Here’s a quick how-to video on adding grab handles in the rear door area. There are already some threaded holes, but you might need to use one of the holes that doesn’t have threads. The video shows how to install a rivet nut to bolt the handle in place.
We originally bought some metal handles to bolt on to the D pillar around the rear door. They made it much easier to get into the back of the van.
When we added our platform bed, it interfered with where the handles are placed, so we had to take them out.
There are several holes in the D pillar. Some have threads behind them and others don’t. We couldn’t find a handle that lined up with any two holes. Then, we found a flexible handle (Attwood 2061-5 Grip Flexible Grab Handle). The nylon weave means you can line its ends up with pretty much any two locations.
We used an existing threaded hole (it takes an M8 bolt) and added a rivet nut (rivnut) in one of the unthreaded holes so that the handle is firmly attached.
The rivnut tool with long handles makes installation much easier than using the cheap tool that’s basically a wrench and a bolt, plus it’s adaptable to multiple sizes of nuts.
Questions and comments welcome!