New California: pop top roof material hangs down when I shut the roof. When I press the button to put the roof down, the material hangs down

[AMP8]

Pop top roof material at front hangs down so a can’t shut the concertina roof flap. Is this normal? Do I need a bungee, or does the roof have an issue?

 

[Pablosammy1982]

Collected mine today and it's the same. It requires three arms to tuck it up and close the flap at the same time!

 

[AMP8]

Collected mine today and it's the same. It requires three arms to tuck it up and close the flap at the same time!

What are you thinking would be the best way of resolving? It can’t be right, can it?

 

[AMP8]

Did you speak to the dealer? If so, what did they say?

 

[Pablosammy1982]

Not sure if it's normal or not, I've never had one before! The dealer just showed me how to tuck it and I didn't know any different.

 

[Pablosammy1982]

This suggests it's normal, and the shutter is there to keep it from hanging down

 

[Robert&Catherine]

We rented one with the new pop top material and the guy we rented it from advised us to partially close the blind just before it flops… not sure it is officially correct to do this but it was his van and it worked great. Was concerned it created less room for air to escape but it did avoid any wrestling with the fabric.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

We have no issue with this on our 2023. Easy to tuck it up as we pull the flap forward.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

My method

• Close the roof 95%
• Pull as much material forwards/down as you can.
• Close the roof 100%
• Manipulate it so as it looks as neat as possible whilst still hanging down
• Tuck in the sides, like a bedsheet
• Then the whole thing will naturally fit in the space available, flat.
• Hold it in place with one hand whilst you slide the roof.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Totally normal, always been this way. Pull in the sides as it goes down and fold ready to pull the shutter closed.

 

[Van Diesel VW]

Its a tight fit, find its a 2 person job to get shutter closed, gently folding roof, so does not jam shutter.

 

[Pablosammy1982]

Cheers all - it's the sort of thing you don't know is normal until you know it's normal!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Yes it's normal as already pointed out. This is simply the effect of gravity of course.

I tend to close the roof in stages.
With windows open (better still doors) to displace the airI close the thing partially and stop.
- I get out and check the arms are clear of the bellows as many have cut through the bellows with scissor action. Wind is the enemy here.
- Then I lower the roof some more looking into the hatch, checking the bellows are folding neatly at the two front corners. If they get into a bit of a mess I stop the roof again and tuck them neat by hand. One final check of the bellows clearance outside doesn't hurt either.
- I then start the closure again and just apply light hand pressure to the neatly folded corners to displace more trapped air.
- When the roof is closed I tweak the bellows into shape as I find this helps 'train' the folds and helps it behave neatly with each subsequent roof closure.

It was far more hassle in the early days before I formed this habit, to try to stuff all the excess back into the hatch space how ever it rested and still displacing the air.
The whole regimented exercise takes less time than faffing about at the end if you just let it do its thing and then need to cram the bellows into the hatch space which is also likely to damage the roller shutter if you aren't careful.

 

[BeeBee]

We have a T6 (2019) and on delivery intro the dealer advised to close 95 % stop and smooth in the folds with your hand , just to keep it neat , then complete closure and pull forward shutter.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Its a tight fit, find its a 2 person job to get shutter closed, gently folding roof, so does not jam shutter.

In our van it’s a one-women job! We have our set jobs and the roof down plus shutter closing is my wife’s while I sort out the hook up (as soon as the roof is closed). A dab of Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber cleaner on a cloth, ran along the shutter channel every few months, helps it to glide closed with no problems. I keep an eye on the canvas while closing and check the lid’s fully down.

 

[Dave- Super Keen]

We rented one with the new pop top material and the guy we rented it from advised us to partially close the blind just before it flops… not sure it is officially correct to do this but it was his van and it worked great. Was concerned it created less room for air to escape but it did avoid any wrestling with the fabric.

This is what we do and 90% of the time it works.

 

[California T2023]

I noticed that with the bungee round the bellows

Pop top roof material at front hangs down so a can’t shut the concertina roof flap. Is this normal? Do I need a bungee, or does the roof have an issue?

fitted a bungee on mine and it’s fab for stopping catching in the scissors but also great at pulling in the front material when lowering. I find that it does now all fold and flop at the front but is pulled towards the back so easy to shut the shutter door.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I noticed that with the bungee round the bellows

fitted a bungee on mine and it’s fab for stopping catching in the scissors but also great at pulling in the front material when lowering. I find that it does now all fold and flop at the front but is pulled towards the back so easy to shut the shutter door.

That’s what we did as well for the first few months. However we had the canvas pull away from the roof channel, and while you can’t be sure about these things, I suspected the bungee didn’t help. We’ve not fitted it since. Anyone want a nearly new bungee ??!

 

[Barbara]

This maybe useful. It is for the manual roof but shows how to fold the material and shut the concertina roof flap.

 

[California T2023]

That’s what we did as well for the first few months. However we had the canvas pull away from the roof channel, and while you can’t be sure about these things, I suspected the bungee didn’t help. We’ve not fitted it since. Anyone want a nearly new bungee ??!

That’s a bit worrying! Anyone else had same problem? I may try slackening mine off a little

 

[derek_j_buchanan]

Pop top roof material at front hangs down so a can’t shut the concertina roof flap. Is this normal? Do I need a bungee, or does the roof have an issue?

You need to tuck it in as it comes down.

 

[RockinNRollin]

The latest bellows seems a lot bulkier; mine was hard to fold away yesterday when I took delivery. The MY22 I hired the bellows seemed much thinner and easier to fold away.

TBH I'm far more preoccupied over whether it'll leak or not, but until I get the chance to test that out (and dry it afterwards!) then I'll just have to wait.

 

[ejmoore]

That’s a bit worrying! Anyone else had same problem? I may try slackening mine off a little

A bungee is completely unnecessary as long as you make sure you have a door or window open when closing the poptop.

 

[Roger Boeken]

We have 2022 canvas + isotop insidel. No problem whatever. New canvas cannot be much worse.

 

[Fordiesdocamping]

Pop top roof material at front hangs down so a can’t shut the concertina roof flap. Is this normal? Do I need a bungee, or does the roof have an issue?

It’s normal like the others say. You’ll get use to it. I pull the main bit down at 90% closed and fold the sides in as neat as possible. When pulling the shutter closed pull the bellows towards the back of the van as you slide it closed, you’ll get use to it

4d