Tag: smash and grab

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Chevy Volt Vlog #69: DIY Folding Cargo Shelf and Cargo Liner!!!

Hey 2016-2019 Chevy Volt Owners!  I made a purpose built folding hard surface  cargo for my Chevy Volt after a break in over Thanks Giving.

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As a result of all the glass clean up and theft, I decided to add a cargo liner to my 2017 Volt and a Folding Hard Cargo Shelf specifically for my road trips and outings.  I needed it to be light enough so it can sit on top of the fabric cargo cover, yet hard so that a smash and grab cant go past the hard surface.

Cargo Liner:
The cargo liner was simple. I loved my Husky floor liners

I was going to buy the cargo mat version, but found my old cargo liner in the garage.   I took my old 2008 Honda Civic Liner and cut it into the shape of my 2017 Chevy Volt! REUSE rather than  RECYCLE!  I just needed to cut a hole for the spare tire I installed.  I got mine off of Amazon.

Chevy Volt Husky Liners ( 2016-19) :  https://amzn.to/2LpwDog
Chevy Volt (2016-19) Cargo Liner :  https://amzn.to/2ByM5Kj 

FOLDING HARD CARGO COVER:

(Quick Disclaimer:   This is how I do it for entertainment. So if you do modify your own car, you do it at your  own risk. You should  bring it to an automotive aftermarket professional to make a solution for you.   I made this purpose built folding cargo cover for my own use and just sharing how i did it.  This information is for entertainment only. )  

Material Lists: 

  1. 2x  Coroplast Plastic Sheets (24in x 36in) :  https://amzn.to/2S4H6rz 
  2. 8x Zip ties (i used 10 inches) : https://amzn.to/2Br7ZPt
  3. 2x  7/16″ Round Spring Tension Rod, 28-48 inch  https://amzn.to/2CgkoaD
  4. 4x packs of Velcro Strips :  https://amzn.to/2Ljic4V
  5. Duct tape or fabric tape for the cloth: https://amzn.to/2Ljj2yB 
  6. Measuring tape: https://amzn.to/2S012fm
  7. Utility Scissors:  https://amzn.to/2S4HuGx
  8. 3 feet of ParaCord or string for cover lift: https://amzn.to/2LjqGZO 
  9. Black fabric cloth: https://amzn.to/2rAX3u6 

For the folding hard cargo cover, I tried multiple material and realized i should just use something I can easily cut and was very lightweight.  I bought a few sheets of coroplast corrugated plastic signage sheets.   I measured the distances from the back of the seats to the end of the trunk.  Essentially i just cut off the corners of the two pieces and made fit adjustments. The cargo area tapers to the end of the vehicle so rather than using another board, I decided to use zip ties to make a large binder.  This allows the two boards to fold and velcro  onto each other for storage.

I made two coroplast hinges and put a LOT of velcro on each side so it will grab the fabric from the rear seats and the velcro placed under the shelf.  This not only holds up the shelf but will be very difficult to lift from the seats.  🙂  I basically used up all 4 packs of velcro on the backing.  I placed the two hinges about 2 inches below the rear seats, as that’s where the seats are backed by hard structure.  I didnt want to go anywhere close to the top inch of the seats in case the cargo cover came loose.

I bought two 7/16″ round spring tension rods to use as the shelf hardware when i need to use the shelf as a table during camping. When i need the hard table, i take off the OEM fabric cover hooks and put the tension rods in the holes.  I store the rods next to my umbrella and hiking stick when not in use.   DO NOT DRIVE WITH THE RODS INSTALLED .  It may be very dangerous if those rods start flying. 

To keep the cargo cover up.  I tied some paracord to a clip and made a knot on the other end to loop onto the  hatch shock mounts.  I added some velcro to the string to velcro it down to the cover when not in use.

That’s about it!   Please like and subscribe to my youtube channel for more chevy volt vlog,  DIY,  reviews, unboxing, and other fun projects.  Look out for new Honda Clarity Vlog coming soon!

Thank you for visiting and supporting SterlingW Youtube Channel!
I enjoy providing interesting lifestyle, cars, how to, food, and shopping blog and vlogs!
My Youtube vlogs may have associated affiliate links to products that I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Or as Amazon puts it: â€śAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” This helps support my channel and content creation.
Thank you for your support!

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Disclaimer:

This is how i do it for entertainment, do so at your own risk or bring it to an auto repair shop . Thanks for watching.
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Sterlingwong, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. This information is for entertainment only. Sterlingwong assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Sterlingwong recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Sterlingwong, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Sterlingwong.

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Chevy Volt Vlog #68 – Thanksgiving! 4 MILLION CH. VIEWS :) – Donations STOLEN :( !!!

Hey Everyone! Thanks for following and watching SterlingW Youtube channel.  This past week we have passed FOUR MILLION total VIEWS on the channel and  have over FOUR THOUSAND SUBCSCRIBERS ! Btw, my Youtube vlogs and reviews may also have associated affiliate links to products that may earn from qualifying purchases.

LONG STORY: This week I drove up to Elk Grove California to see a new Costco with my 2017 Chevy Volt. Other than some road construction, the drive was uneventful and safe going from Los Angeles to Elk Grove.  Overall I got about 33 MPG using gas online with my Volt.  Most of the mileage hits was because I enjoy driving at the speed limit (maybe a little faster) along with touring mountain and coastal drives.  With the California fires still impacting the state with destroyed homes and smokey air across the state, I decided to travel on the Interstate 5 rather than the crossover highways such as the CA46 or CA 41. After this season of driving through ash and smoke I definitely plan to change out my cabin air filter ( https://amzn.to/2r5Iazv ) early.   DIY on how to replace incabin filter video here: https://youtu.be/uBDiU7jeWfE  

In Berkeley and Sacramento, it was so smokey my girlfriend and I  were not able to see San Francisco across the bay. We were equipped with N95 ( https://amzn.to/2DY7a4j ) and P95 ( https://amzn.to/2TKuMxN ) masks to counter the high particles dust in the air.  Both masks were comfortable, but the P95 had soft foam sides and an cool vent exhaust port that made wearing a mask more comfortable.  We saw Amazon 4 Star store and realized it gave Prime members preferred pricing similar to the pricing online.  Our visit to Elk Grove Costco was fruitful as we got Chili and had it along with a hot dog. Yum!

We also visited the Hakone Gardens which was very beautiful Japanese garden that exemplified the fall colors and beauty.

With Thankgiving sales and deal  available at  big box discount store available,  My girlfriend and I usually buy canned foods, dry goods, and dry pasta, to rotate our pantry stock. We donate good dry goods and canned goods we rotate out to local food banks and shelters.   We donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank ( https://www.shfb.org/ ).  I was planning drive back to Los Angeles with my donations left in the trunk of my Chevy Volt.   My Volt was parked on a residential street in a very safe neighborhood. All of my cargo, supplies, or car accessories are put away, hidden, and any thing valuable i take with me such as my work laptop.

Unfortunately, the morning after Black Friday, I discovered my rear hatch glass window smashed ALL of my groceries, emergency bag, first aid, some GoPro mounts, COSTCO cooler bag, and my Costco Car Jumping battery were STOLEN!  I was kinda surprised and sad at the same time.  I hated the fact that it rained that night and my trunk and some of my back seat were wet.

On the positive side, my girlfriend and I cleaned up the majority of the glass the Chevy Volt looked new on the inside!  Since I needed to drive back to LA, we taped up the rear window with two layers of  thin plastic sheeting and lots of blue painters tape. We taped a sheet on the exterior of the hatch and another sheet on the interior of the hatch. This provided buffeting from both wind pushing from the outside and pressure inside the cabin pushing out the sheeting.   The initial tape was stable up to about 50 MPH and started to ripple aggressively against the driving wind. I was relatively stable. It was also very loud as other vehicle car engines can be heard as if the window was open.

After traveling from San Jose to Gilroy, I stopped by a hard ware store and bought another roll of 2 inch painters tape ( https://amzn.to/2DMdXx0 ) and started to tape more diagonals across the corners and from the top of the hatch all the way down the bottom of the hatch door. I was more afraid of the sheet of plastic catching wind and separating from the tape.  With cross hatching of the tape on both sides and down the middle, the buckling of the sheeting dropped dramatically. I was able to drive 70+ MPH and still listen to music over the wind noise.  I was less worried about the temporary window cover flying off the car at highway speeds.  Only the horizontal positioned tape had flapping during the drive.

Driving for hours down the Interstate 5, I noticed I use my side mirror more often then my  rear mirror.  I would have like it if we were able to enable our rear camera to act as a live rear mirror similar to the feature in the Chevy Bolt.

I eventually made it back Los Angeles about 45 minutes later than expected due to the pit stops to check the window and for bathroom breaks due to the nervousness of the situation.

Well that’s my 2018 Thanksgiving adventure and drive with my Chevy Volt! Stay tuned for more Chevy Volt Vlog.

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SOCIAL MEDIA:
Join me on Youtube: https://youtu.be/TFuoiaWgvc4
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Website: http://www.sterlingwong.com

Disclaimer:
This is what i do for entertainment and your viewing entertainment! Some of the stuff are entertaining, while some are just plain silly. If you do anything with your own property, you do so at your own risk.
Due to factors beyond the control of Sterlingwong, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. This information is for entertainment only. Sterlingwong assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Sterlingwong recommends safe practices when working on personal property , vehicles, and / or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Sterlingwong, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Sterlingwong.

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