Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

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ajh51
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Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by ajh51 »

Hi All,

Very long term lurker here, but in need of some help now please!

My wife, Allie, posted a while ago about the height of a viking roof - as we were considering adding a Viking roof to our van as our kids are getting older and bigger. Well we took the plunge, bough a pre-loved roof and have had it fitted to the van. You guys must have measured right as it does still fit in the garage - JUST!

it all looks good, roof and bed boards all transferred carefully across, BUT - we can't close the roof with the rear cushions in place. Before I dig too far in to this - can someone with a Viking conversion confirm that you are supposed to be able to close the roof with the rear double bed cushions in place? Is it a struggle or does it all close easily?

It looks to me that there isn't enough height under the lower luggage rack section of the roof for the double thickness of the folded rear cushion but I can't really see how that is possible as everything has been moved across from the donor van as is and the roof sits neatly on the van - just like it does in any pictures I've ever seen!

Thoughts welcome - but even just knowing that is how it supposed to be will help!

thanks,
Andy H.

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by PeteandNikki »

You’re quite right Andy, it’s impossible to close the roof successfully with the cushions under the low rear luggage area. I think we managed it once or twice with great difficulty! The strain that it puts on the hinges and hold-down catch is far too great and will end up damaging the glass fibre roof structure eventually.
We have removed the hinged section above the sink on the off-side which allows a bit of extra head room when the roof is down.The small amount of lost space in the roof is hardly noticeable as there is so much room up there anyway. We still have no trouble sleeping a 12yr & 9yr old up there(and all their associated bits and pieces required for a 2-wk trip!) With this hinged section missing it’s possible to arrange the cushions in the centre section when the roof is closed (and of course, there is 1cushion less) May not Suit everyone with a super viking but it does us.

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by Da dan »

Also as packing up, halfclose the roof and let the air out. Make sure all the canvas is folded in properly and beds stacked. No room at rear for anything else. Beds only about inch or so thick ?


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CJH
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by CJH »

Mine closes with the cushions in place. I even store my collapsable ladder between those two cushion layers. When I drop the roof, as noted above, I need to 'roll' in the excess canvas. The roof doesn't sit flat under its own weight, but the catches pull it down. The rear one is always the tightest, and I usually need to pull on the shaped rear corner of the roof to engage the catch, but I've never felt that the fibreglass or the hinges were under too much load.

Are you using the original catches? The mechanism is such that the hook reaches much further, to engage with the bracket, when it's open, and it can be extended by unscrewing the hook. Perhaps a different aftermarket catch doesn't have the same reach?
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ajh51
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by ajh51 »

Interesting! Thanks guys very helpful.

Our roof sounds like it is much like Pete and Nikki's - It feels like I'm going to break it if I force it shut with the cushions in place. The main issue seems to be that where the roof changes height from the full height to the rear luggage area it seems to have a reinforcing bar in the roof molding that brings the headlining even closer to the rear bed boards for the first 10cm or so aft of the hatch. Presumably all the roofs have this but closing with cushions might be possible if it wasn't there.

To answer your helpful thoughts -
Da Dan: Yes original cushions, about 1" thick.
Chris (I think you've been helping my wife with canvass questions - thanks): We had to replace the catches as the old ones were toast. We used Protex as recommended by folk on here and they have a fair reach but the force to close them is high and they flex the roof alarmingly with cushions in place.

I'm going to investigate bed board height (over the Christmas holidays with a spot of luck!) but good to know it is possible for some but I'm not alone in struggling!

You all talk about pulling the roof half down. Can I ask a bit about this:

1) I have to use almost all my paltry 11st weight to get the roof to start to close - hauling on a strap attached to the opening edge of the roof - normal?
2) "half-closed" - how close to closed are we talking? We reused the main rams that came with the roof and they apply so much force that the roof springs open once the outside edge is lifted above about 6".
3) When do you guys slide the boards in? 1st thing or with roof half-closed?
4) How you do tuck the fabric in - from the inside or outside. Just pushed under the fiberglass or right under into the roof space.

We love the space in the new roof but there is a learning curve to using it!

cheers all,
Andy.

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by Da dan »

Sounds like the catches need adjusting. Literally the roof hovers half way. Or try to prop open with something ie tie it off or a stick?

I close mine by folding the mats in, double at back is tight but room enough. Side beds go to front which allows me to store the nice warm feather duvets on the sides (folded or stuffed in after). Slide in the bed making sure the corners are not court up so the bed goes all the way in, fold all the excess material that can be gathered up into itself. Half close the roof and gather the canvas again inside and out, tuck in the corners close roof, tuck in any canvas that’s sticking out. Pull roof down with your weight on the corners so to engage the catch, do both like this then I carry on tidying up coming back to it every 5 mins put a little more pressure on the catches to let the air out slowly. When I’m tidied up and do the rubbish walk pull down catches and off we go.
Total flaf sometimes but so worth it. Look at the space!!!!!

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CJH
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by CJH »

ajh51 wrote: 1) I have to use almost all my paltry 11st weight to get the roof to start to close - hauling on a strap attached to the opening edge of the roof - normal?
2) "half-closed" - how close to closed are we talking? We reused the main rams that came with the roof and they apply so much force that the roof springs open once the outside edge is lifted above about 6".
3) When do you guys slide the boards in? 1st thing or with roof half-closed?
4) How you do tuck the fabric in - from the inside or outside. Just pushed under the fiberglass or right under into the roof space.

I think it's normal that the roof lifts itself once you pass a certain point - the rams are nearly horizontal at first and therefore don't provide much lift until the roof is opened a bit.

I had a hinge failure shortly after I bought the van. The roof had rusted where the hinges fix. What caused a couple of them to lift out though was that one of the rams jammed open for some reason, and when my son pulled on the strap the open ram acted as a pivot and all his downward force turned into upward force on the hinges. While refurbishing the roof I realised that having the strap on that outer edge would always convert downward force to upward stress on the hinges, even with functioning rams, because of their strength. My solution was to move the strap to the bracket in the centre of the roof, above the opening. It's almost on a line between the two ram mounting points. It means I have to pull twice as hard to close the roof (maybe my rams aren't as strong as yours), but it also means that the downward force is no longer pivoted around the ram mounts, so there's no upward force on the hinges.

My sequence:
1) Fold the cushions front and back, leaving all the other cushions in place. I put my table (which was made to size for me, to fill the hatch gap) on top of the cushion that sits on the sliding section.
2) Release the sliding section, and slide it all the way in, while the roof is fully open.
3) Close the hinged section over the hatch, making sure the cushion above is folded in half on top of it.
4) Using the strap attached to the central bracket and fed through the gap in the hatch, pull the roof down to it's rest position - maybe 6 inches from being fully closed. I did have one tricky experience on a windy day when the wind kept re-opening the roof from this position.
5) Tuck the canvas in all round. I need to stand on the bumpers to do each end.
6) Pull the rear down to engage the catch, then the front, then close both catches.
Usually takes a couple of minutes start to finish.
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ajh51
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by ajh51 »

Thanks all - very useful. I'll report back when I've had a chance to play around with it again.

Andy

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by ajh51 »

Finally managed to spend a couple of free (and dry) afternoons digging into what is going on with my roof and why I can't close it with the cushions in the back section so I thought I'd post an update!

Long story short - I can now!

longer verison - I noticed there was a lot of space underneath the lower sliding board at the rear of the van. I then put a straight edge on across the boards and also along the long sliding bar at the side and it is apparent that the front of the back boards was higher than it would ideally be. Not too sure how

There was enough height to redrill the frame around the hatch to allow the slider to sit around 1cm lower (you can just see the old holes in the attached picture). Having done that I was able to put the straight edge along the rear support for the sliding board and see how high that was against the sliding bar. This was about twice what it was at the front as the angles multiplied the effect. The rear support is just timber/plywood so it was easy to reduce the height of both the sliding support and the fixed board.

Result: - as per the picture it now shuts and fairly easily too!!

Image

(I'm not sure if I like the orange dye for the headlining but it does cover a lot of nasty stains and the upholstery we have planned has an orange theme.)

Now just to work out what's gone wrong with my gas struts!

Andy

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by Choppski »

Just as another handy hint for getting the roof to shut on cold/ cooler days with viking roofs- i use a little fan heater and direct it at the canvase to dry it out from condensation etc but it also makes the canvase fold very easily and the whole roof can shut in ultra quick time. Without the heat the roof is very hard/ slow to close in cold temperature - but not a problem in this heat wave!!

i shut mine with the cushions in the roof with no problem and never had a problem since using the heater (assumes you're on a hook up of course!).

8 years and counting - still smiling!

vikings rock.
1982 Viking with 2.0 CU

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by latebraker »

Hi, has anyone with a Viking roof ever replaced the gas struts? One of mine has broken and the other isn't enough to do the job on it's own. Where to find...?

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JonB
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by JonB »

SGS Engineering appear the to get the most recommendations. Had them on my van for a good few years and no issue.

Check the stats against your current strut but the following link goes direct to what should fit.

Linkie
Viking Caravelle JX - Cheshire

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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by Da dan »

Same here. Slightly different ends that need adapting if I remember?Big difference working.

Has anyone changed the canvas to this new lighter fabrics. If where from? (On a Viking)


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JonB
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Re: Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by JonB »

Yep got one made up by Kingswood 2-3 years ago. Sent off the old canvas as a template. 2 big semi circle vents either end, 2 large windows with zip up covers and a rain flap running under the overhang. Was definitely less than £300 inc delivery and has been great....a little condensation on a morning with 4 of us sleeping up there.

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Viking Roof - Closing with cushions...

Post by Da dan »

did they come up with the design? What material did they use? Is it easier to fold?


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