iMiEV as workhorse

[siai47]

If you don't have anything mounted to the hatch to tie it down you can use the existing latch for that purpose. A piece of wire works great. Just push the wire into the latch until it locks then pull the hatch down and tie the other end around the lock striker on the bottom of the hatch opening. If you are using a piece of rope or twine, you can use a screwdriver to push the latch closed. To undo, just push the hatch release and the wire/rope will pull out of the lock (resetting it) and then remove the other end from the striker. If for some reason the wire or rope broke when inside the lock it can be easily reset pushing the hatch release before closing the hatch.

 

[GdB]

Some of you may remember when I added a stainless marine eye to my hatch. Did the same with my new used i-MiEV. Came in handy the other day when I brought home a 10' copper pipe - just wrapped a towel around it.

Nice! I got one that looks exactly the same at Home Depot for $2 and installed it with big sell tapping screws.

 

[Aerowhatt]

If you don't have anything mounted to the hatch to tie it down you can use the existing latch for that purpose. A piece of wire works great. Just push the wire into the latch until it locks then pull the hatch down and tie the other end around the lock striker on the bottom of the hatch opening. If you are using a piece of rope or twine, you can use a screwdriver to push the latch closed. To undo, just push the hatch release and the wire/rope will pull out of the lock (resetting it) and then remove the other end from the striker. If for some reason the wire or rope broke when inside the lock it can be easily reset pushing the hatch release before closing the hatch.

Along the lines of your idea I use a simple padlock with a shackle about the same dia as the striker on the car. Then tie a rope between them.

Here are a couple of links to pictures of Sparky ready for work.

E-truck

E-truck2



The deck and aluminum lockable box add up to 51 lbs leaving 149 lbs for cargo. But it's more about bulk than weight. The top of the box aligns well with the deck of the Miev So large long bulky items can be hauled. (161 lb 50 gallon gas water heater today). Hence the need to reliably tie the hatch down part way. The rope goes from the hatch latch (with padlock securely latched into it) down around either side of the item to the hitch reciever giving a very secure stable package. Instant fumeless mini truck!

The hatchback will open with room to spare while the box lid is open supported by it's own gas struts. So no one can possibly damage the hatchback by opening it at the wrong time.

So far so good,

Aerowhatt

 

[JoeS]

...The deck and aluminum lockable box add up to 51 lbs leaving 149 lbs for cargo...

No! Aerowhatt, you have a cantilevered load. We had a discussion about this earlier in this thread:
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=18705#p18705
There are four 6mm screws holding the hitch up, about 6" (from memory) aft of the primary pivot point. Whereas the hitch itself is overbuilt and the primary securing technique is certainly strong, a vertical load amplified by the lever arm perhaps needs a stress analysis. The 200lb vertical rating by the manufacturer is at the hitch itself!

 

[Aerowhatt]

...The deck and aluminum lockable box add up to 51 lbs leaving 149 lbs for cargo...

No! Aerowhatt, you have a cantilevered load. We had a discussion about this earlier in this thread:
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=18705#p18705

I had a feeling you would love this idea

No worries though I was a physics major in college. One must remember that when towing a trailer with a 200 tongue weight that you also have all the loads of accelerating and decelerating up to a 2000 pound mass (different but far greater forces). If you are worried about anyone's hitch strength it should be the guy pushing his car around by it under full regen :ugeek:

It does ride nice and smooth with the weight added aft of the suspension. No wheelies yet!

Aerowhatt

 

[NeilBlanchard]

The best thing about an EV is you can have the hatch open - and not get fumes!

 

[jray3]

If you are worried about anyone's hitch strength it should be the guy pushing his car around by it under full regen :ugeek:
Aerowhatt

But the pusher is not a cantilevered load- it's actually forcing the nose down! ;-)

Nevertheless, this hitch handles cantilevered loads pretty well.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/4rkjynmm3v6cda8/AADMdTM6LeIwtRLeFa7k0MAma

Would've loved to see the water heater load. We should have a photographic hall of infamy!

 

[Aerowhatt]

The best thing about an EV is you can have the hatch open - and not get fumes!

Out of habit, I had the blower running full blast on fresh outside air to keep from choking on exhaust fumes while driving with the hatch open part way :?

old habits die hard . . . even when obsolete!

Aerowhatt

 

[JoeS]

Wife has been reluctant to put her bicycle into her i-MiEV for fear of getting the carpet dirty and thus has been using her Toyota to transport it. :evil:

Picked up this used Bauer bike carrier on CraigsList - ridiculously overbuilt and heavy, but it does the job and the price was right. The hatch just clears the support when opening, and this entire contraption can swing off to the side for unrestricted access to the rear of the car while still holding the bike. She does appreciate her birthday present (am I lucky, or wot?). Note the drought-tolerant California 'lawn'. :shock:

Some other photos of my i-MiEV towing things is on the Trailer Hitch Installation thread: http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=21642#p21642

Guess I won't be taking off the hitch for now... :roll:

 

[misterbleepy]

I recently solved the bike carrier problem a different way - my wife and I now have one of these each:

 

[GdB]

The 1up bike rack is a really great for the i-miev, super easy to use, and stows away nice:

Not sure if the available hitch is a much different location than my custom hitch:
http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&p=19359#p19359

 

[PV1]

I recently solved the bike carrier problem a different way - my wife and I now have one of these each:

Hey, me too!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2aichxt9spj622e/20140506_181212.jpg?dl=0 (I had a picture of it in the car, but I guess it's on my old phone)

iZip Compact folding electric bike. Fits in the rear without folding the seats down, in the front seat, or in the back with my solar trailer, leaving both front seats usable.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bl1k1gndzwyps81/20140518_140159.jpg?dl=0

 

[JoeS]

Might as well toss in a photo of our two Dahon folding bikes (one is in the black bag), in addition to the spare wheels (with jack and lugwrench) and the two Rubbermaid boxes of adapters and extension cables - our 'excursion package'.

 

[misterbleepy]

liking that solar bike trailer, and that's an impressive amount of stuff in the "excursion package".
There are time when I wish my car was as wide as yours.
We have 3 folding bikes - a Dahon (was my old one, now my daughters) and two Bromptons which we recently picked because of their double-fold tinyness. On my to-do list is to work out the optimum packing solution for 3 people & 3 bikes in the car at the same time. If I manage it, I'll post pictures.

 

[davidricardo86]

And here I though I was the only one who likes folding bikes and i-MiEVs

 

[JoeS]

In addition to being a workhorse, the i-MiEV makes a good playpony - when towing, one couldn't even tell that this lightweight pedal-powered propeller-driven catamaran was back there, even towing at the maximum legal limit of 55mph.

 

[jray3]

Here's MR BEAN disgorging my next project, the 'Particle Accelerator' electric mini-dragster for my kids!
(Could slid in all the way easy with no passenger seatback, but I let it stick out the hatch a few inches.)

btw- finally gave up on posting photos from dropbox, and am using photobucket. They provide the .IMG link with a single click, just gotta deal with ads...

 

[JoeS]

Needed to bring some 10' pvc conduit home and found that the new armrest provided a very nice support inside the car.

 

[BarryP]

Needed to bring some 10' pvc conduit home and found that the new armrest provided a very nice support inside the car.

Cool. So the rear door stayed down ok?

 

[JoeS]

Cool. So the rear door stayed down ok?

I hold the hatch down with either line or bungie, after installing an eye in the base of the hatch (you don't need to do that, as you can simply thread a light line through the latch eye) - photos here earlier in this thread.