Roof Bungee complacency.

[Shaun]

After many months of successful roof operations with a bungee fitted we found out to our cost that it's always best to check the bellows are folding in the right direction EVERY TIME even if it's not very windy.
Our bungee will be replaced ASAP as it seems to have lost it's elasticity, but we shall still be watching the bellows during opening and closing.
You have been warned.

 

[Hotel California]

There are other also saying this in other treads .....like thisone,
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/roof-elastic-failure.13409/#post-137581
Clubshop knows about it , i find it more than normal a elastic loses it elastici afther a while....same as the one in my underware

 

[AlisonF]

There are other also saying this in other treads .....like thisone,
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/roof-elastic-failure.13409/#post-137581
Clubshop knows about it , i find it more than normal a elastic loses it elastici afther a while....same as the one in my underware

HC that's a little too much info ;-)
But folks need to remember (and hopefully on the thread you linked to) that elastic properties fail quicker when under constant stress, high temperatures and direct sunlight (UV radiation).

 

[alstevens]

Too late ... should have paid more attention - the bungee was working so well for 18months so came to rely on it ... Just came back from a relaxing day by the sea and nioticed that the roof had not closed properly - stupidly tried it again - same thing ... looked round and found the inevitable bellows damage, tried the bungee to find it was no more than decorative, no stretch left in it , tightened it up by chopping a foot or so off it and now have a closing roof but a new ventilation facility in the bellows......

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks for your post. Damned annoying for you and a lesson for us newbies and yettobees. Thanks


Mike

 

[GrannyJen]

Bungee or not, the only time that I have torn the bellows is on a dry still day when I thought "just pop a head up into the hatch and see that all is well".

 

[WelshGas]

The Bungee only helps and should never be relied upon.
But just as an aside. Those who have, unfortunately, managed to catch the Bellows did it happen before or after the Control Panel STOP and warning to check the Bellows.?

 

[alstevens]

Mea maxima culpa ..... when the 'check the bellows' bit came up ( and like Granny J's experience today was a balmy summer day at Porthtowan, hardly a wind ) I smugly thought bungee (which has worked in gales...) and carried on. Again I drove half an hour home without any 'roof open' stuff coming up, it was only as I looked back that it became clear that all was not well with Herman....one side of the roof was ominously sticking up a couple of inches . Even then in my folly I assumed that something had mangled in the mechanism and compounded the idiocy by opening and (trying to) close it again. I was about to fish out the VW breakdown number when it finally occurred to me to have a look round the bellows to discover a chewed up small section at the back... tightened the bungee and the remains of the roof duly clicked into place. Have ordered a canvas tent repair kit from Amazon ( as ever) and will give it a go. On the other hand I seem to be finally relaxing from the early days of high anxiety ( this cost zillions I better not damage / mark/use it...) - what's a tear in a bit of canvas ... stitch it up and truck on ......

 

[GrannyJen]

Nothing beats that mark one eyeball walk round check just as the roof is about 3/4 closed.

That's the danger time. I have a couple of times caught the bellows trapping just as it reached that point and smugly wandered back to the cab complimenting myself on being such a terribly aware and meticulous old dear ....

The complacency with me was not trust in the bungee but trust in the weather, after all I have opened and closed in storm and tempest so often that a calm dry day is not really going to do much harm....

and...

As for relying on my "head in the hatch" to see it all going tits up, well I did, but the danger period comes when you need to duck your head out of the hatch or rely on eyeballs being lower down the head than teeth.

Moral? Just think of a pair of scissors closing on the roof, the blades are biting, the cloth is getting flattened, the teeth are just about to cut.... GET OUT ____ WALK AROUND.....

 

[teeboy]

We caught our bellows in the mechanism in the great storm of Calis en France. I think that was before the bungee was ever thought of. It was our second outing in the cali!

Ever since then I have just been more careful lowering the roof - we still don't have a bungee, as I think they look a bit rubbish (like buying a really expensive pair of trousers and holding them up with a bit of garden twine!)

I do think the control panel stop warning is a bit early.

My procedure now is:

• Open side door
• start lowering roof
• Get annoyed by stop beeping
• Ignore stop beeping
• Lower roof some more
• Stick head up into roof space and tug the side walls a bit to ensure the fold is on the inside
• (if it is dark I go outside and look as well)
• Finish closing roof

Luckily our nick on the fabric was very minor and on the bit where the folding plastic bit is sewn in - so I have just ignored it - looking forward to getting a new fabric when the roof is resprayed.

No matter how many of these posts you read about closing the roof the only way to learn is to trap the fabric once, hope it isn't too bad - the pain of doing that makes you very careful from that point onwards.

 

[snowy55]

I kneel on the drivers seat with my head upstairs, the current Mrs Snowy observing from the outside. Drivers door and sliding door open.

 

[Meoncoast]

I used to turn the seats back around then lower the roof on our last trip away found lowering with passenger seat facing the rear made the process safer to observe. I ping the bungy when I put the roof up to check it still has spring -- and although bought when they 1st came out still seems as good as new

 

[David Eccles]

and don't forget the emergency poke the canvas with a big stick to ensure it folds in when windy ! Crude but effective ... hand in hand with having partner on hand to check all coming doiwn as it should
yes I have been caught once in the early days of ownership...nothing quite like that for being paranoid every time roof is lowered!