Westy with Dormobile Roof

[Rippers]

After having a wobble last month we decided we can't let our tintop westy go, as we like it too much!

Main reason we where thinking of selling where the sleeping arrangements with our two kids, being a tin top its a 3 birth at best, kids used to be ok in the Westy cot but have got bigger and now fight on every opportunity :lol:

Being a tintop I was thinking the Dormobile roof would fit pretty easily and in fact would be a great combination. (iirc the Westy roof is used in conjunction with a sunroof model? so not so easy to retro fit?)

Would this devalue our van thou which is very original? I have seen somewhere a press pic that showed a Westy with a Dormobile roof and apparently it was a factory option? So if I do it nicely hopefully it'll be ok. Does anyone else have this combination? or have pics of it?

 

[tomedwar72]

If you do go that route, this might be a useful (even has a bunk).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161041366518

The top is a bit poor but the roof section bits you will need are harder to get hold of...

 

[Max Power]

Have you thought about a decent tent,we rarely sleep in the van now,mainly used to store stuff and run the the electrics through in to the tent.Highly recomend the Outwell Arkansas 5 for what its worth,no way would I cut up a perfectly good roof,a few years time and the kids will be gone anyway

 

[67panel]

your correct as I had a customer with a german import 70 westy with a dormy roof,as for cuting a good tin top------------its your bus,personaly I prefer tin tops but if your going to then the dory roof is far better looking than that bloody great slab thats a westy roof,will duck now as all the westy owners are throwing stuff at me!!!!!!

 

[Lee152]

Large object flying your way 67Panel!

Westys rule. And have to agree as much it sounds possible why cut a perfectly good piece of metal. Stick the kids in the awning ( they love it! ) and enjoy the comfort of the bus. Either that or buy a westy

 

[Rippers]

Well I picked this up tonight so I guess thats my mind made up :lol:

 

[Trikky2]

You did well to find one so quickly.

 

[tomedwar72]

You might be lucky and be able to sell the tin-top section you remove to someone wanting to convert from a pop-top. Hope the bunk came with it, they go for £60+ on their own.

 

[Rippers]

Oddly it was the one in your ebay link that I bought :lol:

It was complete with both bunks all the metal frame, wooden battens, canvas, hoops, shaving mirror, lights & fittings, interior trim parts the lot. It needs repairing on the fibre glass and both of the opening vents are missing, the roof canvas is surprisingly good and it lifts up and down fine. Glad in a way it came with the roof cut so I know exactly where it goes and how its fitted.. just got to convert it to LHD

Will sell the roof cut when I've taken the dorma roof off if its any good to anyone?

Coming from a Splitty background I haven't seen the external rubber straps with the ball ends and latches on the sides before is this a bay window thing?

I found this thread and I'm genuinely excited now! hope mine turns out like that!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=342215&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Trikky2]

Rubber toggles came from Dormobile for use in addition to the interior straps - they are still available as well as the roof vents.

 

[72nu-funk]

It was indeed a factory option as i've discovered with mine not in fact being a Dormobile, instead being a Westfalia ordered with the Martin Walter roof. If you have a look at my thread you'll notice that Westfalia mounted the roof in a different position to Dormobile as well as it sits further back and not to the front as per Dormobiles.

 

[Rippers]

Rubber toggles came from Dormobile for use in addition to the interior straps - they are still available as well as the roof vents.

Where the toggles added to the option list at a certain time? as in my initial searching can't find any picture of splits or early bay with them? but can find crossovers/late bays with them. The split we used in the past had a Dormobile roof and didn't have the external and you unstrapped it from inside which this roof also has. The toggle mounts look like rust traps judging by the rot around them, I may not fit them to mine.

It was indeed a factory option as i've discovered with mine not in fact being a Dormobile, instead being a Westfalia ordered with the Martin Walter roof. If you have a look at my thread you'll notice that Westfalia mounted the roof in a different position to Dormobile as well as it sits further back and not to the front as per Dormobiles.

I will certainly check your thread, interestingly this further back position may answer a potential issue I could see with with drain pipe vent on the sink unit

 

[Trikky2]

Rubber toggles came from Dormobile for use in addition to the interior straps - they are still available as well as the roof vents.

Where the toggles added to the option list at a certain time? as in my initial searching can't find any picture of splits or early bay with them? but can find crossovers/late bays with them. The split we used in the past had a Dormobile roof and didn't have the external and you unstrapped it from inside which this roof also has. The toggle mounts look like rust traps judging by the rot around them, I may not fit them to mine.

It was indeed a factory option as i've discovered with mine not in fact being a Dormobile, instead being a Westfalia ordered with the Martin Walter roof. If you have a look at my thread you'll notice that Westfalia mounted the roof in a different position to Dormobile as well as it sits further back and not to the front as per Dormobiles.

I will certainly check your thread, interestingly this further back position may answer a potential issue I could see with with drain pipe vent on the sink unit

Yes the toggles were an option and I am not entirely sure why, unless the interior straps were at some stage deemed insufficient.

Using only the exterior toggles is not sufficient, as I found out many years ago :lol:

Incidentally, if the brackets are properly fitted and protected they will not cause corrosion.

The dormy roof was fitted further forward than other roofs to allow access to the cooker, which folded up from behind the passenger seat.

If you dont have the dormy interior then there is no mechanical reason you could not fit it and its roof section and strengtheners further back on the bus if you wished.

The roof can also be reversed for fitting to LHD buses should you want to.

 

[K@rlos]

your correct as I had a customer with a german import 70 westy with a dormy roof,as for cuting a good tin top------------its your bus,personaly I prefer tin tops but if your going to then the dory roof is far better looking than that bloody great slab thats a westy roof,will duck now as all the westy owners are throwing stuff at me!!!!!!

I love my westy so up yours

Everyone is has an opinion, I can't stand high tops! :lol:

 

[72nu-funk]

Everyone is has an opinion, I can't stand high tops! :lol:

But you can stand up in high tops... :lol:

 

[Scutch]

Here you go mate http://www.dormobile.co.uk/pdfs/VWpartsUKEU.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you can still get everything for the dormy roof!

If you look close they dont sit in the center of the roof, an original dormy sat more towards the front, ive seen a couple Westy interiors with Dormy roofs.
If you have a look on http://www.dormobile.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; under the history section i think they mention it there?!

 

[Scutch]

Just read on here about the rubber straps, i haven't got them on my one and i don't want them as they look crap..... but I've had Minis in the past and had Bonnet straps and this has given me the idea of fitting them to Betty for the roof. I think they suit the age of the motor much more better!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-OF-BROWN-LEATHER-BONNET-STRAPS-CLASSIC-MINI-AUSTIN-ROVER-MORRIS-COOPER-2Q6-/380643579794?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item58a0201792" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Rippers]

The old straps look good but wouldn't be factory so I think I'll either go with the rubber toggles or without them, I'll decide when the time comes, going to start dismantling the roof next week will post up the pics

 

[Rippers]

Found a few spare minutes to have a play with the new roof and inspect the damage


Roof cap need refinishing and the support where the tape is if broken so needs fibre glass repairing

Canvas is actually ok but too ratty for me, Pretty sure I'm going to change it

Hoops look ok

Top curtain rail is missing

Put a small amount of lube on the bunks and they opened and closed fine both sides

Bunks where ok ish but too ratty again so I'll replace them too

I think one of the springs has snapped

Going to try and keep this original sticker

So next job with be dismantling the entire roof

 

[Trikky2]

Those bellows and bunk material are the originals.