Boot door out of alignment?

[Driver+Passengers]

After arriving home and emptying the luggage, I noticed that the boot is no longer closing properly. The catch on the boot lid is rubbing just before the catch engages - and it feels as if there is also a slight sideways movement before it seats home (I'm talking about 1/8" of an inch). It shuts fine, but it was perfect until just now, and now it clunks.

I'm 'd off, because I don't know why. No big bumps of the road, no abuse, pushing on the corner, nothing I can think of. Also, I can't see that there's much, if any, adjustment that can be made to the mounts.

Anyone fixed this before?

Coming to terms with the vehicle's inevitable decline in health is difficult only 5 weeks in...

[bigdaddycain]

Have you checked that the striker plate, and the actual tailgate isn't loose?

[Driver+Passengers]

Have you checked that the striker plate, and the actual tailgate isn't loose?

I pulled and rocked stuff (gently). All bolts seated home, no daylight and no play that I could find. No marks to indicate that something had slipped.

Just had a thought though... I was climbing out of the boot, and had my weight (±100kg) on my knee inside the boot, on the floor just behind where the offside rear folding seat floor anchor is (about a foot in from the side, and a foot in from the back - there was a bit of a pop/crunch (pretty sure it wasn't my bones!) - I'll lift the carpet and see what's there. Can't imagine crawling around in the boot would move the catch, though.

[Diplomat]

Are you sure it's not that the bumper has dropped away from the door at one side?

This is a common occurrance, especially if it has been stood on.

If you look at my avatar you will see the gap!!!

Frank

[bigdaddycain]

Hmm... it might be worth lifting the weatherstrip from the tailgate immediately below the striker plate and having a look for rust... Some bongo's seem prone to it there. There was a case recently on here where the tailgate striker plate was barely held on... not a usual case, but the crunching sound you mentioned got me thinking...

[Driver+Passengers]

I took a bunch of photos, but it's not worth posting them as I think I worked it out.

The van wasn't parked level - about a 8 inches to the right of where I normally park it, so it was tilting to the left, ever so slightly. The door must therefore have been leaning to one side, accounting for the minute shift to the right on closing.

What a t t!!

There's no rust on her yet, and the crunch must have been fibres splitting in the subfloor, or something.

Cheers, guys!

[westonwarrior]

That easy done

[bigdaddycain]

I took a bunch of photos, but it's not worth posting them as I think I worked it out.

The van wasn't parked level - about a 8 inches to the right of where I normally park it, so it was tilting to the left, ever so slightly. The door must therefore have been leaning to one side, accounting for the minute shift to the right on closing.

What a t t!!

There's no rust on her yet, and the crunch must have been fibres splitting in the subfloor, or something.

Cheers, guys!

AH! Good result! Are you sure it wasn't those knees crunching?