Hmmm, I had pictured that they would be mounted in the other direction, but
I always was a bit 'backwards' at times.

Route 66 Rider!
Ramon Hill
Live Long and Be Free

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Kim Brennan
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 2:19 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Poptop Raise Assists

Bug me enough and you might just get:

<http://homepage.mac.com/kimbrennan/PoptopAssist/index.html>

On Feb 3, 2007, at 12:05 PM, Pensioner wrote:

> McMaster - Carr sells a wide variety of gas struts.  Kim Brennan
> mentioned that he installed some on his westy just for raising the
> top.  I suspect he could post some pix of that clever installation on
> the yahoo vanagon group to give you an idea of how to do it.
>
> Kinda works like this.  You will buy two sets of struts, one for just
> the top and one for the top plus whatever you have currently mounted
> up there (cargo box, spare moose, that extra vaganza).
>
> The struts help you lift the top.
>
> Or you can just get several varying lengths of the ubiquitous PVC
> irrigation pipe add a rubber crutch tip to each end and you have a
> prop that will help alleviate the 'clean and jerk' move to raise the
> top.  Raise it a ways, insert the first pipe, take a break, raise it
> the next step, insert the second pipe...pipe is placed between the top
> and the ledge at the front of the roof where the latch is.  Rubber
> feet keep it from slipping.
>
> Of course you should carefully lubricate the hinges both at the rear
> (they're plastic bushings) and at the front so rotation is as
> friction-free as possible.