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Bellows bungee

Hi All. So after reading all 3 pages, i am still asking my self.... to Bungee or not to Bungee

From what i can see these will make a big difference regardless to the new or old design. However what isn't clear to me is how much they will rub on the actual bellows?

Also my friend had a self build T5, he recently had a pop top roof fitted and on this he has some small eyelets on both sides front and rear internally. He has two small bungees that he places between these before lowering the roof that pulls the bellows in nicely, very neat and very affective. It seems such a shame that VW with all their might cant come up with such a simple solution also, this would surly really help customers out.
 
Your friends internal bungees sound like an excellent solution but other than that I am yet to get mine so will butt out


Mike
 
Hi All. So after reading all 3 pages, i am still asking my self.... to Bungee or not to Bungee

From what i can see these will make a big difference regardless to the new or old design. However what isn't clear to me is how much they will rub on the actual bellows?

Also my friend had a self build T5, he recently had a pop top roof fitted and on this he has some small eyelets on both sides front and rear internally. He has two small bungees that he places between these before lowering the roof that pulls the bellows in nicely, very neat and very affective. It seems such a shame that VW with all their might cant come up with such a simple solution also, this would surly really help customers out.

I can only answer "to Bungee or not to Bungee" from my own experience. Lying in the top bed at 3am on a rainy night and suddenly the wind starts to increase. You are faced with a rapid lowering of the roof in the dark and on your own. You will be very grateful for the small, cheap piece of bungee cord that gives you piece of mind that it will lower correctly.
I found these instructions about fitting it in case they help anyone.
Bellows Bungee .jpg
 
Our pop-up roof tent has internal bungees that hook onto internal loops and works well to pull the sides in.
 
It seems such a shame that VW with all their might cant come up with such a simple solution also, this would surly really help customers out.

But then VW would be admitting a design problem with all their pop-ups to date. When I bought my year-old Cali the dealer insisted that there's absolutely no need for a bungee - even though it turned out the vehicle had already got scissor-snips to its bellows (which, to their credit, the dealer spotted on the PDI and changed as a goodwill gesture).

An internal bungee does sound like it could be a really good idea (and somewhere to hang my specs when I go to bed!). However for the time being I'm happy with my external bungee, wouldn't be without it.
 
Our pop-up roof tent has internal bungees that hook onto internal loops and works well to pull the sides in.

That would be a much neater solution and easier to control when you are on your own.
Is there a way it could be incorporated into the roof used on the California?
 
It would need to be unclipped to push the bed up though..

Thanks all, looking at the design closer today it's clear that the existing set up has room for improvement.

I'm already in the process of plying about with some ideas I have and will keep you all posted


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I tried putting a bungee across the inside and forgot to un clip it when pushing
The roof up from inside it broke both zips on the Windows. I had to have new bellows fitted. ÂŁ800 I think it was. I now just use the bungee I know it's not a complete guarantee of the bellows getting caught but I learnt a very expensive lesson and works for me.
 
The bungee works for me as it is, (think it is simple cheap and works if you follow the accepted closing of the roof procedure.)
 
There is no perfect system for any of the pop top roofs. The Bungee helps, but that is all it does - help.
 
There is no perfect system for any of the pop top roofs. The Bungee helps, but that is all it does - help.
I can go along with that
That's why on the closing down of the roof it stops half way so you get a chance to check everything is going to plan i.e.so far so good :thumb

Alan
 
As there has been looooads of threads and discussions regarding the roof bungee that i assume everyone on this forum has one , i am thinking to find a propper solution on the inside .
My bungee is on 4y now and worn out , i took it off .

Back in the days i carried a Hannibal roof tent (boxed model) on my Land Rover Defender , realy cool thing you needed to crawl in using a ladder from behind the verhicle. It looked like a double ski-roofbox but we could sleep in it off the ground!
Inside there where bungees attached to the canvas to lead the canvas inwarts when folding the tent down. (Closing the box)
One just needs to find a way (sewing in ) to attach a ring on to both the hard foldable sections that are in the Cali canvas.

I recent practiced this with selfmade bungees on the zippers , witch is certainly not ideal but it was a test!
IMG_5875.JPG
IMG_5876.JPG
IMG_5877.JPG
It worked fine , it simply needs a bungee inside with each end a mini musketon . The far end can stay put when the bed is puched up and should be attached when leaving the upstaires .
The other can be reached standing from below it does not bother for opening/lowering the bed .
The one leaving the top before closing the roof (taking the pillows/sleepingbags,whatever you use) away connects the sides giving tention inwarts .
Simple as that .
No influence on the bungee from the sun so less wear , and no marks/wear on the canvas.
And to be honest it looks better without a bungee on the outside.

Now i need to find a way to sew this rings on the canvas
IMG_6092.JPG
ideal i like to find a fabric thesame color to patch the ring on to the canvas , guess using a special "bended " needle .
Outside it looked like this the canvas going in slightly by the tention
IMG_5878.JPG
 
looks like too much S & M in that tent space for me, happy to stick with the tried and tested external one and replace if needed every few years. I would worry I would pull the zip puller off.
 
looks like too much S & M in that tent space for me, happy to stick with the tried and tested external one and replace if needed every few years. I would worry I would pull the zip puller off.

Seems you did not read it all .....
Attatching on the zippers is a test and all the stuff you see is a demo-set up.
It's bits i had at hand to try some things out , do you realy think i wanted this look ?
 
ok move it from your zipper to a added ring, but think i will as said stick with a bungee there is a danger of over complicating things.Someone in the past had an internal pull in type bungee
 

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