Is there any legal or insurance requirement to have one of these? I hate them, and while I understand they are to prevent decapitation by a flying object from the cargo area, I can't recall ever having such a flying object.
I like having a rear window on the van for visibility, and even with a backup camera and sideview mirrors, being able to see out the back is nice. Are there other advantages to them? I guess the AC and heater might work better if isolated from the cargo space. I've seen claims it makes the cabin quieter, but anytime I've driven a van with a partition, there has been an annoying rattle from the door to the back. I could maybe see if you could put some shelving units up against the back of the partition. That might even make a van with dual sliding side doors viable.
