Hi all,

Thanks for all the suggestions on Matilda's leakage problems!

In response to Loren's questions (below) - with the top down, of course!
They happen when parked or driving.  The water comes in at the corners, and
gets caught in the bunched-up fabric from the poptop - definitely the
corners, not the middle of the van (left to right).  If I straighten out the
bunched-up fabric then water pours out of it.  Actually it could be in the
middle too, now that I think of it - but I can't straighten out that part of
the fabric because the latch is in the way, so I don't see it.  So it's
definitely coming in at the front edge of the poptop.

I think the points about the pressure from the struts being forward rather
than up when the top is down are good.  That suggests that the leakage may
not be due to the struts, though it did start recently, and all of a sudden
there's a good bit of leaking that seems to date to when I attached the
struts.

The water does not seem to be coming through the holes where the poptop bar
is attached to the top.  It is coming from the front edge and corners.

Removing the struts is not easy, so taking them off to deal with the
no-kayak situation is not viable.  I do pull the top down only from the
non-kayak side, and push up on the kayak side, in an attempt to even out the
pressures when raising the lowering the poptop.  I'd thought of putting
something heavy on the other side to balance it out.  I may end up with my
tires up there, if I switch to snow tires to go back up to Newfoundland this
winter.

I think I'll have to add sealant goo as some people have suggested, and
perhaps clean out the luggage carrier drainage.  Those things might solve
the problem.

Joy

  _____

From: Loren Busch [mailto:starwagen@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 12:23 AM
To: Joy Hecht
Subject: Re: [VANAGON] leaking in the rain

 RE: Leaks
Joy, it just dawned on me that people responding to your question are making
various assumptions.  So can you clarify. Are the leaks occurring with the
top up or down?  I think most of us assumed down.
And the leaks occur when just parked, with the top down?  And also when
driving?

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