Vehicle expansion retainer

A vehicle having an apparatus for retaining accessories, comprising:

• a chassis carrying a seat,
• at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel coupled to the chassis,
• a steering member for steering the at least one wheel,
• means for powering the vehicle carried by the chassis,
• at least one mounting aperture located on the vehicle,
• an expansion retainer having a proximal and distal end, the distal end capable of being received by the mounting aperture, comprising:
• a handle member;
• a shaft pivotally coupled at the handle member at the proximal end, wherein the handle member can be pivotally rotated between an open and closed position to move the shaft in an axial direction;
• retainer means coupled at the distal end of the shaft;
• and
• retention means coupled at the distal end of the shaft distally from the retaining means, whereby the expansion retainer is adapted to secure an accessory to the mounting aperture when the retainer means is received within the mounting aperture and the handle member rotated to a closed position.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a chassis;
• a seat mounted to the chassis;
• a handlebar assembly carried by the chassis;
• an endless track carried by a rear suspension system mounted to the chassis;
• a front suspension system mounted to the chassis;
• left and right steerable skis carried by the front suspension system, the skis being steerably connected to the handlebars;
• an engine operably coupled to drive the endless track;
• at least one mounting aperture located on the vehicle;
• an expansion retainer having a proximal and distal end, comprising:
• a handle member,
• a shaft pivotally coupled to the handle member at the proximal end, the handle member pivotally rotatable between an open and closed position to move the shaft in an axial direction;
• a grommet located on the shaft at the distal end;
• and
• a fastener coupled to the shaft at the distal end, whereby the expansion retainer is adapted to hold an accessory to the mounting aperture when the expansion retainer is received within the mounting aperture and the handle member is rotated to a closed position.

A vehicle comprising:

• a hull including a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the jet propulsion unit including a steerable water discharge nozzle, the top deck having a raised, longitudinally extending seat adapted to accommodate an operator in straddle fashion;
• at least one mounting aperture located on the vehicle;
• an expansion retainer having a proximal and distal end, comprising:
• a handle member;
• a shaft pivotally coupled to the handle member at the proximal end, the handle member pivotally rotatable between an open and closed position to move the shaft in an axial direction;
• a grommet located on the shaft at the distal end;
• and
• a fastener coupled to the shaft at the distal end, whereby the expansion retainer is adapted to hold an accessory to the mounting aperture when the expansion retainer is received within the mounting aperture and the handle member is rotated to a closed position.

An accessory retainer apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

• a handle member;
• a shaft pivotally coupled to the handle member at the proximal end, the handle member pivotally rotatable between an open and closed position to move the shaft in an axial direction;
• a grommet located on the shaft at the distal end;
• a fastener coupled to the shaft at the distal end, whereby the accessory retainer is adapted to retain an accessory to a mounting aperture located on the vehicle;
• a spacer member located proximal of the grommet;
• a second grommet located between the handle member and the spacer, wherein the second grommet expands generally above a top surface or the accessory platform when the retainer is received within the mounting aperture and the handle member is rotated to a closed position;
• and
• a bracket member coupled at the proximal end of the shaft between the handle member and the spacer member.