2023 Ocean leaking roof fabric

[NickE]

Well, that's it in a nutshell isn't it? Identical weather conditions, old bellows doesn't leak, new one does.

 

[Corradobrit]

Bad news guys. Sounds like it backs to the drawing board. The infamous 'C' variant was installed this morning on a German Cali and guess what...... it leaked like a sieve. NO, this is not the much anticipated resolution. VW MY23 customers must suffer a little while longer

 

[andyinluton]

Bad news guys. Sounds like it backs to the drawing board. The infamous 'C' variant was installed this morning on a German Cali and guess what...... it leaked like a sieve. NO, this is not the much anticipated resolution. VW MY23 customers must suffer a little while longer

Someone has previously stated that the “C” isn’t a new version.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Someone has previously stated that the “C” isn’t a new version.

Not sure where that came from. My dealer told me the grey bellows now have a new part number.

 

[california.will-g]

Just a thought i had today, when opening the roof on the 23MY ocean you keep the button pressed until the noise changes and then you release the button, it then tensions itself to a preset value then stops.

Do you think the preset tension value may be set too high so its stretching the material and causing elongation of the needle holes thus letting in the water? Has anyone with a manual roof with the new style bellows reported it leaking?

I stopped mine just before the last bit and checked the seams, I then fully opened it and there is certainly more daylight visable around the stiching once it's fully tensioned.

Have had 2 wet nights in ours since collecting on the 11th july and done a few hose tests, only a couple of drips have shown inside so far coming in from the seam above the half moon front flap and this was after blasting it 3 times for a steady 10 minutes with the hose, I still think it's too early to say ours won't leak as others are in heavier wet and driving rain conditions.

 

[Corradobrit]

Do you think the preset tension value may be set too high so its stretching the material and causing elongation of the needle holes thus letting in the water? Has anyone with a manual roof with the new style bellows reported it leaking?


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This was my hypothesis a few pages back. I have a Coast with manual poptop and new MY23 fabric. I did have it open to light wind and steady rain hitting the front pano panel for a couple of hours. No leaks noticed. Personally I think the tensioning could be a contributory factor, although not the only cause. To me it's a combination of the stretchy new material, too much tension, use of synthetic thread (doesn't swell when wet) and lack of a barrier layer.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Not sure if it helps but I dried my with cloth and put the roof down when wet to stop it getting horrendous overnight when I wasn’t in it. Next day the bits I dried were still dry. Put the roof up to dry that out and came back later to find the residual water in the canvas had leaked out again inside the van. I do wonder if the fabric itself absorbing rain water is a significant factor. This would explain the delay of about an hour from when rain started hitting my canvas and it started leaking. The canvas became saturated first.

 

[Corradobrit]

Not sure if it helps but I dried my with cloth and put the roof down when wet to stop it getting horrendous overnight when I wasn’t in it. Next day the bits I dried were still dry. Put the roof up to dry that out and came back later to find the residual water in the canvas had leaked out again inside the van. I do wonder if the fabric itself absorbing rain water is a significant factor. This would explain the delay of about an hour from when rain started hitting my canvas and it started leaking. The canvas became saturated first.

The fabric itself is far more water resistant. The old one had a water column rating of 300mm, the new one is 7500mm. Huge difference. The issue is the application of the fabric and seepage through seams.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

The fabric itself is far more water resistant. The old one had a water column rating of 300mm, the new one is 7500mm. Huge difference. The issue is the application of the fabric and seepage through seams.

Please can you explain what this means? And why does my canvas retain water if it’s water resistant?

 

[Corradobrit]

Please can you explain what this means? And why does my canvas retain water if it’s water resistant?

It's the height of water above the fabric at a point where a few drops start to permeate. It might absorb some water but that does not necessarily mean water seeps through. These fabrics are water resistant not water proof.

 

[66tim99]

slight leak on the tailgate

Mine had this. They replaced the seal at the first service and it’s now sorted.

 

[Corradobrit]

Mine had this. They replaced the seal at the first service and it’s now sorted.

170 quid for double mattress topper? Better sing me a lullaby at that price.

 

[Joncali2023!!]

Vw don’t test o

I find it unbelievable that a company like VW don’t seem able to carry out a basic quality check on a component part of one of their products, before they sign it off and sell it.
Anyone designing and producing a “tent” might have ”checking for leaks” at the top of the list of checks.m

Vw don’t test or check the campervan “side” of their Cali. The campervan parts are all made by other companies so they rely on their quality testing.

 

[Joncali2023!!]

Not for me, I’ve rejected my 4 week old Cali.

Bad news guys. Sounds like it backs to the drawing board. The infamous 'C' variant was installed this morning on a German Cali and guess what...... it leaked like a sieve. NO, this is not the much anticipated resolution. VW MY23 customers must suffer a little while longer

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

It's the height of water above the fabric at a point where a few drops start to permeate. It might absorb some water but that does not necessarily mean water seeps through. These fabrics are water resistant not water proof.

Ok makes sense. It might be what they claim but I’m not sure I believe it to be true then. My canvas was absolutely saturated externally after 1 hour and remained so until the next day. Felt like water was trapped between the 2 layers.

 

[Corradobrit]

Not for me, I’ve rejected my 4 week old Cali.

Any pushback? How many miles on the odo?

 

[RockinNRollin]

Ok makes sense. It might be what they claim but I’m not sure I believe it to be true then. My canvas was absolutely saturated externally after 1 hour and remained so until the next day. Felt like water was trapped between the 2 layers.

Water trapped is more likely and by folding and unfolding you’ve redistributed it to somewhere it can escape. This then begs the question that those with leaky bellows, does it mean there’s often water trapped between the fabric layers even when the roof appears to be dry?

 

[Corradobrit]

Water trapped is more likely and by folding and unfolding you’ve redistributed it to somewhere it can escape. This then begs the question that those with leaky bellows, does it mean there’s often water trapped between the fabric layers even when the roof appears to be dry?

The fabric is bonded so not sure how whats can be trapped 'between' the layers.

 

[Corradobrit]

*water

 

[andyinluton]

Not sure where that came from. My dealer told me the grey bellows now have a new part number.

The new bellows may well have a new part number, but someone on here has a "C" bellows that leaks & that was reported well before one of the dealers had said that there wasn't a new part number yet.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

The fabric is bonded so not sure how whats can be trapped 'between' the layers.

Yes it’s a good question. Mine leaks at the bottom so somehow the water has travelled down there.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

The new bellows may well have a new part number, but someone on here has a "C" bellows that leaks & that was reported well before one of the dealers had said that there wasn't a new part number yet.

Ah got ya. Yes good point. Maybe there is hope! Haha

 

[ArunAlec]

Vw don’t test o

Vw don’t test or check the campervan “side” of their Cali. The campervan parts are all made by other companies so they rely on their quality testing.

If that’s the case they’re risking their reputation on someone else’s workmanship. VW would have had to set their technical requirements when setting up the contracts with their suppliers and I’d hope in the case of the canvas they’d specify that it was waterproof and have sign off that testing had taken place to check.
Hope their on the ball when it comes to the brake components!

 

[Jeaniethecali]

Not for me, I’ve rejected my 4 week old Cali.

I’ve just this minute finished my letter rejecting my van.
I wouldn’t mind if VW held their hands up and admitted there is a problem and they were working on a fix/replacement. But they’re not, and in my case they’re even saying that it is normal and that’s the properties of the fabric.
I’ve had my van 5 months now, so the 6 month limit for rejecting it is almost here. Im sure they will reject my claim as they aren’t admitting any fault, but if they do I’ll have to seek legal advice.
Please keep us posted on what your dealer says and I will do the same.

 

[dspuk]

Vw don’t test o

Vw don’t test or check the campervan “side” of their Cali. The campervan parts are all made by other companies so they rely on their quality testing.

Incorrect. Partially.

All manufacturers outsource nigh on all components to 1st tier suppliers. In house parts now is mainly just the bodyshells. In some cases that carries on until you have 3rd and 4th tier suppliers. The one VW has the contract with has to do their own quality testing of the parts, including ones they outsourced, and prove they have done so on a regular basis. VW, like others, will also spot check parts and in case of warranty failures visit the suppliers and find out what is wrong. I used to do this latter part and spend much of the late 90s visiting Coventry and Birmingham based supppliers and testing their parts and processes.

VW will then test each van that comes offline and each operator will be responsible for their own station and checking there. I discussed this process much higher in the thread. This testing is of the complete van, not individual bits, but will include a water test, usually in a sealed unit, like most do.

That this is not picked up by this process has also been discussed and giving the timing and wind nature of it is unfortunately one of those issue that would rarely if ever be picked up by end of line testing.

Reading with interest of those rejecting their Calis. Personally I think this makes little sense as this will get fixed eventually and customers made right somehow. That comms have been limited is true, but such is the nature of legal departments advice and complex parts issues. The easiest fix is to buy a belows protector and wait it out IMHO. I’d rather pay 300 quid than reject my 70K van because I was beyond irate and wanted to make a point.