I have the heavy duty struts and they do nothing to help with lifting the
hatch with
bikes on .... I put them on for greater durability and longevity. They DID
hold the
hatch up with just the rack (sans bikes) mounts though. Which is saying
something
considering the weight of the Yakima 76" bar I had on there. I had a longer
bottom
bar than top. With 4 bikes on I "splayed" the rear tire mounts outward and
also
adjusted the suspension forks to different levels so there was no handlebar
interference. Nice thing about the 2" receiver swing away is that the bikes
can
be mounted in alternate directions AND as Stephen said, you can lift the
hatch
unencumbered.

bob

On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 9:02 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>  I have a Yakima  raingutter type, adapted to fit on the upper portion of
> my rear hatch.  Keeps the bikes out of the slipstream and also puts them
> high enough above the street so that they aren't in danger from other
> vehicles bumping them.  I do not trust other motorists to keep their
> bumpers
> off my bikes, since the bikes are worth more than the van.
>  Yes, with the standard hatch struts, lifting the hatch open is a bit
> strenuous but not too bad.  I think a pair of the heavy duty struts
> (available from our fine Vanagon vendors) would make things easier.
>  Don Hanson
>
>