Date:         Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:54:43 -0700
Reply-To:     Kep Koeppel <koeppel.frederick@GENE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kep Koeppel <koeppel.frederick@GENE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Westfakia, Poptop, Access, Design
In-Reply-To:  <a19b9c850904211642n2daf14a4o86d5fd9e79701155@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Edward M,
     I have a country home pop-top and it's no good for carrying loads if
you plan on popping the top, unless you unload. You are lifting your entire
roof load when attempting to deploy the pop-up, then you have to support it
somehow. Not as well thought out as westies. Also, not as much room up top
for frolicking kids.
Kep K


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
Edward Maikranz
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:42 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Westfakia, Poptop, Access, Design

Is anyone familiar with the Country Homes Camper pop-tops? I like the
straight up pop top but dont like the construction of the upper bunk and
would like to go with one like the Riviera's or Westy's have.
Anyone have any experience with this?
Ed
87 Country Homes Camper

On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 6:30 PM, Mike <mbucchino@charter.net> wrote:

>  In a 'unibody' (also referred to as 'monocoque') design structure, any
> skin section is a structurally-stressed component of the entire structure.
>  A Vanagon is considered unibody, even though it does have frame
> strengthening members underneath.
> Those roof support arches are more for rollover protection than torsional
> rigidity of the body.   The roof skin, however, is an engineered, diagonal
> bracing that contributes greatly to torsional rigidity of the entire body,
> in addition to providing added metal structure to add crash or rollover
> protection.
>  Take a shoe box, remove the lid and grab the ends and attempt to twist
it;
> it will easily deform.
>  Now, put the lid on and repeat; you'll have a hard time deforming the box
> from it's basic shape.
>  And, now, for the final proof of the body weakness created by a large,
> unreinforced sunroof opening; cut a good -sized 'sunroof' into your
shoebox
> lid and repeat your twist test.  What happens?  My bet is that a great
> amount of overall rigidity is lost due the 'missing' area.  You've cut the
> center out of your 'diagonal bracing!
>  VW made up for it by adding 'doublers' inside the factory sunroof, not
> just a couple of cross ribs.  The probably also added outboard, lower
frame
> cover plates (I know they did on the earlier buses).  Side impact crash
> protection, must also be taken into consideration in this modification.
>  (Smack the side of the shoebox to demonstrate this aspect.)
>
> Mike B.
>
>
>
>  As long as you don't cut the 2 main roof arches, one at the front edge
>  of the slider door and one at the rear edge, the roof area between is
>  just roof skin and not of much importance structurally, IMHO.
>