Al's description is what I did to raise my poptop before I added the extra
10 lbs of kayak paddles and other stuff.  It was hard but I could do it.
With the extra 10 lbs, it was out of the question.

Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

****************************************************************:::-----Orig
inal Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Al Knoll
:::Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 1:18 AM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: cargo boxes on top of westies
:::
:::The hinge system on the poptop wears badly over the years.  If you
:::examine
:::all the bearing points at the hinges in front and back and  some have
:::plastic inserts and some may not.  Using a lubricant that won't destroy
:::the
:::plastic insert do your best to clean and lubricate these bearing
:::surfaces.
:::The work in sliding friction rather than rolling friction so the more
:::pressure on the bearing surface the greater the resistance.   If you cut
:::two
:::pieces of 3/4 inch pvc one about a foot long and the other about two feet
:::long you can use them as temporary props to raise the top.  Push the top
:::up
:::directly, not by pushing on the bar in the front hinge system.  This
:::takes
:::the hinges out of the equation.  Put the first tube in place to support
:::the
:::top while you raise YOUR level with the obligatory cooler.  Now once
:::again
:::push ON THE TOP itself and raise it one more foot placing the two foot
:::tube
:::to suport the top.  Now you can use the bar to do the rest of the job.
:::Cosines kill your efforts when you use the bar only.  Ever notice how
:::easy
:::it is once the top is almost up when using the bar on the unloaded top?
:::Cosines strike again.  In this case numbers don't rule but that mean old
:::trigonometry hampers your efforts.  Fizziks again, it's always just
:::fizzix...(adapted from Feynmann)