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Roof hatch sliding open

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Annielou

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Hi all,
Is there anything we can do to stop our roof hatch sliding open whilst we are driving. It doesn't seem to lock closed at all and always opens up by a couple of inches. Is there anything we can do to stop it happening or is a new catch needed from a repair centre?
Many thanks
Anna
 
Thank you for your help. I did do a search but couldn't find anything!!
Anna
 
Looks like Velcro is the best option so will give that a try. Our roof failed on us last night and had to lower it manually. I have just booked it into the van centre for later this week and wondered if it was worth getting the roof hatch fixed at the same time, but it doesn't look like anything can be done really from reading through that thread!
 
Picking up one of the many existing treads on the irritating fact the blinds above your head just won't stay in place.
I always have some of those forum cards to put under the windscreenwiper of a other California when one spotted pareked up on top of my steeringwheel in that small space (also keep my sunglasses there)
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I took two and putted them together bewteen the rail....
Done many driving on winding roads and the blind stays put!
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So to everyone who has some of those cards , a good way to store them!
I just gave away some to everyone who was at the champagne meet last week.
Maybe the clubshop shoud advertise those cards a double purpose:D

Note for those thinking how on earth does he comes up these things!
Current on vacation in France and got lots of time on my hands and noting to else usefull to do ;)
 
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I thought it was only me not closing it properly.

Card fix test on next trip.
 
Every time I pull mine closed on my T5 I wonder if this has been fixed on the T6? If so, what changed? A brandrup beer mat perhaps?
 
Every time I pull mine closed on my T5 I wonder if this has been fixed on the T6? If so, what changed? A brandrup beer mat perhaps?
No change as mine is a T6. Maybe a T8 (no typo) upgrade will have it rectified.
 
And ours never has. Yet a T 6


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Do converted vans have this problem ?
If not i put that on my list of pro converted.....
Guess it's the first and only on my pro list then:mute

No offence ...just kidding!
 
Mine does it sometimes. I have never yet found out why only sometimes, what goes right some of the time and wrong on other times. I have just finished driving 180 miles and it stayed shut all that time.
 
This was probably the most annoying thing when I first drove in the Cali. Similar to @GrannyJen it didn’t happen every time but was regular.

When it didn’t happen, I found that the fold of the canvas had something to do with it; maybe the pressure stopped it sliding, although I could never manually stop it or deliberately use the canvas to stop the slide.

Now I use the card trick like @hotel california has shown; you can put the card in the upper side when the panel is about a half inch from being closed and it grips it. Hasn’t slid back yet.
 
Do converted vans have this problem ?
If not i put that on my list of pro converted.....
Guess it's the first and only on my pro list then:mute

No offence ...just kidding!
No they don’t as all the ones I have looked at didn’t have a Hatch cover. It was just open.
 
I've found it stays shut better when there is more "bulk" to the bellows. I always try and fold the bellows up nicely when it comes down with what we used to call Hospital Corners, however if the fabric is pressing down on the hatch cover a bit it sort of helps hold it in place.

I do have a plan to line the runners with sound-deadening tape, it should stop all the squeaks and creaks and also help keep it in place.
 
Ours did open occasionally at the beginning. But has stopped.

When lowering the roof I stop just 10 cm before closure and "envelope" or tug the bellows into each side, so it is folded slim and neat. No bulks or big folds.
 
I've found it stays shut better when there is more "bulk" to the bellows. I always try and fold the bellows up nicely when it comes down with what we used to call Hospital Corners, however if the fabric is pressing down on the hatch cover a bit it sort of helps hold it in place.

I do have a plan to line the runners with sound-deadening tape, it should stop all the squeaks and creaks and also help keep it in place.
I found that the squeaks were coming from the slats of the hatch. Silicon spray helped but the way they are constructed makes getting lubricant in the joints tricky. You can slide the whole hatch out if the bed is raised.
 

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