VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

[robo]

They seem to have 6 repair centres now. It used to be only 4.

 

[normg]

Hi all. I have a late 2013 Cali SE. It appears to have had the upgraded front panel fitted during it's manufacture as I haven't had the corrosion issue with it since purchased new. However the pop-up roof is showing signs of corrosion under the rubber beading. I reported this to my local VW van centre in Inverness approx. 2 months ago. Photographs were taken and the issue reported to VWCC by the Van Centre. Inverness VW Van Centre rang me yesterday to advise that the repair had been approved and that their Body/Paint Shop in Inverness would be affecting the repair. When I raised the matter of the work being completed by a designated Van Centre was advised that the Inverness Centre had been authorised to do it. Hope to book it in on 30 November to have the work done. Will report progress on here in due course.

 

[snowy55]

Any Vw approved paint shop can repaint the lifting part of the roof, I had mine done this way. The front fixed part of the roof entails a much more complicated process and has to be done by one of the, now 6, designated body shops.

 

[normg]

Thanks for that.

 

[normg]

Thanks for that.

 

[Private_Kelly]

I have just purchased a 2010 140 SE and it has been allocated a slot to have the roof repaired at AB Crush.
My Cali has very obvious roof bubbling just by the rubber seal at the top righthand side of the windscreen.
However when I called AB Crush to arrange a repair date the very helpful young lady told me that there is usually another area that suffers with the dreaded roof corrosion and she also said that it will almost certainly need remedial work carried out in the 2,areas. Can someone please tell me where the other area will be and if this is indeed the case that 2 areas are normally affected. Thanks

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

This is under the rubber of the elevating roof itself. When the weather is dry!,Raise the roof approx 1 foot and pull the rubber seal down, don't worry it comes away easily, you will then find similar bubbling though on a smaller scale. Do this on all four sides and you will see the extent.

 

[jts46]

Go to roof "corrosion updates" over 110 pages to look through, please don't start another thread post or whatever, all the info you need is on those pages.

John

 

[Hotel California]

+1
Maybe the mods can put this post under the other 110 pages...?

 

[Pineweasel]

It would be really helpful if there was a summary of the roof situation as a sticky post: what the problem is, how to spot it, and what do do.

 

[WelshGas]

It would be really helpful if there was a summary of the roof situation as a sticky post: what the problem is, how to spot it, and what do do.

It may be presumptuous of me, but it was your suggestion. Why don't you write such a Summary that Admin could then make as a sticky.
After all it is a self help forum.

 

[2into1]

It may be presumptuous of me, but it was your suggestion. Why don't you write such a Summary that Admin could then make as a sticky.
After all it is a self help forum.

A couple of reasons this hasn't happened :
- There is no agreement with the forum owners that a sticky on the subject would indeed be 'stuck'
- when I raised the idea months ago there was plenty of users fearing the forum would 'dry up' if succinct answers to the common questions were summarised (I don't agree but that was the response)
- there is the thorny issue that the forum owners 'own' all the content, and that the forum is a commercial enterprise, pointing to the self interest that they should write such summaries themselves
- I suspect they worry their doing so might carry liabilities that our individual ramblings do not.

I argued before and do so again that there is a great need for a document written and kept up to date for newcomers, that sits in the middle of the huge void between (on one hand) the (generally) hopeless dealers and (on the other hand ) threads such as the one referred to here. It would take some time to write and maintain but would the wisest £9.99 buy for anyone contemplating buying a Cali.

 

[GrannyJen]

There is of course the "sticky" question of who is going to devote a huge amount of time condensing all 110 pages to write a succinct, proof-read, all encompassing summary that could then provide the core reference.

I personally do not have that time to spare as I also have a life to live.

There is also the danger that such a sticky would then become another 110 pages as comments flow in pointing out how the all-encompassing summary does not encompass "my experience", complaints of dealers, repair body shops, VWCS, why my paintwork is different, etc.etc.

 

[Hotel California]

Imo , those 110 pages could be far less and the post much more intresting without some ( polluted) posts.
But it is a forum one must decide their own if they post on a topic , start a new topic ....or use the search function and open the discusion in the already existing topic.
See this freequent and usually by new members who seem to want direct answer to their Q and don't bother searching or reading thru the forum .
I also probally " polluted" a post ( as we are doing here) so we have to be more diciplined ...

So if the mods cold post the above Q from moz williams under the existing roof corrosion post and delete all our chit-chat....were are all good for now?

 

[Rich20]

I personally don't mind how many pages a thread goes to. I look at it that each person is adding their own colour to the conversation from their knowledge and experience. When I joined the club prior to ordering my Cali, I enjoyed spending time looking through all the history and increasing my own knowledge of quite a complex vehicle and of the various trips that members go on

 

[WelshGas]

You don't need a document condensing the 110 pages, posted so far, about this problem. Just 4 or 5 short paragraphs from someone who has experienced this.
1. What is " Roof Corrosion"?
2. What causes it?
3. How do you examine the roof and what to look for?
4. What to do if you have it and the Warranty extension offered by VW.
5. How will it be repaired.

Followed by a link to the 110 page thread for further information.

This could be formulated as a 2nd Hand Buying Guide and placed in the VIP Download section.

Non-VIP's always have the option of reading the 110 page, and counting, thread to get the same information.

 

[Hotel California]

Me i read almost everyday( except when away on trips) the forum thru "recent posts" so i get almost every new post and addings to older posts that you guys add...

Got home friday afther seven days away and go over sevral ( think +10 pages recent posts) filtering and reading what might intrest me even t4 and beach why not...o yeah t6 ...
If a topic has 110 pages don't really bothers me .
What bothers me is that newcomers don't read all ( can you blame them?) and new post on existing topics rise up....

 

[Hotel California]

@WelshGas
You got the start ....
...now just need answers

 

[Paulro]

Mine left this morning on the back of an AA truck. Back in 3 weeks. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Skylark2.0]

View attachment 10545 Well found this the last time I cleaned the van...

Goodness, I had heard of the blistering but had not expected an open wound like this one. Thanks for posting the gory details.
I'd be inclined to camp on the garage forecourt to get it sorted...

 

[snowy55]

Does anyone know where the 2 additional approved body shops are?

 

[Private_Kelly]

....I seem inadvertently to have opened an almighty can of worms reference my roof corrosion question. All I wanted to know was where the roof corrosion is likely to be and that was answered quite nicely by CaliforniaDAN. Thank you for that. I might tread a little more carefully next time I ask a question!

 

[Californiaman]

I say if someone has a question, ask it. What's the problem?

My roof was done by AB Crush both the front bit and the elevating bit and they were brilliant - you'd never know they had done it (the canvas bellows were also replaced as part of the fix)

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Private_Kelly]

I say if someone has a question, ask it. What's the problem?

My roof was done by AB Crush both the front bit and the elevating bit and they were brilliant - you'd never know they had done it (the canvas bellows were also replaced as part of the fix)

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Private_Kelly]

...thanks Californiaman. Yes that's where mine is going in May. I have heard very good things about A B Crush. Still don't think the company name is very inspiring though!!!