Drive with hatch open?
#1
CF Veteran
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Pasquotank, NC
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes
on
13 Posts
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Drive with hatch open?
I bought a 1990 Cherokee as a replacement to my 2003 Nissan Frontier. The Cherokee has four doors, which is great now that I have my daughter. But I do miss the bed of the Nissan always ready to throw stuff in it. I am planning to make a bed extender (like pictured below) to carry longer items such as lumber. Is it safe to drive with the rear hatch open? I am concerned with fatiguing the hinges from the hatch bouncing around. Anyone have experience with this? Perhaps make a bracket to latch the hatch to, attached to the bed extender?
#4
CF Veteran
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Pasquotank, NC
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes
on
13 Posts
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Exhaust fumes do not concern me. I can ride with the windows down for that period of time. Only possible damage to the vehicle. Home Depot is a 10 minute drive from the house.
#5
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northern New Mexico
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
6 Posts
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I bought a 1990 Cherokee as a replacement to my 2003 Nissan Frontier. The Cherokee has four doors, which is great now that I have my daughter. But I do miss the bed of the Nissan always ready to throw stuff in it. I am planning to make a bed extender (like pictured below) to carry longer items such as lumber. Is it safe to drive with the rear hatch open? I am concerned with fatiguing the hinges from the hatch bouncing around. Anyone have experience with this? Perhaps make a bracket to latch the hatch to, attached to the bed extender?
#7
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oroville, CA
Posts: 12,367
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
18 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 with all of the noise and clatter
I drove my ZJ with the rear hatch open and all of the windows down, still had an unbelievable amount of exhaust fumes making it into the passenger compartment.
Trending Topics
#12
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northern New Mexico
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
6 Posts
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Rationalize all you wish. Everyone is telling you its not a good idea. But your probably going to do it anyway. The back of the xj is what? 3 feet? Your "bed extender" is gonna need a lot of extension. Doesn't seem safe for other drivers
#13
Senior Member
#14
Senior Member
#15
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northern New Mexico
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
6 Posts
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I work at what many would call a ma and pa home improvement store but it is large. The owner will not allow us to load a vehicle if their items stick out more then 40% past the vehicle for safety reasons. I have loaded 10 foot 2x4s on the roof of an xj twice and it worked great. The guy has a full coverage roof basket so they are safely secured. I have only seen a bed extender like the ops only one time. The guy wanted to load 16 foot pieces of lumber on a little Mazda truck. He argued that his extender was safe but the owner would not let him be loaded.