I bought one of these from the club shop after seeing them on other vehicles. I am very impressed indeed. As
@Borris says I can be found in the Top Left Hand Corner of Wales all the year round working on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway. It can, so I am told, rain a bit up there and sometimes it gets very cold and windy too. I've always had a worry that the internal liner means that I can't see the roof coming down when I am lowering it on my own in the dark which I've had to do many times.
I prefer sleeping in the top bed and first tried the CaliWrap at the tail end of summer and found it warmer, quieter and darker. Mine has a window in the front which means I can look out if I unzip the inside window.
I put it on the first time on my own by hanging off the doors, standing on the tyres, etc as suggested in a video I watched made by a couple of campervanners. I am 6 foot and it is possible, but I would suggest not easy, better with two people. When we went to the Rally in Dorset in September I took a little 2 step aluminium ladder sold cheaply by lots of shops. This made it very much easier. You unroll one side of the Wrap and standing on the ladder push the side piece behind the front roof supports. If you wedge the longest bit, which is where the black joining line goes down in the picture, between the roof of the van and the elevated roof it supports the rest of it. Then move further down the side and pull the cover behind the rear roof support and round the rear. Then go to the front of the other side and do the same. It is easier than it sounds. I'm sure
@CampervanBits will make a video to show just how straightforward it is. Two bungee cords secure it at the back. At Highlands End quite a lot of people looked in the roof space and commented that it was a lot quieter, less wind noise and no flapping canvas. It was also a lot warmer. I was grateful for the steps when it came to putting the roof down in the wind. I had secure footing and two hands to hold the wrap when I pulled it out from behind the roof supports. The wind caught it but I was able to hold on tight. The bellows were still dry and we lowered the roof.
My only reservation about the Wrap thus far was the lack of ventilation in the roof. During some warm days with the wrap on the air circulation was reduced by having no opening windows. I passed this observation back to the shop and they came up with a clever design change which puts in two side windows which line up with the existing ones in the bellows and can be opened if you want ventilation. I am going up to Snowdonia this weekend for a week so will report back upon my return how effective the side windows are.
NB. The side windows are not on the wrap in the above picture.
Simon
