Roof canvas repair. Rip in canvas and dent in roof. Advise please.

[Oliver]

Hi, had the misfortune to have the canvas caught in the scissor mechanism. I am in two minds whether the cuts require a canvas replacement or whether the Tear-Aid will be sufficient and long lasting? Also, and from reading other posts, the little kink in the roof seems easy to repair? Thanks for any advise.

 

[Martin]

Where that is damaged you should not need a new canvas ( I am assuming you can't see the hole from the inside? ) I would not beat yourself up about it, I counted 11 vans out of 47 this weekend all with the same damage !

 

[Oliver]

Where that is damaged you should not need a new canvas ( I am assuming you can't see the hole from the inside? ) I would not beat yourself up about it, I counted 11 vans out of 47 this weekend all with the same damage !

Thanks Martin. Very reassuring and no, I cannot see a hole from the other side. Just ordered Tear-Aid from the site to get it patched up. Any advise on the kink in the roof?

 

[GrannyJen]

I have the same "signature" on mine.

Tear aid does the job.

Plaster over it, carry on smiling, the bump in the lid tends to flatten out after a few "up's and down's" and just think of yourself now as a fully paid up member of an exclusive club

 

[Martin]

Any advise on the kink in the roof?

I would look for a dent repair specialist local to you ( search for 'paintless dent repair') I would avoid the likes of Chips Away etc as they are more experienced in smart repairs ... try and find a good independent, should cost no more than £100

 

[WelshGas]

Or as GrannyJen advised. Wait a while it may flatten out with repeated use.

 

[westfalia]

I did exactly the same. Putting the roof down quick in a storm.
At first it looked really bad but i managed to bend the roof back in by hand.

 

[Oliver]

Thanks all....so much positive reassurance...how come I even start feeling good about my mishap!?

 

[Oliver]

Send pics posted here to VW and got below reply. Seems like overkill?! Any views?

I have now managed to get in touch with Volkswagen technical regarding this who have advised that as a precaution they would look into replacing both the roof as this panel is not ideal to repair due to being aluminium, replacing the hinges on the roof as well as the mechanism. This is because the issue that has caused the fabric to be caught in the roof is highly likely to have twisted this whole mechanism however unfortunately this will need to be carried out at the dealer as it’s not something we are able to carry out I’m afraid and would recommend getting in touch with our local branch, which is Lookers Peasmarsh, for them to quote you unfortunately

 

[Martin]

Sounds like a very expensive option!

 

[teeboy]

Ours has a nick in the same place - a bit smaller than yours, but annoying none-the-less.

The pain soon goes away - and now we have been booked in for the roof rust repair, and we will be getting a new fabric section - don't suppose you are due a rust repair any time soon?

T

 

[Oliver]

Ours has a nick in the same place - a bit smaller than yours, but annoying none-the-less.

The pain soon goes away - and now we have been booked in for the roof rust repair, and we will be getting a new fabric section - don't suppose you are due a rust repair any time soon?

T

Had the roof corrosion repair done last year already and was a brand new canvas / roof. Let's hope the pain goes away. Wondering whether I should report it to my insurance?

 

[GrannyJen]

Send pics posted here to VW and got below reply. Seems like overkill?! Any views?

I have now managed to get in touch with Volkswagen technical regarding this who have advised that as a precaution they would look into replacing both the roof as this panel is not ideal to repair due to being aluminium, replacing the hinges on the roof as well as the mechanism. This is because the issue that has caused the fabric to be caught in the roof is highly likely to have twisted this whole mechanism however unfortunately this will need to be carried out at the dealer as it’s not something we are able to carry out I’m afraid and would recommend getting in touch with our local branch, which is Lookers Peasmarsh, for them to quote you unfortunately

Goodness, why not chuck in a new engine and gear box whilst they are at it

Tear aid is a bit cheaper

 

[snowy55]

If the roof sits flat then the whole structure is not twisted.
A dents away type dude will knock those bulges out for less then £80, they did on mine. It's going in for its 2nd roof repair in July so it will get another canvas.

 

[andrew bazeley]

I trapped and cut my canvas 7 years ago, and repaired it with a Millets invisible tent repair kit (about £5 I think). Still intact and waterproof, and only noticeable if you point it out to people. I consider the wound a battle trophy!

 

[ejmoore]

I'd try fixing it in an economical way first, and see how it goes. You can always go for the full-price 'replace virtually the whole vehicle option' later on if it doesn't.
If I was repairing this on my own roof, I'd stitch up the tears and then waterproof the stitching with tent seam-sealant, but I realise this isn't an option for everybody & is a bit awkward to do. It worked nicely on my gore-tex jacket though.

 

[Kmann]

Oh dear!

Our VW garage did that upon delivery on our former Cali. After a long fight they agreed on changing the canvas, and removing the dent. So it is indeed doable but not easy since the roof is aluminium. But they did a nice job, and we were satisfied for a small week until our car was wrecked.

I am not certain about the cost, as i recall it was about 1500 €. Or if the dent tend to come back (the garage said there was a risk, due to the weakened alu).

If you choose quick-fix over repair, be aware that the dent not causes any leakage on the roof seal.

 

[CYCLOPATH]

I see

Hi, had the misfortune to have the canvas caught in the scissor mechanism. I am in two minds whether the cuts require a canvas replacement or whether the Tear-Aid will be sufficient and long lasting? Also, and from reading other posts, the little kink in the roof seems easy to repair? Thanks for any advise.

View attachment 14544

View attachment 14546

View attachment 14547

View attachment 14545

I see the roof bungee in the picture, was it on when the damage occurred??

 

[Oliver]

Oh dear!

Our VW garage did that upon delivery on our former Cali. After a long fight they agreed on changing the canvas, and removing the dent. So it is indeed doable but not easy since the roof is aluminium. But they did a nice job, and we were satisfied for a small week until our car was wrecked.

I am not certain about the cost, as i recall it was about 1500 €. Or if the dent tend to come back (the garage said there was a risk, due to the weakened alu).

If you choose quick-fix over repair, be aware that the dent not causes any leakage on the roof seal.

I see

I see the roof bungee in the picture, was it on when the damage occurred??

Yes it was and no wind.

 

[SconeCamper]

First time poster..so sorry if this is in wrong place or I should have started a new thread

We have a similar problem with our 2015 T5 previously owned by VW
Canvas replaced this week - garage say used a heavier canvas - is there more than one type of T5 canvas ?
VW garage reluctant to fix roof dents...looking at posts on here it shouldn't really be a problem. Anyone had this fixed in central Scotland?

 

[GrannyJen]

Yes it was and no wind.

The same with me.

No wind, lowering it was for once stress free, popped my head into the space and all seemed to be perfectly normal. It was only on my pre-departure walk round check that I noticed the rear nearside corner lifted,

 

[Kmann]

First time poster..so sorry if this is in wrong place or I should have started a new thread

We have a similar problem with our 2015 T5 previously owned by VW
Canvas replaced this week - garage say used a heavier canvas - is there more than one type of T5 canvas ?
VW garage reluctant to fix roof dents...looking at posts on here it shouldn't really be a problem. Anyone had this fixed in central Scotland?

It will most likely be replaced with the T6 fabric.

 

[Pop Pop]

Can anyone know how much do it cost to replace the bellows just out of curiosity?

 

[Californiaman]

I've heard a figure of around £600 in the past.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Yes it was and no wind.

Bungee and no wind...
That is not a good testament to the design of the VW bellows is it.
I assume that windows or doors were also open?