Bungee for bellows, do you think still needed on 6.1 ocean ?

[Hawthorn37]

In my opinion the 6.1 does not need a bungee, and having one fitted can lead to 2 issues, that the canvas is pulled out of the roof fixing in the corners, and over time with sun bleaching, a line is visible around the canvas.

We installed a bungee from new, but when the canvas started to pull out of the roof fixing we took it off, fixed the canvas back in , and since then had no issues. It folds correctly.

Roof canvas coming away from roof

Somehow the roof canvas of my beach is coming away from the roof (top left corner). Tried to thread it back in unsuccessfully. Has anyone experienced this and any tips on how to correct. Still under warranty but hoping I don’t need to visit the dealer if I can help it

vwcaliforniaclub.com

When lowering the roof, you’d be advised to eyeball the folds of the canvas to ensure nothing is being trapped, especially when windy (but we do this every time).

We’ve seen many vans with slightly faded bellows, and a line around like a shadow under the bungee.

 

[calibusje]

In my opinion the 6.1 does not need a bungee, and having one fitted can lead to 2 issues, that the canvas is pulled out of the roof fixing in the corners, and over time with sun bleaching, a line is visible around the canvas.

We installed a bungee from new, but when the canvas started to pull out of the roof fixing we took it off, fixed the canvas back in , and since then had no issues. It folds correctly.

Roof canvas coming away from roof

Somehow the roof canvas of my beach is coming away from the roof (top left corner). Tried to thread it back in unsuccessfully. Has anyone experienced this and any tips on how to correct. Still under warranty but hoping I don’t need to visit the dealer if I can help it

vwcaliforniaclub.com

When lowering the roof, you’d be advised to eyeball the folds of the canvas to ensure nothing is being trapped, especially when windy (but we do this every time).

We’ve seen many vans with slightly faded bellows, and a line around like a shadow under the bungee.

Agree, the ‘visible line’ on the canvas I also mentioned and have seen this a lot.
You could be right -at least you have experienced this and maybe more people did- about the effect of the bungee at the roof canvas coming away from the roof in the corner(s). We don’t use a bungee but have also that issue at the left top corner. So that could also have another reason too.

 

[ArunAlec]

I had a bungee fitted to my 5.1 and even if it did mark the canvas I would maintain that any wear it caused would be of less concern than the creases in the canvas caused when folding.

 

[calibusje]

I had a bungee fitted to my 5.1 and even if it did mark the canvas I would maintain that any wear it caused would be of less concern than the creases in the canvas caused when folding.

I agree; I also think it is needed for the bellows that don’t have the folding pieces like the later ones.

 

[PhilR]

Interesting reading this, I was going to ask the question but made good use of the search function instead. About to fit an Isotop VI to a new Ocean, now having read everything on here I’m not going to fit a bungee. The visual check ideally needs doing whether you have a bungee or not, so I’ll continue being vigilant and checking every time I lower the roof. Not exactly hard to do that and hopefully just becomes a habit. Thanks for all the info.

 

[66tim99]

Interesting reading this, I was going to ask the question but made good use of the search function instead. About to fit an Isotop VI to a new Ocean, now having read everything on here I’m not going to fit a bungee. The visual check ideally needs doing whether you have a bungee or not, so I’ll continue being vigilant and checking every time I lower the roof. Not exactly hard to do that and hopefully just becomes a habit. Thanks for all the info.

Good choice I think. My roof has never failed to fold in on itself. I see some ribs in the canvas that ensure it folds, which I suspect older vans didn't have, which would make bungees redundant from now on.

 

[Kevintube1979]

The T6 and 6.1 (and possibly earlier models?) have stiffeners in the canvas that push it inwards very efficiently when closing, a bungee is totally unnecessary, in my opinion its detrimental and can cause marks around the canvas and get caught.

 

[marchugo]

Our dealer gave us a bungee as a gift, but I still see disadvantages:

- the bungee clearly rubs marks on the cotton canvas of our T5 (2019) ;

- when you close the roof, the bungee falls dead down to the bottom of the bellows after a few seconds;

- when a gust of wind blows through the Cali at THAT moment, the cotton still puffs up on the side opposite the wind gust. Then the cotton could still get stuck between the metal shears of the pop-up roof.

- footnote one:
- I'm too lazy to put the scissors in the bungee.

footnote two:
When the roof is closed during wind, someone is always outside to monitor the behavior of the bellows. And I'm always standing up to supervise the bellows from the inside. Even in our ten years old Cali, the bellows are folding in perfectly, due to the plastics folding pieces in te cotton.

Relaxed greetings from Amsterdam.

Marc

 

[Ozzy Pete]

The T6 and 6.1 (and possibly earlier models?) have stiffeners in the canvas that push it inwards very efficiently when closing, a bungee is totally unnecessary, in my opinion its detrimental and can cause marks around the canvas and get caught.

Under normal circumstances when following the correct instructions you wouldn’t need a bungee. But there’s never normal circumstances. I recently took my van in to Sinclairs to have some work done and when I got home I found that they hadn’t followed the correct way of lowering the roof and completely destroyed the canvas and bent the roof. And yes my van has always had a bungee.
It makes no difference at all bungee or not because if you don’t open all the windows and doors you are going to have serious problems... They lowered the roof with windows and doors closed so nowhere for all the air to go therefore pushing it into the mechanism causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Luckily I found out within a day of getting it home.
They ended up taking the roof off repairing and respraying the whole roof and replacing the destroyed canvas with the new panoramic one.
So for me win win. For them lose lose. But a lesson hopefully learned. Never think it won’t happen to you if you don’t follow the correct instructions to the letter.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Our dealer gave us a bungee as a gift, but I still see disadvantages:

- the bungee clearly rubs marks on the cotton canvas of our T5 (2019) ;

- when you close the roof, the bungee falls dead down to the bottom of the bellows after a few seconds;

- when a gust of wind blows through the Cali at THAT moment, the cotton still puffs up on the side opposite the wind gust. Then the cotton could still get stuck between the metal shears of the pop-up roof.

- footnote one:
- I'm too lazy to put the scissors in the bungee.

footnote two:
When the roof is closed during wind, someone is always outside to monitor the behavior of the bellows. And I'm always standing up to supervise the bellows from the inside. Even in our ten years old Cali, the bellows are folding in perfectly, due to the plastics folding pieces in te cotton.

Relaxed greetings from Amsterdam.

Marc

Agree. The only time our canvas has been anywhere like hitting the scissors when lowering was with a strong cross wind. We stopped and opened the passenger door. Otherwise it’s perfect every time.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Under normal circumstances when following the correct instructions you wouldn’t need a bungee. But there’s never normal circumstances. I recently took my van in to Sinclairs to have some work done and when I got home I found that they hadn’t followed the correct way of lowering the roof and completely destroyed the canvas and bent the roof. And yes my van has always had a bungee.
It makes no difference at all bungee or not because if you don’t open all the windows and doors you are going to have serious problems... They lowered the roof with windows and doors closed so nowhere for all the air to go therefore pushing it into the mechanism causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Luckily I found out within a day of getting it home.
They ended up taking the roof off repairing and respraying the whole roof and replacing the destroyed canvas with the new panoramic one.
So for me win win. For them lose lose. But a lesson hopefully learned. Never think it won’t happen to you if you don’t follow the correct instructions to the letter.

Since your experience when I had ours in for a service a few weeks ago, I like a nice little note on the dash (to the ridicule of my missus and no doubt an ironic smile from the technician. I don’t think they’d have moved the roof for a service - and although you have had a good outcome - I just didn’t want to have the hassle!

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Since your experience when I had ours in for a service a few weeks ago, I like a nice little note on the dash (to the ridicule of my missus and no doubt an ironic smile from the technician. I don’t think they’d have moved the roof for a service - and although you have had a good outcome - I just didn’t want to have the hassle!

I can assure you that it wasn’t what I really wanted with the extra stress. I was lucky that I noticed there was a small dent in the roof but had I no noticed this and put the van away for the winter I would have had absolutely no chance of convincing then it was their fault and not something I did. Then costing me thousands.

I would suggest that anyone taking their van in for work to go round the van with them so they can see there is no damage.

You would expect that a “MainDealer” would know how to operate the roof properly but it was probably an apprentice who was told to drop the roof and take the van outside not knowing the damage he had caused.
Yes we were very lucky and could easily have gone the other way.