Date:         Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:04:42 -0500
Reply-To:     "Dr.Chris" <gronski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Dr.Chris" <gronski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: adventurewagen top install
In-Reply-To:  <11dcddf80611161417x75bd02c8udc43f5dfa41e3d37@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I posted this on the Adventurewagen list yesterday, I thought these
lists (and archives) might benefit from it as well...

Chris

On 11/16/06, Dr. Chris <gronski@gmail.com> wrote:
The AW top removal and installation is surprisingly straightforward.
You can check out the photos of my AW top install in the photo section
of the Adventurewagen Yahoo group under "1986 AdventureWesty Syncro
GL" or link to:
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Adventurewagen/photos/browse/6717

It was a pretty straightforward job to remove the top and install it
on a Westfalia. Except for physically moving the top all the work can
be done by one person. Technically it can be done without power tools
but at a minimum I'd suggest a cordless drill. You don't need to be in
a shop but depending on weather being inside is clearly preferable.
IIRC the tools and supplies you need:

Need:
- Screwdriver (Phillips I think but I can't remember)
- Two putty knives
- Foam RV seal
- Caulking
- Duct tape

Nice to have:
- Cordless Drill w/ drill bits and quick change screwdriver heads
- Stepladder
- Cleaning supplies for top
- New stainless screws to attach top (why reuse the old ones?)
- Center punch to start screws
- Four jackstands
- Wood to protect top from jackstands
- Sawhorses to rest the top on once removed from the donor van

I went around the edges with two putty knives to peel back the seals
at the front and rear to get at the screws underneath. I was careful
and was able to reuse the seals.

The metal strips on the long sides work almost the same, except that
they are two pieces. There is a chrome top piece that slides into a
metal track. The track screws into the top and the chrome strip kind
of clicks into the chrome piece. I worked my way around pulling off
the chrome strip and unscrewing the inner track. My track was in
horrible shape, so it got all torn up in the process. However this did
prove to be a bit of an advantage since I could just bend the track on
either side of a screw if the screw was stuck and use the bent track
to turn the screw.

Once I removed all the screws the only thing holding the top on was
the wood piece at the very front that is part of the inner shelf. I
think I had to drill it out from the other side but I don't remember.
A test lift proved the top was no longer attached, be gentle her just
in case you missed a screw, or your top is somewhat different, you
don't want to damage anything with force.

Lifting the top off is best done by two or more strong people from
underneath. If you have more people I've seen it done with a couple of
two by fours under the top and one person in each corner. Again
respect those long sides, they get VERY flimsy after the top is
removed.

Since its unlikely anyone cares about the paint to the donor van you
can probably just shift the top forward and slowly do a controlled
slide of the front of the van (i.e. one person outside and one person
inside until there is enough room for both of you to come out.

To install the top on a Westfalia you need to remove the old pop top
(by unscrewing the canvas from the inside, unscrewing the support
arms, and unbolting it from the hinge in back. The front luggage rack
comes off by removing the exterior bolts, and removing the bolts from
the back edge (you may need to unscrew the back of the headliner that
is over the driver and passenger to fully remove them).

Once the Westfalia top is off, install the foam seal around the inside
of it and bring the AW into position. Again four people with two two
by fours should work. Once it is on the van it can be fine tuned into
position by one person inside the van. I was on my hands and knees on
the upper bunk lifting with my back against the roof, and standing on
a footstool to reposition the front.

Once the top is on the van, I used the existing screw holes to screw
new stainless screws in all the way around the van. Every time I
drilled a screw hole I dipped the screw in caulking before I screwed
it in to promote weatherproofing. I attached the front and rear seals
with caulking but also had them temporarily duct taped in position
until the caulking dried.

I did not reattach the chrome trim strips, thinking I would do that
later, but in retrospect I should have done it at the time as the
strips got damaged in transit back to Canada. Since the inner channel
of the chrome strips was unusable, I was simply going to screw the
chrome strip on. There may be more elegant solutions out there.

I think that is about it.

If you don't think that you will be able to do all this work at the
place you are getting the top, then consider picking up the top as the
last stop before you head home from your road trip.

An adventurewagen top is roughly 4'7" wide at the bottom tapering to
3'3" at the top, it is about 24" tall, and 11'5" long. I'd estimate
the weight at about 250lbs but that is a total guess, this is assuming
it is no longer attached to the van roof. I say this because when I
bought my AW top it was still attached to the van roof, which had been
cut at all the window pillars - it weighed CONSIDERABLY more than 250
lbs with the roof attached. Certainly without the van roof attached
two reasonably strong people can move the AW top together, but more
would be better.

When I moved my AW top from Portland to southern Oregon I used an
uHaul 14' truck, but the AW top almost did not fit. The uHaul 14'
truck is only 11'4" at the bottom and 13'9" if you include the "attic"
space over the truck cab. Luckily I was picking it up from a wrecker
who was loading it with an extra large vehicular forklift so they
loaded it in on an angle into the attic space and it just fit.
Alternatively a uHaul trailer may also work.

Once I got to southern Oregon I washed and removed the top from the
van roof while it was inside the uHaul (the rain gutters were covered
in Oregon moss). Be careful, once the top is removed from the van roof
it is VERY flimsy around the edges, it would be easy to break it by
grabbing it from the long sides. It should be moved from the ends or
from upward pressure underneath. If I had to do it again, or was
moving it unattached to the van roof I would have got the 17' truck.

If you're traveling solo you can still take the top home with the
uHaul truck, but you'll also need a vehicle trailer to bring your van
back home.

Hope this helps. One of these days I will write this up in some more
detail and have them publish it in the LIMBO newsletter.

Chris

On 11/16/06, greg crone <l_levi1@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am attempting to buy an adventurewagen top, and saw that you just
did this install. Any advice you can give me? : )

I am actually wondering if I can do this at all, since I'm travelling
around the country for awhile, living out of my westy, and therefore
don't have any place to haul it too. The sale will be determined by
the sellers willingness to let me do the switch at his property.
So.....can it be done without the use of power tools at all? I'm
guessing the toughest part would be separating the top from the donor,
even if the van is cut near the top with a sawsall like you did. ANY
advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks ........greg