Obadiah said:

Having owned a number of hatchbacks, English and foreign, I would say that it is the norm to have the strut push up to wihtin and inch or two, then need a helping hand to make the last little bit. Also, as I said before, they do seem to suffer from the cold.
Glad we bought Dobbin with doors!!

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I've also owned a number of hatchbacks - but this is the first I've ever owned where the struts struggle in the winter, and I don't think modern winters are anywhere near as harsh as 15 or 20 years ago.
I'm left wondering if Fiat are going with the cheapest option here & buying in struts which are only just capable of lifting the tailgate - hence their underperformance in the cooler weather?

Obadiah said:

Glad we bought Dobbin with doors!!

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wish I had
it was only about £70 extra and I think it would have been well worth it.

Must be a newbie!!! Ours cost £250 extra

Get a nice piece of "Hickory" of an appropriate size to hold (wedge)the hatch open, will save lots of money... With a few design's whittled into it, it would be the talk of the car park in tesco's (OAP section) , you could even get commissions for walking sticks , the world is you oyster... I'm off to America so not very many more comments.. they don't sell fiat doblos over there... heck i still love ours.. .......

why do fiat doblo owners have :

1. large wives..........
2.dogs....
3.an over 50's "look" even when they ain't....
4. dirty cars (outside)
5. people who have bought the facelift version all seem to look like 70's school teachers....

heck you've got the laugh .... most doblos are owned by morris and doris... fleece lined slipper wearers.............

ashy_2002 said:

Get a nice piece of "Hickory" of an appropriate size to hold (wedge)the hatch open, will save lots of money... With a few design's whittled into it, it would be the talk of the car park in tesco's (OAP section) , you could even get commissions for walking sticks , the world is you oyster... I'm off to America so not very many more comments.. they don't sell fiat doblos over there... heck i still love ours.. .......

why do fiat doblo owners have :

1. large wives..........
2.dogs....
3.an over 50's "look" even when they ain't....
4. dirty cars (outside)
5. people who have bought the facelift version all seem to look like 70's school teachers....

heck you've got the laugh .... most doblos are owned by morris and doris... fleece lined slipper wearers.............

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MPV VERSION

ashy_2002 said:

Get a nice piece of "Hickory" of an appropriate size to hold (wedge)the hatch open, will save lots of money... With a few design's whittled into it, it would be the talk of the car park in tesco's (OAP section) , you could even get commissions for walking sticks , the world is you oyster... I'm off to America so not very many more comments.. they don't sell fiat doblos over there... heck i still love ours.. .......

why do fiat doblo owners have :

1. large wives..........
2.dogs....
3.an over 50's "look" even when they ain't....
4. dirty cars (outside)
5. people who have bought the facelift version all seem to look like 70's school teachers....

heck you've got the laugh .... most doblos are owned by morris and doris... fleece lined slipper wearers.............

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1. My wife is 5'1" and weighs 7 stone
2. We don't have a dog
3. This could be said of me, but I hope not
4. I keep mine quite clean
5. this might be true too but I hope not

My wife isn't called Doris and I've never owned a pair of fleece lined slippers, in fact, I've never owned a pair of slippers of any type .

I'm working on the theory that anyone who owns a Doblo must have plenty going for them...........to not need a status symbol of a 'sexy' expensive 'premium' model.

I've had quite a few admiring glances since I've had mine (at least I thought they were admiring!). I also don't seem to get as much spam email offering me different ways to get a bigger 'you know what' either.

Anyway, I got back from teaching Geography early today so it's back on with the tweed jacket (leather arm patches) and a quick nip out in my dirty Doblo to take the dog for a quick walk before cooking Doris her huge dinner and the looking forward to a comfortable evening sat wearing our new slippers. Don't you just hate being stereotyped?

Morris.

Broadpete said:

Anyway, I got back from teaching Geography early today so it's back on with the tweed jacket (leather arm patches) and a quick nip out in my dirty Doblo to take the dog for a quick walk before cooking Doris her huge dinner and the looking forward to a comfortable evening sat wearing our new slippers. Don't you just hate being stereotyped?

Morris.

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ashy_2002 said:

why do fiat doblo owners have :

1. large wives..........
2.dogs....
3.an over 50's "look" even when they ain't....
4. dirty cars (outside)
5. people who have bought the facelift version all seem to look like 70's school teachers....

heck you've got the laugh .... most doblos are owned by morris and doris... fleece lined slipper wearers.............

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1...Large - ish
2...Yep, Choc Lab retriever, and one of the reasons for buying dobbin
3...Always had the 'over 50s look', comes from always having to wear my dad's 'hand-me-downs'. Although, to be fair, I haven't always had to wear them, up until I was 4 years old I had nothing to wear. For my 5th birthday, my parents bought me a flat 'at so I could sit & look out of the window.
4...Yep, dirty on the outside AND the inside. It's a car FFS, a tin box on wheels designed to get me & my oversized family around.
5...Can't remember what my teachers looked like back in the 70s, although I don't remember them wearing the slim glasses that I wear but I do remember them sporting a damned fine beard, moustache & sideburns - in fact, so did most of the male teachers as well.

And as for wearing slippers, yes I do, I wear the outdoor moccasins as I find they last far longer.

this thread has wandered really off topic...but very funny

the comments...

it's true look around at the doblo mpv owners... they fall into a "niche" ... it's like chav's in reverse...

Britain's gone and
going................

We're off not returning....

ashy_2002 said:

I'm off to America..

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I wish you luck my friend, but I fear you'll soon be wishing you were back here with all us tweed jacket wearing geography teachers! I give you about a week until you think "how the hell did this lot of idiots ever get a man on the moon" and then it will be downhill from there. I used to work for them and I know........

If there is still time, do yourself a favour and leave us for France or Italy not the cultural hole of our friends over the water.

Actually, come to think of it, I fear you'll soon recognise your fears over there:

1-large wives - tick
2-Dogs - not sure
3-Over 50's look when they ain't - tick
4-dirty cars - worse than dirty, Yank tanks, purple velour bench seats (Ugh!)
5-look like 70's teachers....maybe in a few years they'll get there

Good luck my friend. Turn back, 'tis not too late.

I'm a teacher, but don't own a tweed jacket

ok here goes

1 no wife large or otherwise
2 dogs - yes, 3 (reason for buying lovely Doblo )
3 look over 50
4 damn that cow muck! (drawback of living in the countryside :bang

I don't own slippers, fleecy or otherwise.
I have joined the Ramblers though. That could be a bit worrying

Enjoying the direction this thread is going


ps My struts working better now (weird )

Lyn xx

Hi I know its a bit late but £25 each is cheap Mazda wanted £160 + VAT!!!

Johnbear said:

Hi I know its a bit late but £25 each is cheap Mazda wanted £160 + VAT!!!

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Apologies for resurrecting an old (ish) thread but thought this the most appropriate plae to put my comment.
New struts fitted end of January 08.
New struts started playing up mid May 08.

Perrys say they have contacted Fiat about them (as this would be another warranty replacement) and Fiat say there really is nothing wrong - aside from the fact that these struts are 'Daisies' or 'daisy' struts - Daisy works, daisy doesn't.
What's the point of having a tailgate that can open to 6'6" and fitting it with struts that will only open it to 6' ?
FFS, I'm 6'4" tall. On a good day, the tailgate opens fully & I can walk under it to access the rear - no problems.
But on a day when it stops short I almost get a lobotomy.
There has to be a fault with the struts if they extend fully one minute & fall short the next.
Me & Fiat are about to have words.

Fiat finally get back to me & suggest I take it to another dealer for their verdict. Got it booked in at Stormont vans in Dunstable (30-odd mile round trip) for them to have a shufty.
Sod's law says it'll work fine. Went in the boot tonight, twice, and both times the tailgate opened all the way - typical, just 'kin typical.

And so it did, they didn't really want to look at it as they really only deal with vans & fiat said they weren't allowed to look at cars...
Anyway, chap came out to give a second opinion (nice guy), tailgate lifted all the way, he closed it down & it opened shy of maximum. Got home & straight back onto Fiat. They are now going to discuss the problem & get back to me - seems it's not a common problem but I told them it's Health & Safety, I've hit my head on it a couple of times as I expect it to lift the tailgate all the way.
Watch this space.

Had a phone call about my case. The lady from customer care has spoken with their technical department (who has spoken with Perrys) and she was told that the struts are fine, they hold the tail open - they are not designed to lift the tailgate, just hold it up and mine hold the tailgate in the up position.

Biggest load of bullsh!t I've heard this year.
I now have to wait until Monday to speak with the techy peeps at Perrys to see if they got the same answer from Fiat Tech.
Think I'll also fire an email off to the manufacturer of the strut to see what their take is on all this.

Blimey Sludge, what a parlarva

I hope you get it sorted.

Mine seem to be working ok at the moment. fingerscrossed: smilie)