One time many years ago, before I was married, I was making the trip from DC
to South Carolina to see my girlfriend, and I stopped to make a sandwich.  I
popped the top and made lunch with all deliberate speed, and jumped back on
the road as fast as I could. (Hey, I liked this girl.)  Anyway, I had been
doing about 70mph before the stop, but afterward, I could not get it to go
faster than 55 or so.  Plus is was a bit noiser and rode a little wobbly.

You guessed it, I had left the top up.  I checked the mirror and pulled over
immediately, sure that I had done great damage to the poptop mechanism.
Amazingly, everything was fine, and that canvas lasted another decade before
being replaced by the totally cool 3-window tent from GoWesty.

I only wish that I had been in one of the cars going the other way on the
highway as they passed me.

If you have ever wondered what would happpen if you drove the car with the
top up, I can say with authority that it is built to survive.

Still have the van.  Still have the girl.

Peter

In a message dated 5/5/02 9:22:12 AM, alanpick@MAGMA.CA writes:

<< 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

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