Abstract: A spare tire carrier for a vehicle with a tailgate or other rear access assembly characterized in that the spare tire carrier is adapted to swing away outwardly from the vehicle and is provided with a swing-down device which allows a spare tire to be lowered into ground contact for easy removal of the spare tire. The swing-down device includes a tire support plate and an assist arm is pivotally coupled to the tire support plate for controlling the movement of the tire support plate when the latter is unlatched from the spare tire carrier.

Abstract: A vehicle having a body section convertible between a closed van type configuration having an enclosed cargo space and a pickup truck configuration having an open cargo bed. An enclosure member is pivotally connected to the body section for pivotal movement between a closed and an open position, and a tailgate is pivotally connected to a rear of the body section for pivotal movement between a raised and a lowered position. When the enclosure member in the closed position and the tailgate is in the raised position, they cooperate to define the enclosed cargo space of the van configuration. To convert the vehicle to the pickup configuration, the tailgate is pivoted to the lowered position and the enclosure section is pivoted to the open position, with the result that the enclosure member serves as a cargo carrying member and thereby increases the longitudinal length of the cargo bed.