In this video, I'm installing gas struts inside the bonnet or hood of my Nissan NV200 small camper van. I go through the entire process including how to install hood struts, why you would want to install bonnet gas struts and where I sourced them from.

🔗 Allen's Shop: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFp...
🔗 Gas struts: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCr...

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0:00 - Intro
0:23 - Choosing your gas struts
0:38 - Why you should add lift supports
0:58 - Unboxing the hood dampers
1:26 - How to install bonnet gas struts
3:57 - How do hood lift supports work?
4:21 - Where to buy bonnet dampers

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You can get hood gas struts in a variety of colours to suit your vehicle or tastes. I’m installing the standard black ones, but they also have a carbon fibre range that comes in blue, black, yellow, white, red, purple and green.

Why would you want to add gas struts to your car or van bonnet. Well, there are a couple of reasons I can think of, even if it isn't one of my essential van upgrades.

Firstly, aesthetics. They look really nice and clean, and are much smarter than the original bonnet rod which comes built into your vehicle.

Secondly, it can be quite practical having the mechanism for opening the bonnet at the sides - it gives much greater access to the engine bay without anything in the way.

Finally, when you open the bonnet with the hood dampers installed, it’s a really nice smooth motion.

When the box arrived, I unpacked it and it came with the two struts, an image for how the struts should be fitted to both sides of the my particular Nissan NV200 van and two sets of two mounts.

First up, a closer look at the struts. The length will differ depending on the model of your vehicle but these were quite compact, were absolutely impossible to push in by hand and came with two pre-greased mounting points on either end, which was very handy.

Tools for the job: a ratchet and 12mm or 1/2 half inch hexangle socket.

The top two brackets are different from the bottom two, and only fit on their respective sides, so it's important to keep an eye on this, but again having the photo to reference made it easy.

Once the brackets were added, I could install the bonnet strut.

After removing this little clip which holds the windscreen wash fluid pipe in place, I clipped the strut into the bottom mount.

I was about to push the top of the bonnet dampers in place too, but noticed that the metal bit, which held the pipe clip I had just removed, would stop the strut from sitting in the correct place.

It was only by a couple of millimetres, but I didn’t want the metal to rub on the strut all the time and I was worried it might not sit well when closed.

After fiddling around with angles of the strut to see if I could find a way around the bit of protruding metal, I decide to get a metal file and narrow it down a bit.

I could then tighten up the brackets fully and then attach the strut. After checking the motion, I moved onto the second one.

In exactly the same way, I removed the top nut, installed the top bracket, removed the bottom bolt, installed the bottom bracket and then I could install the second strut.

Without a windscreen wash cable on this side, there’s no need for the extra metal bit - or the filing - so it fitted perfectly the first time and, after tightening it up fully, I could test them.

They were obviously holding the bonnet up nicely without the factory-fitted rod, but how did they open and close?

It’s a super smooth motion which automatically opens the bonnet for you and holds it in place perfectly until you’re ready to close it again. The struts aren’t too tight that it’s difficult to close the bonnet and they look really smart tucked away at the back.

For transparency, I should say that Allen, from the AliExpress shop linked above, kindly provided the struts for me to test, but all the views in the video are my own.


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#Vanlife #NissanNV200 #LensOfJames

DISCLAIMER: In this video, I am in no way stating that this is the proper way to undertake the conversion of a van, however after research and experience using the van, I believe this to be the way that is best suited to my van and the way I intend to use it.