Rear deck that folds up when stored??

[udallj]

When I was considering which brand/model of camper to purchase I wanted to make sure that the unit would be able to fit inside my two-car garage along with my car and my wife's minivan.  My car is small so I measured the space between the wall of my garage and the front of my car and saw that I had just enough room for the QS 6.0 if I turned the camper sideways.  It all fits!  I would have wanted to get a 6.0 model with a rear deck, but then the camper would not fit in the space that I had.  If, however, the rear could be folded upright when not being used it could work.  From an engineering perspective could this be done or is it just too impractical?

[dj]

The rear deck is an integral part of the frame.  I do not believe there would be a practical way of doing this aftermarket.
Appreciate your suggestion and will pass it along to engineering.

[admin]

The rear deck is an integral part of the frame.  I do not believe there would be a practical way of doing this aftermarket.
Appreciate your suggestion and will pass it along to engineering.

DJ, could you possibly advise on adding something like this to the rear bumper on the QS's: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004C6TZCM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2VW77N4QAH029&coliid=I1YQCUEO8XYLED

Would it put to much stress on the rear bumper to add a lightweight rack with some gear. I dont know what load that rear bumper can take, but adding a two inch receiver would allow for some accessories like a bike rack, or a flat deck type rack which would open up a lot of possibilities.

The 2" receiver and a rear cargo deck like this: http://www.amazon.com/TMS-ALUM-CCR-2260A-60-Inch-Generator-Aluminum/dp/B0049J3SK2/ref=pd_sbs_auto_22?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TT03Q5BY4S428DV3H33

I'd also be interested to know if adding a bolt on product would have any negative effects on a relatively soft metal such as aluminum. Would it have the potential to wear away the metal, or maybe even have some sort of steel to aluminum chemical reaction?

Thank you for your attention.

-Sean

[subaruwx]

[quote source="/post/2500/thread" timestamp="1407894036" author="@bjugrad1979"]When I was considering which brand/model of camper to purchase I wanted to make sure that the unit would be able to fit inside my two-car garage along with my car and my wife's minivan.  My car is small so I measured the space between the wall of my garage and the front of my car and saw that I had just enough room for the QS 6.0 if I turned the camper sideways.  It all fits!  I would have wanted to get a 6.0 model with a rear deck, but then the camper would not fit in the space that I had.  If, however, the rear could be folded upright when not being used it could work.  From an engineering perspective could this be done or is it just too impractical?[/quote]I could envision an engineered solution for this, but I think the appeal would be limited as you'd lose most of the weight holding capacity of the rear deck. Weight capacity would become a function of the hinge strength, not the aluminum frame.

An better alternative is as Sean suggested.  Install and support a hitch receiver that would then allow for aftermarket cargo carriers. I've seen lots of hitch mounted cargo carriers tha fold, or you could just remove the carrier for storage.  As with the current rear deck, you Would still have to pack the inside weight correctly to minimize any sway and ensure proper tongue weight. 

I think a nice factory option would be a standard 2in receiver hitch that was properly secured to the frame. That would be more easily done at the factory than after market.