Lucky you didn't go under and low bridges!

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 22:29:57 EDT
>From: Peter Krogh <VW85Westy@AOL.COM>
>Subject: Re: Pop Top Heart Stopper
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>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
>
> >>