My Problem with Gobi Flip-Up Front License Plate Holder

[Astroboy]

1) I didn't like how it does not fold flush completely or hold the plate vertical, because the protruding rivets which fasten the hinge bump into each other, and keep the plates from folding by about 15 degrees... it's like a book or a laptop you can't close completely.

The hinge mechanism (in silver) is fastened to the both two leaves by rivets. This by itself not a bad idea; it's cost effective ,and other fastening methods may not stand up to the road vibration in the long run. But the huge problem is that the placement of these rivets don't have offsets to each other, and the protruding shanks of the rivets meet each other, when the plates are folder, preventing the complete fold.

2) The bolts supplied in the kit are not good for the application.

The supplied bolts eats and shaves the nylon grommets, as you screw them down. They have square tip, like when you cut rods with a saw. The bolts which fasten the entire assembly to the Hummer's bumper doesn't work. It's either too fat, or it should have been self tapping (pointy tips)

You insert square nylon grommet thingies into the standard square holes of the GM front bumper. Then you hold and place the plate against the bumper, then screw it down with the bolts. The bolts should spread the grommets thus firmly sandwiching and attaching the whole thing.

From Inside-to-Outside: Nylon Grommets -> Front Bumper Skid Plate -> Gobi Plate Holder -> Bolts

Anyway, while fastening one side halfway, I noticed that the threads on nylon grommets were being eaten away being stripped, resulting in less than optimal fastening... thus in lieu of the supplied bolts, I used some other wood screws from my drawer bin (self-tapping, slightly less diameter, much wider threads). This seemed to attach the thing better to the bumper.

MY UNLUCKY HORRIBLE result:

1) I procrastinated installing for a several months until I got a hold of a guy with acetylene torch to heat the protruding rivets and hammer them flat. I was happy to install when the thing finally folded flat.

2) I lost my front plate! A few weeks later, somehow to my mystery, the whole thing (Gobi plate holder + my front license plate) is missing from my bumper. It either fell off on its own when I'm driving, or somebody unscrewed and stole the whole thing for the novelty of Flip-Up holder...

I didn't notice this until a cop pulled me over for not having a front plate, and I was like WTF...

I still have my rear plate, which makes me think, if in likely or unlikely case it was stolen, it wasn't stolen for the license plate itself, but for the plate holder itself...

Now I need to go to DMV for re-issuance of the plates, and find a new plate holder, this time I'm gonna look for a reliable simple front hitch receiver mounted solution... but then, H2's front hitch has vertical pins... a lot of work...

[Luv2Camp]

The thing I dislike the most about the gobi is that when you go over bumps, the hinge moves and the plate bounces around. I was concerned that this would cause the rivets to fail and eventually lose the front license plate as well. I used a spring with a hook attached to one end and fastened the spring to the back side of the license plate side of the gobi and pull the spring tight so that the hook inserts inside of the hole on the bottom side of the receiver. This keeps the plate pretty flat and stops it from moving around.

[twr]

hi sounds like it needs to be redesigned to work correct. gobi

[timgco]

GOBI does great work! I have never had an issue with any of their products!!!

However, if you guys feel a product is not up to their High Standards, send them an Email or call them. I'm sure they will work it out for you. I have yet to see GOBI turn away an issue or ignore it for that matter.

If I can help, let me know as well.