Driven 40 mph with top fully opened on the Blue Ridge Parkway following
breakfast stop....

"Hmm,  what's all that breeze... what the h***!!!"

Pulled over, closed top. No damage. Top is probably designed to protect
you camping in 50-60 mph gusts, so, no worries.

Developing business and guiding change since 1996,

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Corporate Communications
Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com
Alliance: www.ntara.com
Phone: +1.919.658.1278

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of 80 Westy Pokey
Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 6:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Pop Top Heart Stopper

Now this has got me paranoid. I just noticed today that my
pop top moves when I close the sliding door. Is this normal
or a warning sign?

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 10:56:03 -0400
>From: Craig Rogers <rogers23@OPTONLINE.NET>
>Subject: Re: Pop Top Heart Stopper
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>That happened to me once after being stuck in an ice storm
with the top up.
>I guess it didn't latch correctly due to all the ice.  It
was interesting
>that the wind in the canvas made the top not fully erected,
even at highway
>speed.  I don't think you could rip the top off, whereas if
the canvas
>wasn't there you would surely end up with a convertible.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Craig Rogers
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Alan Pickersgill" <alanpick@MAGMA.CA>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 9:21 AM
>Subject: Pop Top Heart Stopper
>
>
>> On recent trip was camping in South Carolina. In the
morning I closed the
>roof in the same, very careful way I have for years -
hundreds of times.
>Have had a vision of what would happen if it came open at
speed - took air
>and opened. So I always listen the click from the latch.
Always check to
>make sure no canvas trapped by the top. All seemed normal.
>>
>> Got onto the freeway - heard a funny howling . Just as I
was coming up
>level with an 18 wheeler I decided that I'd better trust my
intuition and
>stop to check. When level with 18 wheeler - Huge noise and
up popped the
>roof. Looked in the mirror nobody in sight, so I just
slowed , let the 18
>wheeler go well ahead to avoid buffeting, pulled to right
lane and off onto
>the shoulder - roof settled down in place below about 2Okmh.
>>
>> Absolutely no damage to any part of the system that I
could find. The
>support struts appear to be undamaged, the canvas didn't
tear or pull
>loose - nothing I could find. I always imagined it would
come off.
>>
>> Anyone else had this happen. Any hidden damage I might
check for?
>>
>> Anybody got a really simple safety device to ensure this
couldn't happen -
>the latch is designed to be such a device but it failed! I
swear it sounded
>exactly the same as every other time when it was really
closed.
>>
>> Alan Pickersgill
>> 85 Transporter converted to Westfalia
>>