Ozziedog Goes Topless

[ozziedog]

Thanks for all your thoughts gang, no there is no left hooker booths and its six pounds and forty pences if you are dressed to kill with a set of seats and a sink and stuff, if you are panel ing or pick up ing then you`ll have the luxury of paying commercial which is about twelve and a half quid ish :roll: There is absolutely no damage to the bus or its paintwork or the actual roof even. The only damage is to the mechanicals and frames of the pop top, some skinned knuckles and shins, a wrenched shoulder or two and some extra dents in my less then handsome cranium which I only discovered today when I stayed off the ibruprufen for the day. I have no idea where some of the abrasions came from even now, I know about the skinned knuckles and that`s about it. This is almost like a movie of something that has happened to someone else and not to me,, it`s weird,,,, very weird. Some of you guys know that I get a bit heavy on the ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and the :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: but I`ll try and tone it down a bit,, but just a little bit

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So what`s next I wonder :?:

 

[creationblue]

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So what`s next I wonder :?:

A roof cut :msn4:

 

[Myvanway]

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So what`s next I wonder :?:

A roof cut :msn4:

I like to call it... 'A WIG'!!! 8)

 

[ozziedog]

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, So what`s next I wonder :?:

A roof cut :msn4:

I like to call it... 'A WIG'!!! 8)

Classic,,,,,,,,,,,, :lol: :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,All things considered :mrgreen:

 

[graysummers]

I happened on this thread looking for guidance concerning pop top hold down clips/catches. I hope you’re still not shaking after all these years of it happening Ozzie? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

But......To be honest, I’m really glad I did. The reading of all 4 pages was riveting. Jokes apart in this thread.....it must have been pretty scary stuff. My old pop top was not an identifiable VeeDub one. Don’t know what it came off. Looked like an upside down rowing boat. Across the top hills from Machynlleth to Llanidloes my pop top went up and flapping in the wind. Luckily the front half. And luckily in bursting intermittent gales and not consistent full on wind. I still had to pull over sharpish and drag it back down. I remember I had to use my belt wrapped around the metal machinations (strange set up it was) to anchor it down and complete the journey. It kind of worked with a push on front and back side to side bars and clicked into place. But, I now have a Devon pop top that needs the said hold downs. I bought it second hand off eBay. Now renovated but missing these. My understanding then is 4 of them needed and ?a central one or two. Seen varying sizes on the Google links and don’t know what to go for safety wise. Also, not sure if an old or new style as Ozzie explained. Will ask Paul, who’s working on my bus, what he thinks. Wales ain’t Norfolk. And the surrounding hills around where I live do have compromised weather bursts. Like someone said on this thread, it’s hard enough steering the bus alone in winds. I’ve felt dodgy going to work crossing wind corridors. Bread box on wheels I’ve seen the buses described elsewhere. So......need to get this anchoring right first time. Ideas and advice very welcome.

 

[ozziedog]

Hey bud, if you describe your pop top or post a picture, might be able to advise. After that little episode mentioned above, I’ve now got four hold downs and that’s one in each corner. I’m still re modelling in there and don’t have a superb solution because of the flexibility’s involved. So I now have about eighteen inches of half inch double sided velcro in all corners and a couple of old tensioning straps front and back from an old pair of knee pads. Ideally I’ll fix four overcentre style clips instead of the velcros. The straps are prehistoric technology but they work and there’ll be no issues while they’re on. The overcentre clips have to be as good as this if not bettererer or they ain’t going on. :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,bestest use for seatbelts ever in a Bay :!: :mrgreen:

 

[graysummers]

Hi Ozzie. My thread XOver rebuild, in Gallery, has a couple of recent photographs on the last pages and when I bought it as rough as rough on earlier pages. Paul is the guy renovating my bus and he put a Poptop company as a source. My wife went quite a few years ago when she was in Worcester. The place was empty/shut up. Not sure if he is still going because I answered a thread on here saying that people had handed over money and no replies. So, am presently looking for other suppliers. Seen some lockable ones at about £16 plus vat. Your story spooked to be honest. Glad about the outcomes and you can look back with a smile. My experience was no way near as bad. But it sticks in the background of hope it don’t happen agains. Paul is going to take some photographs of his own Devon hinges. But your observation of early/late differences got me thinking. Seen also the central options as extra. I’d like to do what you do too. Added extras to get it rock solid. Wales is windy.....very windy. Too much Cawl on our diets. Cheers for the reply. Much appreciated. My bus is a whisker away from completing. I’ll be out there again soon. 4 years last sat in the dub seat. Then out to shows.

Quick edit update. Just Googled lockable lock downs. £45 each.....The old link hit a £15 original price with the same company?? Need to look into this!

 

[ozziedog]

Hey bud, just had a look on your rebuild thread and there’s some pictures dated May2018 which show a pop top and some bumper pics too. That’s an Early Devon pop top and has the braces the opposite to mine, as yours are fixed centrally on each side and angle up to the corners. Mine is a later one that is fixed centrally front and back but still bracing up to each corner but with the added hinged corner brace as well for rigidity when popped up. Before you go splashing any money on clips or locks or anything, make sure that they are usable for your roof. I haven’t found a real good way of clipping mine down mechanically yet because of the on going re model, but it has to be simple or it will get left undone one day when you’re rushing with obvious consequences. Just four overcentre clips for the win but it’s always how to fix them to make it secure.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,, , a nice rubber seal helps too :mrgreen:

 

[graysummers]

Cheers Ozzie. May 2018 pic.....That is the one I bought. Been renovated by Paul. I’m currently looking at a million and one Protex designs and particularly lockable ones. Either key or button locking. Don’t know if you’ve looked at their site.

https://www.protex.com/

Got so many choices. Seen a similar £25 each lock on their site selling for £45 each on a camper interior company site. So, worth a look. You’re much more technologically cute than I am. So, you’ll probably pinpoint your needs quicker. I’ve contacted my guru Paul for insights re: size of available attachment space, gaps, design need, etc. Thanks Ozzie. You’re a star.

BTW I’ve used rubber seals on car bike rack carriers on the car before. I bought a whole roof rubber seal bundle kit too for the pop top.

 

[ozziedog]

Just had a look at this link, the first two pictures are what I would call over centre clips. I’m not sure what you’ve been told by any one else, however I would definitely definitely definitely steer away from anything that’s locking. I’m of the opinion that any catch will work if it’s fitted within iits capabilities. Once a lock has been added, that can only compromise its original function as in secure clamping. Your clamps need to be fitted internally then they won’t need to have a lock. External clamps don’t have too much to fix /bite to without compromising weather proofing. The other thing is, it has to work and it has to work simply or one day it will get forgotten or twisted or broken and not used. The other pop top that went up that day on the bridge is an Early Devon the same as yours. When it’s windy there’s a lovely phrase called wind lift, and pop tops are very prone to it because it acts like suction and they’re a great big surface to work on. When this is happening, it can distort your top a little which can be enough to set the catches free. As far as the locking bit goes, it’ll end up being just one more thing that’s a fafffff and camping is mostly about minimalism and getting there, getting set up and getting on the juice and spending as little time as possible setting up. arty0047: arty0047: arty0047: arty0047:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, tell him to hurry, the summers here :mrgreen:

 

[ozziedog]

PS.
That’s why the overcentre clips work bettererer, because any small amount of flex or movement can be tolerated without the clip losing its grip. With the metal toggles like I had, which were like nothing more than a piece of wood with a screw through one end like you would get on a shed or rabbit hutch, so when the roof got sucked up in the middle, the forced flex was enough to pull my metal toggles off from where it was flipped over the plate on the frame. Mine looked good, chromed metal toggle and chromed half circle metal plate to secure over.

Ozziedog,,,,,,, rattling on a bit today :lol: :mrgreen: :lol:

 

[graysummers]

Hi Ozzie. Just got in from Worcester. Visiting my daughter. Took on board all your info. Cheers. I’m all for rattling on. Take me half a day to read it though The bus will be done shortly. Paul (the guy doing the renovating) is really thorough. I’ve seen all the stages so know I’ll be sitting in a solid bus. Really down to earth guy who is really keen to talk all things VW. So I’m just glad he was the one that took the mess on board.

Know what you mean re: quick setting up. Everything at hand in an old merchant navy metal chest. Meal on, sat out in the open air, bit of music or strumming my guitar, wife with wine, me Old Rosie scrumpy or earthy beers, both of us Jack Daniels to wind up the day. Won’t be long. Cheers for all the advice. Priceless.