Pop Top Caravan Roof Repairs – Apparently – not much. For reasons that we suspect are largely motivated by money, many Australian caravans are fitted with poorly designed, low quality roof racks. RVs and Pop Top Hybrids usually have 4 roof clamps (above the center latches) designed to secure the roof of the van when it is being driven or not in use.
Poor materials and manufacturing methods used for roof and trailer roof clamps can cause the clamps to fail or resist while driving. Roof tops can lift and blow away, which can have dire consequences.
Pop Top Caravan Roof Repairs
One such example was captured on a dash cam on Sydney’s Hume Freeway in 2017 when a driver avoided crashing into the roof of a Pop Top caravan they were traveling behind.
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As the video above shows, it’s easy to imagine incidents like this that could cause a fatal accident. As unfortunately happened in 2019 in Tasmania when a flying solar panel allegedly caused three accidents https://rvdaily.com.au/flying-solar-panels-the-danger-lurking-on-your – rvs-roof/
We’ve heard several stories from RV owners and sunroof owners about their roof latches (the pieces that hold the pop roof in place) coming off while driving. Fortunately, in this case, the roof of their trailer did not come off, but their concern for this possibility resulted in the purchase and retrofit of our Snap-Flat latch to their pop top.
Our Snap-Flat center latch is designed to handle all of the above obstacles. The Snap-Flat is a heavy duty stainless steel latch with 2 installed springs that provide an important “FAIL-SAFE” safety feature. The springs ensure that the roof clips of the Pop Top Caravan will not accidentally come out of the latch / hook, even if the roof clip / latch was not secured in the middle position.
If the sunroof clamps are not tightened in the center, or if the sides of the sunroof sail rest during towing or driving on rough terrain, the sunroof clamps may accidentally separate into pieces. This can cause the roof of your pop top to drop while you are driving, with potentially dangerous consequences for the driver behind your vehicle.
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There are several flaws in the manufacturing process and design that can cause the roof clamp to fail or deteriorate to the point of being unusable and unsafe to use. These include:
Many pop top and hybrid RV owners have reported to us that their roof clamps have rusted within one year or less of purchasing the RV. Using steel to make roof pieces seems like a poor choice of material given Australia’s harsh environment. For an additional $20-$30, you can use stainless steel clamps. This seems like a small expense for a $40K-$80K pop top.
When the roof clamps of your pop top are released, the clamp blade can stick out 90 degrees from the top. This can happen especially if the roof clamps are damaged or rusted. The protruding hole can accidentally stab people, and one owner told us that a roof knife caused serious eye damage.
If all 4 roof rails are not fully engaged before attempting to fold the roof of your pop-top, the lift mechanism of your pop-top may be damaged. RV rental and repair companies have told us this is a common occurrence and usually costs between $200 and $500 to fix.
Pop Top Roof Surround Kit #1 @ A$1,349.99
The problems highlighted above with the standard roof clamps installed on Pop Tops and Hybrids are solved by the Snap-Flat latch with a smart design, quality and the use of the right material (304 stainless steel).
The Snap-Flat Over Center Latch prevents accidental separation of the roof hatch from the latch/hook due to the spring tension between them. The latch will remain attached to the hook even when it is in the top-center position.
The latch also reduces the chance of the user using the cover to damage the cable lifter while lowering the sight and sound. You can see and feel the roof vent separate from the catch plate, so it’s hard to make the mistake of leaving the roof vent connected.
The manual below contains instructions on how to replace the Snap-Flat latch on your Pop Top, including detailed measurements.
Replacement Vinyl Roof
If you have any further questions please call us on 0414 646 321 or post your questions here. For this exercise, we will assume that we want to make a rectangular roof with length L and width W.
The pop-top design is perfect for the DIY customer as there is no welding and the tools are powder coated and ready to go. Each kit consists of a lower extrusion that fits the vertical wall panel (28-29mm thick) and an upper extrusion that attaches to the roof panel. The length of the extrusions is attached with the joining tools at the corners, creating a strong frame at the top and bottom of your pop-top.
Note that the extrusion below is designed to slide over 4 vertical walls, which should not be thicker than 28-29mm. Some composite panels with 1.9 or 2.0mm overlays are generally 29.5mm thick – so you will need to sand the gel coat on the inside to allow it to slide onto the profile below.
Canopy beams are used to raise and support a roof system with a canopy or custom-made wing and fit between the upper and lower cover.
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It also requires a length of Pop top weather seal to slide into the top cutout to provide a seal when the pop top is closed.
2. In addition, there are very few types of individual lengths above and below the extruded surface. If you’re planning a small pop-top kit, let us know the height and width and we’ll see if we can provide a custom height and corner kit to match. For example, if your pop-top is 3.8m long and 1.9m wide, 2 lengths of 6.0m top and bottom would be ideal. Our supplier can no longer supply all types of individual lengths.
3. A wooden corner chair can be purchased as part of set no. 1 or set no. 2 or buy them as separate items if you are making your own kit. For the above extrusions, it has a molded aluminum section that slides into the extrusions as shown below.
For lower extrusions, the joint consists of 3 pieces of aluminum plate that slide into the lower extrusion as shown below.
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Note that the bottom cutout goes to the corner of the pop-top, so make sure you have enough length for this. This does not apply to the upper extrusion, where the corner joint is only 25 mm deep.
4. Canopy lifts are available in 3 sizes, which differ from the permitted roof lift. Small canopy lifts can lift up to 560mm, medium canopy lifts can lift up to 685mm and large canopy lifts can go up to 990mm.
Be aware that elevators can be very difficult to close if you allow them to extend to their full height. We recommend that you design the canopy so that the elevators extend up to 75% of their maximum height – this enables you to close the roof easily and also keeps the canopy tight at all times.
Canopy risers are usually attached and screwed/screwed to the top and bottom of the extrusions to center the top sides of the poppet. Choose 2 or 4 lifts depending on the weight of the roof (+/- AC unit) you want to lift.
Pop Top Canvas
5. The roof panel fits over the upper extruded riser as shown below. Typically, composite panels are used so that the edge of the panel is completely attached to the extrusion. Aluminum angles are used to fasten the upper part of the roof to the extrusion (not supplied – customers buy locally). For a 29 mm roof panel, the ideal angle length is 20x20x1.6 mm – see below.
6. The canopy (or wing) is best made locally so that the supplier can measure what is needed and how you need windows, mosquito nets, etc. See the question below.
No, no. The sash is best made locally as the supplier will need to measure the pop-top kit and discuss window size, fabric color etc. Try contacting your local roofer or equipment dealer.
They may want to know how to attach a skirt to the inside of the cutouts if they have never done it before. They will need special tape which can be obtained in a 50m roll from Pro Plas ([email protected]) part number 011603SSB.50M
Roof Top Tent Or Pop Top Campervan/camper Roof?
Look at the picture above to see that there is a border
