"A" Post Grab Handle

[usulio]

R1S and R1T owner's guide list the airbag locations and there are none on the A-pillar. I would be very interested in an aftermarket option.

Edit: see Zoidz reply below.

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[gordonrands]

Now that we have been driving Opel (our R1T) for several months, we have decided that there is another accessory that we would find very useful. We have already added running boards which we have found to be great for ingress and egress to and from the truck. We think that a grab handle on the inside "A" post between the door and the windshield would be a very useful accessory.

The "A" post on Opal seems quite sturdy. Our only question is can we safely drill a couple of small holes into the "A" post to mount a grab handle with self-tapping screws?

Brian

So did you (or anyone else) ever try installing a grab handle on the A-post? If so, did it work, did it last, or did it damage something in the A-post?

If it worked, which aftermarket grab handle did you use? Pix would be appreciated.

 

[moosetags]

So did you (or anyone else) ever try installing a grab handle on the A-post? If so, did it work, did it last, or did it damage something in the A-post?

If it worked, which aftermarket grab handle did you use? Pix would be appreciated.

No, I never got brave enough to drill Opal's 'A' post. I went so far as to buy couple of generic automotive grab handles but never mustered enough nerve to install them.

I would still be interested in having 'A' post grab handles if I knew what was inside the post and if there is metal enough to secure them.

Brian

 

[Zoidz]

R1S and R1T owner's guide list the airbag locations and there are none on the A-pillar. I would be very interested in an aftermarket option.

That’s incorrect! The manual clearly shows the side curtain airbags extending one third to one half down the A pillar.

 

[Zoidz]

No, I never got brave enough to drill Opal's 'A' post. I went so far as to buy couple of generic automotive grab handles but never mustered enough nerve to install them.

I would still be interested in having 'A' post grab handles if I knew what was inside the post and if there is metal enough to secure them.

Brian

It’s good you didn’t. The side curtain airbags are in the A pillar as the owners manual shows. The A pillar trim is snap in and blows off if the airbag deploys. It is not secure enough to just drill and screw a handle into the trim. EIf you get lucky and don’t drill directly into the airbag or wires behind the trim, the first hard pull on the handle will just pull the trim off.

 

[usulio]

That’s incorrect! The manual clearly shows the side curtain airbags extending one third to one half down the A pillar.

You're talking about #4 and the cut off number (presumably #8)? What does the gray versus yellow indicate here?

Also wondering, assuming gray is indicating part of the airbag system, how the situation is different for the A pillar versus the existing OEM grab handles above the driver and passenger doors. If it's possible there, maybe it's possible on the A pillar as well...

 

[SeattleSteve]

A-pillar grab handle and side curtain airbags can co-exist (see photo of Ineos Grenadier). @Zoidz is spot on...the issue for us Rivian owners is mounting the grab handle securely to the a-pillar. See that pic of the Grenadier -- it has OEM mounting brackets under the trim for pillar grab handles.

 

[Zoidz]

You're talking about #4 and the cut off number (presumably #8)? What does the gray versus yellow indicate here?

Also wondering, assuming gray is indicating part of the airbag system, how the situation is different for the A pillar versus the existing OEM grab handles above the driver and passenger doors. If it's possible there, maybe it's possible on the A pillar as well...

Gray is the airbag, yellow is the explosive charge module.

From a previous post here, the OEM handle is marginally mounted in a plastic fitting pressed into a metal hole, which more than 1 person has ripped out while using that handle. It appears to fasten above the airbag curtain.

 

[stormbreaker]

I came from a 2500HD Silverado and I had an aftermarket grab handle installed. I asked for the same on the Rivian and was told no dice b/c the last thing you want is have a handle come at you at speed b/c the airbag was deployed. FUDGE!

So for this disabled guy, I grab the a-pillar itself and climb into the cab. Even in kneel mode. Hoping like hell that it will support me over the years.

FUDGE!

 

[Zoidz]

A-pillar grab handle and side curtain airbags can co-exist (see photo of Ineos Grenadier). @Zoidz is spot on...the issue for us Rivian owners is mounting the grab handle securely to the a-pillar. See that pic of the Grenadier -- it has OEM mounting brackets under the trim for pillar grab handles.

Exactly. The only way to do this is to fabricate a hidden foundation steel bracket that attaches to the lower half of the A pillar, and then attach a handle to the foundation bracket. I've been looking at this for a while and ruminating on it, as a result of complaints from my wife.

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