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Date:         Mon, 6 May 2002 23:31:13 -0400
Reply-To:     80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Pop Top Heart Stopper
Comments: To: VW85Westy@AOL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Lucky you didn't go under and low bridges!

Thanks, Chris

---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 22:29:57 EDT >From: Peter Krogh <VW85Westy@AOL.COM> >Subject: Re: Pop Top Heart Stopper >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >One time many years ago, before I was married, I was making the trip from DC >to South Carolina to see my girlfriend, and I stopped to make a sandwich. I >popped the top and made lunch with all deliberate speed, and jumped back on >the road as fast as I could. (Hey, I liked this girl.) Anyway, I had been >doing about 70mph before the stop, but afterward, I could not get it to go >faster than 55 or so. Plus is was a bit noiser and rode a little wobbly. > >You guessed it, I had left the top up. I checked the mirror and pulled over >immediately, sure that I had done great damage to the poptop mechanism. >Amazingly, everything was fine, and that canvas lasted another decade before >being replaced by the totally cool 3-window tent from GoWesty. > >I only wish that I had been in one of the cars going the other way on the >highway as they passed me. > >If you have ever wondered what would happpen if you drove the car with the >top up, I can say with authority that it is built to survive. > >Still have the van. Still have the girl. > >Peter > > >In a message dated 5/5/02 9:22:12 AM, alanpick@MAGMA.CA writes: > ><< On recent trip was camping in South Carolina. In the morning I closed the >roof in the same, very careful way I have for years - hundreds of times. Have >had a vision of what would happen if it came open at speed - took air and >opened. So I always listen the click from the latch. Always check to make >sure no canvas trapped by the top. All seemed normal. > > >Got onto the freeway - heard a funny howling . Just as I was coming up level >with an 18 wheeler I decided that I'd better trust my intuition and stop to >check. When level with 18 wheeler - Huge noise and up popped the roof. Looked >in the mirror nobody in sight, so I just slowed , let the 18 wheeler go well >ahead to avoid buffeting, pulled to right lane and off onto the shoulder - >roof settled down in place below about 2Okmh. > > >Absolutely no damage to any part of the system that I could find. The support >struts appear to be undamaged, the canvas didn't tear or pull loose - nothing >I could find. I always imagined it would come off. > > >Anyone else had this happen. Any hidden damage I might check for? > > >Anybody got a really simple safety device to ensure this couldn't happen - >the latch is designed to be such a device but it failed! I swear it sounded >exactly the same as every other time when it was really closed. > > >Alan Pickersgill > >85 Transporter converted to Westfalia > > >>


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