Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 20:54:51 EST
Reply-To: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Removing the Westy Top and Installing a Temporary Top
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 11/9/05 6:33:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,
gronski@GMAIL.COM writes:
>
> Has anyone ever removed the top on thier westy and installed a
> temporary top in its place?
>
> I'll be traveling to Oregon in my westy to pick up an Adventurewagen
> (AW) top. I had initially thought I would just bring the top back
> with me and permanently install it once I was home but I am now toying
> with the idea of just installing it once I get out to Oregon.
>
> The problem of course is that I'd either have to abandon or sell my
> westy top in Orgeon or leave it behind before I leave for Oregon. That
> is unless I want to drag it back with me which sort of defeats the
> purpose - albiet the westy top would be easier to manage than the AW
> top.
>
> If I decide to drive to Oregon without the westy top, I will need
> something to protect my interior from the elements for the 2500 mile
> trip to Oregon. It does not have to look good or be 100% draft /
>
go to home depot. get a few sheets of 1/2" plywood 4'x8'. get a roll of
clear plastic sheeting - the stuff you use as a dropcloth.. get 3 or 4 cans of
expandable crack filler. get 7 or 8 ratcheting tie down straps (youll need
these for ratcheting the AW top down anyway) get some 2x4's..
remove your westy poptop - start by removing the luggage rack the big
flathead screw bolts and then the plastic cap covered 10mm bolts at the rear.. (take
down headliner panel and remove all brackets as well as these will be in the
way.. label everything and box it.. remove the bracket that the poptop latches
to, the one on the body. save the bolts and the reinforcement bar underneath.
start on the poptop.. pop the top up, and remove the lower aluminum strip
that holds the canvas to the body. if your careful, you can leave the canvas
attached to the poptop itself - if you plan on selling the westy top as a kit ..
this is what i do when i part out a westy. then take all but one bolt out
of the hinges at the rear - leave the middle bolt on each side.. now is when
you need a friend to help you.. have a friend hold the poptop up, from
inside, while you unbolt the poptop lift bar support arms from where they are
bolted to the body.. 10mm.. the lift bar supports are SPRINGLOADED..UNDER
PRESSURE so be careful.. they will fly back up against the poptop if your not
careful, and may rip the canvas. move the canvas out of the way so it wont get
ripped. then have your friend support the poptop from inside the van while you
go outside to the rear hinges, and remove the final bolts on each side. at
this point, the poptop is free from the top.
remove it off the DRIVERS side.. i have ripped countless tops by having them
get caught on the edge of the open sliding door.... carefully have the
person inside move it off the drivers side, while you are outside to catch it.. 3
or 4 extra hands would be nice but i have done it with 2, even alone in a fix
(one of the reasons i had a hernia LOL) anyway, now the top is off. remove
your upper bunk mattresses and flip out bunk platform. (you can keep rearmost
fixed bunk platform in place)
take some old blankets/tarp and cover your interior upholstry. cover it WELL.
take the plastic sheeting, and cover all existing areas of the poptop areas -
the plywood upper bunk platform, the edges of the roof surrounding the poptop
perimeter, all over the raingutters, the roof up front..cover it all in
plastic sheeting, and tape it down with blue painters tape. you may want to extend
the plastic down the sides of the van as well for now , and over the "shelf"
inside and down over the cabinetry too ..(you will trim the excess plastic
later)
first you may want to paint the exposed (one side) of the plywood a day prior
with some water repellant paint prior to using them.
then take the 4x8 sheets of plywood.. you will have to cut them to get them
to fit (the width of the plywood must not exceed the width of the van from left
raingutter to right raingutter)
once the width of the plywood is determined, you screw the 2x4's to the
underside of the plywood, on each side (not at the front or rear, though) and the
2x4's will act as braceing and help keep the plywood in place..they will fill
the gap where the roof metal starts to angle down to the raingutter. then take
the plywood with 2x4 side reinforcements and cover the poptop hole opening
from just in front of the B pillar, all the way to the back of the van, cover it
in the sheets of plywood, with the rearmost sheet of plywood under the front
sheet, so the wind wont catch it.
then take your ratcheting tie down straps and ratchet the plywood down...use
a bunch of them..with the strap's hooks under the raingutters. this will
render the siding door useless, so be prepared to enter/exit from the front doors
or hatch.
at the front B pillar, ratchet the tie down strap snugly, continuing to
ratchet it even when you see the plywood bending to the curvature of the roof at
the front - this is what you want.. the plastic sheeting under the plywood and
a old towel will keep it from scratching the paint.
now the messy work begins. makign sure your whole interior is covered - and
all exposed perimeters around the plywood covered poptop opening hole are
thoroughly covered in plastic sheeting (drape ithe plastic sheeting down the sides
of your van as well), carefully start to spray the expandable crack filler
around the gaps at the perimeter.. this stuff is nasty..wear gloves..and dont
overdo it.. it EXPANDS.. it grows...and its messy..if your in doubt as to how
much it will expand, spray a test amount the day before.. so you can see how
much it will grow. anyway one all gaps are filled with expandable crack
filler, let it cure overnight.. make sure everything is COVERED otherwise it will
expand and drip all over everything that isnt covered in plastic sheeting.
trim off any excess with a razor blade the following day. you then trim off
the excess plastic sheeting.. except for the front, where keep a few inches
and duct tape it to the front roof and another layer of sheeting up over the
plywood at the front, and staple the sheeting to the plywood. this way
rainwater/wind cannot be forced inside from the front.
there you have it. ugly, but effective. and it should survive the trip and
keep you warm, dry, and relatively wind noise free..and when you reach your
destination, just give the plywood to someone, strap the AW top on with all your
ratcheting straps and some old towels, and off you go again.
get used to entering the van thru the front doors or hatch :<)
chris
