweight, and it never wears out.

X2 for the torsion spring. Simple, Cheap & not "in the way."

 

[outsydthebox]

...And, Welcome to the forum, samwichse