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Date:         Thu, 28 Jul 2022 09:58:48 -0700
Reply-To:     David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Pop top side bar lift?
Comments: To: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <95AE7DEA-E8D3-44A4-B7D5-6447E5A58A32@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Well, I considered adding lift struts. A fellow in Idaho sells them, and I thought about buying from him. But eventually I concluded that it is like having a house with stairs. Some people move into one level houses when they get older so as to stop walking up stairs. I can still do this, and it takes my muscle to do it. If it gets so I can't do it, I probably can't do other things that are necessary for camping, anyway, and maybe it won't be safe. I haven't balanced the top on my head, it seems to hold in place well enough for me to do the tucking necessary. I never camp alone, always with my wife. She goes around the outside with a stick and tucks canvas in from there, and I catch it and tuck it from inside without resorting to the head trick.

Regarding wouldn't be safe, I once met an 88 yo man, camping alone in his van (not a VW camper van) equipped with a wood stove. That was in Big Bend NP in far West Texas. We got into a conversation about old folks in the outdoors, and the worries that their families might have about it. He remarked that he would keep hiking (alone) until he fell off a cliff or something, and his kids (old folks themselves, actually) just had to understand that or live with it. I guess my stubbonness about the pop top is somehow distantly related to that.

On Thu, Jul 28, 2022 at 7:31 AM Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net> wrote:

> Hi Dave, > > Have you ever tried someone’s pop top that has the lift assist? I > only ask because I have almost forgotten the days without them. Recently I > did a pop top on a friends van and had forgotten all my tricks for getting > it up and down. I managed, including balancing it on my head to tuck in > fabric. > > We are not getting any younger. A top that is super light feeling and > rests where you need it might be that one upgrade to make life a lot > easier. > > I use the light struts as I don’t have things on the roof. > > Eric Caron > > > > On Jul 27, 2022, at 11:27 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> > wrote: > > > > Original. Works fine for me. I do stand on a step stool to get better > > leverage for the lift (I'm vertically challenged, and also don't have the > > strength I used to). But the lift works fine, and lowering is fine, too. > > > > On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 6:03 PM Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net> > wrote: > > > >> Hi David, > >> > >> Too bad, I was hoping that would work for you. > >> Do you have the pop top assist or still the original set up? > >> > >> > >> Eric Caron > >> > >> > >>> On Jul 27, 2022, at 6:30 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> > >> wrote: > >>> > >>> Eric, I cannot make the lift using the side bars. There is not enough > >>> leverage for me to do the lift that way, given the breadth of the > >> reach. I > >>> do not wish to try lifting one side and then the other. So, I stood in > >> the > >>> center of the floor, reached out to both sides to the side bars, and > >> tried > >>> lifting. I can't budge the top, though I can easily lift it from the > >>> center bar. The Campmobile manual describes using the center bar for > the > >>> lift. > >>> > >>> On Mon, Jul 25, 2022 at 8:05 AM Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net> > >> wrote: > >>> > >>>> > >>>> Hi Dave, > >>>> > >>>> Did you try lifting from the side bars just under the round piece the > >>>> horizontal bar connects to? > >>>> > >>>> Again I have the assist struts so that may be a factor. > >>>> > >>>> Eric Caron > >>>> > >>>>> On Jul 24, 2022, at 10:35 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> > >>>> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> Sounds like it does a good job. Congratulations. > >>>>> > >>>>> On Sun, Jul 24, 2022 at 3:30 PM Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> > wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>>> Dave, > >>>>>> > >>>>>> At home all day today, warm day now in the afternoon and I’m > drenched > >> in > >>>>>> sweat from yard work. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> But…. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> At noon I turned on the fridge , dc power. The inside van temp was > 28, > >>>> the > >>>>>> inside fridge temp was 25. Van in the sun, fridge side of the van > >> facing > >>>>>> south. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> At one o’clock , fridge temp was 3.0. Of course this is empty > fridge > >>>> and > >>>>>> not pulling down the temp of non pre chilled comestibles. The temp > in > >>>> the > >>>>>> fridge seems to range from 0 to 3 at this setting. Again the temp > >> swing > >>>> due > >>>>>> to no thermal mass inside. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> But the point is, it cools down fairly fast. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Just another bit of anecdotal evidence :-) > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Alistair > >>>>>> > >>>>>> On Jul 23, 2022, at 9:11 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com> > >>>> wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>>  > >>>>>> Alistair, What about fit? Dimensions a close replacement for the > >> stock > >>>>>> refrigerator? It is quite a bit bigger, inside volume (cooled > space). > >>>>>> > >>>>>> On Sat, Jul 23, 2022 at 6:55 PM Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> > wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> Yeah I went over. I’ve installed a Dometic CRX-50 fridge. And I > >>>>>>> repurposed the stock fridge vent . > >>>>>>> > >>>> > https://shufti.blog/2022/07/23/vanagon-stock-fridge-vent-delete-option/ > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> Alistair > >>>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >> > >> > >


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