> On Sun, 9 Jul 95 10:33:26 CDT Stuart Hutton said:
> >I am in the process of removing the interior panels from my vanagon in order
> >to redo the wallpaper which was peeling.  Now that I have the back door hatch
> >completely bare, I think I should ask:  has anyone installed a device there
> >which makes it possible to open the rear hatch from the inside?
> 
> i gave this a lot of thought years back, and finally just decided it wasn't
> worth the risk of the rear hatch flying open when some kid triggered the
> device and falling out on his head in the parking lot (i DON'T drive with
> kids in the rear!!). :) or some piece of luggage bumping against the device
> and causing the luggage to fall out on the highway.
> 
As far as the latches on splits, and late models I believe, you have to
PULL on it, as opposed to pushihg it, so there should be no danger of it
getting accidentally bumped. I seem to recall some early campers
actually had a knob attached to it, to pull it open. If you don't mind
cutting a small hole in that panel, it shouldn't be too hard to do, if
it is at all similar to the early latches.  At least check it out while
you are in there.