I'm glad this topic came up.
Does anybody have a substantial weight on the hatch, AND struts strong
enough to hold it up?

I have a spare tire mounted to the hatch, using a Jeep mount. The
struts work fine if I remove the spare, but barely slow down the hatch
when the spare is on there.
So, is there a solution that doesn't involve PVC pipe or vice grips?
Stronger struts? Extra struts?

Thanks,
Simon