2 degrees F here in VA first thing this morning!  =8^O  I just replaced my hatch
struts with the OEM version that Bus Depot sells and MAN, What a difference!!
Takes a bit more force to pull it down, but it stays up fine, opens smoothly,
without grinding noises, and closes smoothly.  I was nervous at first, because
after I replaced the first one, the hatch wouldn't stay open.  Uh oh, I says, but
after putting in the second . . . smooth as silk!  I know they actually cost
money, but I can't understand jury-rigging a bunch of stuff to keep the hatch
open when these things actually work quite well . . . the way they were designed
to in fact.  :^)

Save your fingers, buy the struts,
Marc Perdue

JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:

> In a message dated 1/23/03 12:51:15 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> wilden1@JUNO.COM writes:
>
> > Its 33 degrees (f) here in Dallas
>
> 15 here in Pa..   went out to the van last night and opened the hatch and the
> damn thing stuck open....couldnt close it..had to fumble to remove it with
> numb fingers and a key and lots of 4 lettered words to close it..you lose
> motor dexterity at those temps.. ..one of the hatch struts froze up..
> quite the opposite of what usually happens..   on a side note, afterwards it
> was rather interesting (NOT) the phenomenon when my fingers were the same
> color as my van (blue)   color coordinated! due to lack of coordination..
>  chris  in pa where it's  "effin cold"