Storms tomorrow and Wednesday, would you go ?

[The Tall Luthier]

We were in Brean sands a fortnight ago. 40mph winds gusting at 50!
I heard the test limit for damage was around 60mph.

That said we folded the roof down because of the noise. The flapping can’t be stopped regardless of the orientation of the van.

If you have got a beach it would be a shame to waste the time being safe! Consider going and making a memory

 

[Kevthegas]

Had anyone on here ever had a roof damaged by high winds?

Saw this on a Transporter forum this week, the roof snapped whilst driving down the A27.
Must have been scary !, luckily no one was hurt.

Just to avoid any possible confusion this is an aftermarket roof not a Cali roof!

 

[WelshGas]

Saw this on a Transporter forum this week, the roof snapped whilst driving down the A27.
Must have been scary !, luckily no one was hurt.

View attachment 107272

That’s fibreglass for you.
I don’t know why they don’t make the front of these fibreglass pop tops like the Californias where the leading edge is protected by the panel above the windscreen.

 

[Corradobrit]

That’s fibreglass for you.
I don’t know why they don’t make the front of these fibreglass pop tops like the Californias where the leading edge is protected by the panel above the windscreen.

Further illustrates the advantages of going with a factory build.

 

[ewanc]

That’s fibreglass for you.
I don’t know why they don’t make the front of these fibreglass pop tops like the Californias where the leading edge is protected by the panel above the windscreen.

They do (SCA and Reimo Easy-fit to name a couple). Fibreglass isn’t such a bad choice of material, unlike the Cali roof it doesn’t corrode, nor does it crease if the tent gets caught.

 

[Corradobrit]

They do (SCA and Reimo Easy-fit to name a couple). Fibreglass isn’t such a bad choice of material, unlike the Cali roof it doesn’t corrode, nor does it crease if the tent gets caught.

But it is degraded by UV light and can suffer from structural integrity if not manufactured/molded properly. Operator error is usually the root cause of bellows fouling and even then its more likely to damage the fabric than deform the aluminium. When the roofs do buckle its usually because the owner has left something in the poptop when the roof is lowered.

 

[WelshGas]

They do (SCA and Reimo Easy-fit to name a couple). Fibreglass isn’t such a bad choice of material, unlike the Cali roof it doesn’t corrode, nor does it crease if the tent gets caught.

I don’t think many Marco Polo owners would agree with you..

4 yrs of posts and Westfalia still have a problem.

Tiny blisters on roof

As Carol has pointed out in her profile post, we have discovered tiny blisters on the roof of our MP. Has anyone else got the same? Anyone been to MB about it? We will talk to MB and let you know what they say. FYI our MP is 2018 model. Thanks ClaireDe

www.marcopoloownersclub.com

 

[soulstyledevon]

Did the the O/P stay or go…???

 

[ewanc]

I don’t think many Marco Polo owners would agree with you..

4 yrs of posts and Westfalia still have a problem.

Tiny blisters on roof

As Carol has pointed out in her profile post, we have discovered tiny blisters on the roof of our MP. Has anyone else got the same? Anyone been to MB about it? We will talk to MB and let you know what they say. FYI our MP is 2018 model. Thanks ClaireDe

www.marcopoloownersclub.com

Poor prep before paint, not exclusively a fibreglass problem. For clarity, I’m not suggesting fibreglass is without problems, just that it is a reasonable alternative. Personally I’d have carbon composite if the budget permitted!

 

[dspuk]

We got caught in these up in Orkney start of week. We left the top up and checked wind direction on the weather app, making sure we were oriented. All good but it did feel like we were on a boat. We thought about dropping the top at midnight but more worried about noise for other campers so left up. Earplugs did the trick for noise, if not the movement. As said, for one night it would have been a fun adventure for kids. Certainly a future life story. I believe I read that the roof is tested safe up to 60mph.

 

[WelshGas]

Poor prep before paint, not exclusively a fibreglass problem. For clarity, I’m not suggesting fibreglass is without problems, just that it is a reasonable alternative. Personally I’d have carbon composite if the budget permitted!

After 4 years I would have thought Westfalia/Mercedes would have sorted the Paint Prep problem.

 

[SpammyG]

Was in Northumberland during the recent high wind on a lovely sheltered pitch which protected us from the wind. Next morning we awoke to a tree having snapped and fallen just yards away on the adjacent pitch (photo attached) and wondered what it would have been like to be trapped in the pop-top with arms pinned to our sides between the roof and bed. Scary!

 

[Norfolk Jim]

That’s fibreglass for you.
I don’t know why they don’t make the front of these fibreglass pop tops like the Californias where the leading edge is protected by the panel above the windscreen.

My conversion has a front cowel protecting front edge of roof but mine also lifts sideways. We have sat in 50mph winds on Arran and roof was trying to push down but it never did