Roof Leak and Warranty Issues (possibly)

[goose]

Hi Cali Crew,

Ive just returned from my first weekend trip mainly for us to get used to the Cali, find out what works and what we can do better kinda stuff.

One of the main issues/concerns is that the roof membrane leaks.!!! :?
Im assuming the canvas is a tent like material and what was happening was the material was letting in water (over a period of 3/4 hrs) at the front two corners.it almost looked like it was seeping in as the rain got heavier, this is NOT condensation.!!!
Is this normal.?

Can a good tent water proofer be used.? (or will that void the warranty)
Should i be taking this issue back to VW.?

Over the weekend i found on the main computer that the waste water indicator (the symbol at the bottom left corner of the computer) wasn't showing a level. (yes the valve was shut) is this a warranty job.? (or have i missed something.?)

Are the rear boot pistons supposed to finish 8-10" below the finishing point of travel, in other words when i open the boot it doesn't go all the way up. :? Is this a VW warranty issue.

Cali Crew


Goose

 

[Freeley]

Fairly normal for the roof I'm afraid - unless you can physically see holes in the roof material that is.
I think it improves a bit after a few wet/dry cycles but you might want to consider getting a roof cover like we did.
There are plenty of threads on here about them.
The waste water indicator can be a bit funny ours always shows one bar even when empty. If yours always shows empty even when full then you may have a faulty sensor which is a definite warranty replacement.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Freeley]

Fairly normal for the roof I'm afraid - unless you can physically see holes in the roof material that is.
I think it improves a bit after a few wet/dry cycles but you might want to consider getting a roof cover like we did.
There are plenty of threads on here about them.
The waste water indicator can be a bit funny ours always shows one bar even when empty. If yours always shows empty even when full then you may have a faulty sensor which is a definite warranty replacement.
The tailgate should definitely open to the full 90 degrees. Ours doesn't always open that far by itself as we keep a hook up lead stored in the deckchair compartment so we have to push it up the rest of the way.
If your hydraulic struts aren't allowing the door to open to 90 degrees then it doesn't sound right to me.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[goose]

I cant believe we pay thousands of ponds on our Calis only to find in a slight down poor, (in this case the rain was coming down at 90 agrees) that our roof leaks, surely the membrane should be water tight like a tent would be, and an added extra should keep it more warmer up there than dry.?

Goose

 

[SimplyDubs]

Tony,

Water making its way through the roof material is normal in heavy rain. It's very similar to a high quality cotton tent. As it gets wet and dries out a few time it'll get a little better as the weave of the material tightens up. (I know yours hasn't really got wet in its life before)

That being said, it's not completely waterproof.

We ALWAYS use a Mütze roof topper which is breathable but completely waterproof... There are few similar options, but in my opinion the original Mütze is the best. (Others don't agree )

I wouldn't have the roof up in the rain without one, it's a pain to dry the roof and putting a wet canvas down on the mattress isn't any fun.

Mark had one with his Cali... So may well have it for sale separately if he didn't include it in the deal.


Waste water indicator is fairly binary... ie Empty and Not Empty... So it depends upon how much you filled it up by. Ours triggers at well over half full.

The gas struts on the tailgate may be down to you carrying something in the chair space... Usually a Mütze or cable... (Are you sure Mark didn't leave his in there?) if it's only got the chairs then it looks like they may have lost their pressure a little... If so, warranty... (Or upgrade for about £60 if you want stronger ones...)

Hope this helps.

Rggs

Mark

 

[Alan]

As previously said a few soaks and dry outs does improve things.
Guess the fibers swell.

One night on a campsite in France this year a violent storm caught most of us out.
Decided to lower the roof (on the quick),but not completely because of the safety issues.
However in the morning I noticed the the slack in the canvas had dropped down from the hatch with the weight of water collected from the storm.
Only a minute of water had dripped on to the seats which was protected by my Inca seat covers.

All in all I was pretty pleased

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

Latest California's have a switch at the top of the tank to let you know when full, not a level sensor.

cheers