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Rear Door...BEWARE

Wrinkly Ninja

Wrinkly Ninja

VIP Member
Messages
280
Location
Wiltshire...Nr Castle Combe
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204 4Motion
Having owned my T6 Ocean for 4 years now I have always tried to be careful opening and closing the rear door.
On a recent trip I was slowly closing the rear door holding it in the middle of the lip.
I moved my grip to the lower part of the drivers side edge with my left hand and slowly continued lowering.
As I was doing this I did a last minute visual check that nothing was protruding from the load section floor that might stop the door closing properly and noticed that my wife's walking boots were sticking out a little.
Still holding the door I moved forwards quickly to push them back a bit.
I struck the top of my head full force on the 90 degree corner part way up the side of the door (photo 1)

20210609_135419.jpg

Whilst the pain was horrendous I wasn't knocked unconscious but there was blood everywhere which we stopped with compression pads.
A trip to A&E and 2 very nice Triage nurses who scrubbed the cut clean and then glued it together.
After a couple of days at home I cut some high density foam into two small rectangles (photo 2)
20210609_135433.jpg
sliced them to make a channel (photo 3)
20210609_135444.jpg
and glued them to the sharp corners (photo 4)
20210609_142429.jpg
Not too visible when closed
20210610_163131.jpg

I will always be more careful in future, and hopefully anyone who reads this will avoid the dreaded sharp corners. :headbang
 
Having owned my T6 Ocean for 4 years now I have always tried to be careful opening and closing the rear door.
On a recent trip I was slowly closing the rear door holding it in the middle of the lip.
I moved my grip to the lower part of the drivers side edge with my left hand and slowly continued lowering.
As I was doing this I did a last minute visual check that nothing was protruding from the load section floor that might stop the door closing properly and noticed that my wife's walking boots were sticking out a little.
Still holding the door I moved forwards quickly to push them back a bit.
I struck the top of my head full force on the 90 degree corner part way up the side of the door (photo 1)

View attachment 80306

Whilst the pain was horrendous I wasn't knocked unconscious but there was blood everywhere which we stopped with compression pads.
A trip to A&E and 2 very nice Triage nurses who scrubbed the cut clean and then glued it together.
After a couple of days at home I cut some high density foam into two small rectangles (photo 2)
View attachment 80337
sliced them to make a channel (photo 3)
View attachment 80338
and glued them to the sharp corners (photo 4)
View attachment 80339
Not too visible when closed
View attachment 80340

I will always be more careful in future, and hopefully anyone who reads this will avoid the dreaded sharp corners. :headbang
Ouch.
 
Good tip,

Did this myself 2 years ago, just had the tailgate partly open to get something out and decided to headbutt the corner. Iodine and steri-strips sorted it.
 
Owchy owch! Sounds very painful but thanks for the heads up (pardon the pun)
 
I know a guy that did that on his transporter.
Needed over twenty stitches…!!!
Very bad design by Volkswagen, should have been rounded at that point.
 
My friend did the same thing with her car boot - onto her 10-year old daughter’s face! Hospital trip and mouth glued back to normal aperture. Lucky kids are so malleable. Obvs I sent pics of The Joker!

Is it a recent thing, car design involving such sharp corners on doors/boots?
 
I've done this a few times on the T5.1 bonnet when servicing the engine, I now put a split tennis ball on the corners whilst working :)
 
My friend did the same thing with her car boot - onto her 10-year old daughter’s face! Hospital trip and mouth glued back to normal aperture. Lucky kids are so malleable. Obvs I sent pics of The Joker!

Is it a recent thing, car design involving such sharp corners on doors/boots?
Nope. I head-butted the sharp corner on the boot of my 1995 Porsche 993. The pain brought stars and tears to my eyes. Much more careful rooting around the front of the car after that experience.
 
I did something similar on our T6 Ocean but with the locking catch in the centre of the tailgate. It was dark, raining and I needed to get something out from under the bed at the back and miss-timed the pull down hard on the handle and get out of the way. Cracked me right on the bridge of my nose and drew blood.

I went back in the van (staying on a pub site) and apart from the laughing from my wife, the only plasters we could find were infant ‘spaceman’ ones in bright blue !! We hadn’t had our meal in the pub at that point !!!

Made for a good introduction to the locals :)
 
I did exactly the same on Saturday night on the same part of the boot whilst on a campsite. Big gash in my head and blood streaming down my face. Luckily it stopped bleeding fairly quickly.
 
I did almost exactly the same, although with slightly less dramatic results (blood, but not a lot of it). Was a bit worried that now the van had tasted blood it may never be the same again...
Having owned my T6 Ocean for 4 years now I have always tried to be careful opening and closing the rear door.
On a recent trip I was slowly closing the rear door holding it in the middle of the lip.
I moved my grip to the lower part of the drivers side edge with my left hand and slowly continued lowering.
As I was doing this I did a last minute visual check that nothing was protruding from the load section floor that might stop the door closing properly and noticed that my wife's walking boots were sticking out a little.
Still holding the door I moved forwards quickly to push them back a bit.
I struck the top of my head full force on the 90 degree corner part way up the side of the door (photo 1)

View attachment 80306

Whilst the pain was horrendous I wasn't knocked unconscious but there was blood everywhere which we stopped with compression pads.
A trip to A&E and 2 very nice Triage nurses who scrubbed the cut clean and then glued it together.
After a couple of days at home I cut some high density foam into two small rectangles (photo 2)
View attachment 80337
sliced them to make a channel (photo 3)
View attachment 80338
and glued them to the sharp corners (photo 4)
View attachment 80339
Not too visible when closed
View attachment 80340

I will always be more careful in future, and hopefully anyone who reads this will avoid the dreaded sharp corners. :headbang
 
Here's a variation ! Closed the boot and the VW cycle rack came down on my forehead. As with yourself, blood everywhere and I can only assume it hadnt locked home the last time I'd lowered it ! A small scar and a big injured pride. Now, its both hands on the rack for closing the door ! So if you've one of these racks, I'd urge you not to rely on the fact that it looks latched.
 
Here's a variation ! Closed the boot and the VW cycle rack came down on my forehead. As with yourself, blood everywhere and I can only assume it hadnt locked home the last time I'd lowered it ! A small scar and a big injured pride. Now, its both hands on the rack for closing the door ! So if you've one of these racks, I'd urge you not to rely on the fact that it looks latched.
Use an old toe clip strap to secure it when not being used.
 
...obviously a long term cyclist Ch1pbutty! Great idea, mine are long gone in favour of cleats, but I'll adapt something !
 
I did almost exactly the same, although with slightly less dramatic results (blood, but not a lot of it). Was a bit worried that now the van had tasted blood it may never be the same again...
Christine!
 
Not done it on my car or Cali but I have a 4 inch scar on my back where I ducked under a partially open garage door. It dropped, and the sharp corner tore down my back!
Banged my head on different garage door recently too. Lesson not learned ...
 
Here's my variation. I've had my Cali for 10+ years and the gas struts are slightly unpredictable. Sometimes the boot stays open with bikes on....sometimes not. I am guessing it is to do with temperature. Anyway, I have lost count of the number of times I have been rummaging in the boot and it has clonked me on the back of the head. I have tried new struts but I think the safest/simplet soultion in my case is either get someone to hold it open or a broom handle!
 
Having owned my T6 Ocean for 4 years now I have always tried to be careful opening and closing the rear door.
On a recent trip I was slowly closing the rear door holding it in the middle of the lip.
I moved my grip to the lower part of the drivers side edge with my left hand and slowly continued lowering.
As I was doing this I did a last minute visual check that nothing was protruding from the load section floor that might stop the door closing properly and noticed that my wife's walking boots were sticking out a little.
Still holding the door I moved forwards quickly to push them back a bit.
I struck the top of my head full force on the 90 degree corner part way up the side of the door (photo 1)

View attachment 80306

Whilst the pain was horrendous I wasn't knocked unconscious but there was blood everywhere which we stopped with compression pads.
A trip to A&E and 2 very nice Triage nurses who scrubbed the cut clean and then glued it together.
After a couple of days at home I cut some high density foam into two small rectangles (photo 2)
View attachment 80337
sliced them to make a channel (photo 3)
View attachment 80338
and glued them to the sharp corners (photo 4)
View attachment 80339
Not too visible when closed
View attachment 80340

I will always be more careful in future, and hopefully anyone who reads this will avoid the dreaded sharp corners. :headbang
 
I did the same thin, only it was pitch dark and I was standing to the side of the back door (silly place to stand when closing) what a crack I got from that corner, two years later I still have a dint on my head!
 
I catch my head regularly on the roller blind edge on the sliding door. After 7 years you would think I would have learned to duck lower!

Now it is the 'Eriba Kiss' that I get caught out on when getting out of the caravan.

Alan
 
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