Date:         Mon, 11 Jul 1994 12:27:24 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Grunkemeier <grunke@u.washington.edu>
Subject:      Driving With Top Up

     Well, this weekend I accidentally drove with the pop top on my '69 
camper in the up position.  The following is a short description of how 
this happened:
     I went on an overnight canoe trip this weekend and hauled 
the canoe to the put in on Friday night.  I undid the four fasteners on 
the inside of the van that hold the pop top down and was going to go 
outside and remove the canoe so I could put the pop top up so the guy I 
was canoeing could sleep in the upper bed.  Anyway it was late and we 
were tired so we left the canoe tied on top of the van; and both slept 
in the lower bed.
     We canoed down the Skagit river Saturday and Sunday, picked up the other
guys car and drove back to my van.  I got in and drove towards home forgetting
that I had left the pop top unfastened two days earlier.  On the way home I 
followed my friend's car and about 20 miles after leaving he pulled over 
to tell me that my pop top in the up position.  He estimated that it had 
been up for 30 seconds to 1 minute as he was looking in his rear view 
mirror frequently.  I was going 50-60 m.p.h..
     Well, I was relieved and impressed that it did not get ripped from 
the van at these speeds.  My top is one of the after market tops(not westfalia).
It covers about 75% of the top and pops straight up.  Does anyone know what
speed these tops are designed to take?  I've heard stories of these tops
becoming unfastened and tearing from the van at highway speeds.


John

'69 pop top(just barely)

-- 
John Grunkemeier			(grunke@carson.washington.edu)
University of Washington		(206) 522-3557 (home)
Center for Bioengineering		(206) 543-5789 (work)
Benson Hall 331
BF-10
Seattle, WA 98195