Testimonial #0817

T

Toddhom

Advanced Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Messages
97
Location
Los Angeles
Just got back from camping in the Southern Sierras. Had a great time but the drive there was almost a complete disaster. I left West Hollywood CA Thursday morning and headed up the highway. After having been on the road for about 30 minutes my friend suddenly turns to me and asks “Did you lower the top.” Oh sh&t!, I hadn’t. I’d been on the freeway for a half and hour averaging 65 mph for 23 miles. I pulled over immediately and slowly got out of the car expecting to see catastrophic damage figuring my trip was over before it had really started. Much to my surprise the pop top was completely unharmed, not affected in the slightest! I couldn’t believe it. I inspected the top, lowered and latched it and headed on down the road. This is a testimony to the engineering of the pop top. The only thing that holds up the top are 2 lightweight push panels. How they held while doing at times 70 mph is a mystery to me.
Todd
 
They are amazingly tough. Would like to see one driven to destruction too. Maybe start a Go Fund Me to buy a used camper and go out to a lonely desert highway.....
 
Oh yeah, been there did that - once! No damage. Now we have a short checklist we use before departing camp that includes checking the latches for the top are secured.
 
After foolishly joining the tall vehicle group and wondering why total strangers were honking & pointing as we drove down the road, I cut strips of blaze orange duct tape and stuck them to the inside of each roof latch.

Helps twice on each pop up. Walk around the camper and count orange strips. Won’t bend the top if I count 6 orange strips.

On leaving, walk around camper. If I see orange, top is not secured with elevated tall vehicle risk. Now that I am old, I need simple solutions.

Paul
 
I have often thought, mostly while laying in bed at night in 40+ mph winds, what the tolerance was for the top up. I’m surprised that FWC hasn’t done a wind tunnel test to show. But then I guess it would have to be from the front, the side and the rear. And which models? I guess we will just have to go by our own “pucker factor” or someone else’s Hiway test!

I did take an old car pass you hang on the mirror and cover it with tape and write “LATCHES!” On it. I put it in the camper and after popping the top hang it off the mirror in the truck. Then put it back in the camper before departing. It seems to work well, when I remember to actually use it! :)
 
Fishing pole closed in tailgate or door anyone? Realize you forgot the drain plug for the boat after launching? I guess we all make these types of crazy mistakes at times.

In the 80s while attending the Fire academy, I was taught to do the "Golden Circle" before driving away in a rig. I use this technique religiously with my camper. Every time before we pull away, I walk around the entire rig and give it a look up, down and all around. It has saved me from open latches, open locker doors, missing hitch pins on the boat trailer, unsecured surfboards, or even from leaving my flip flops on the bumper.

I was also taught to back in to a parking space when possible. I still practice that safety measure as well.


I always wondered if you could hear or feel if the top was up while driving. From these reports, I'm guessing no?
 
The best way to know the top is up is paying attention to the waves of people as they pass you.
 
When I set up camp I put flags on my steering wheel for roof latches, refrigerator latch, leveling blocks. I also do the golden circle twice: once to check latches and refrigerator and a second one after pulling forward to pick up blocks: to check truck, camper, and campsite.
 
Not with a FWC, but I had a Sportsmobile pop top pop its top once while driving. At about 70MPH on US 50. And it WAS latched down. I was heading into a quartering wind of 35+ gusts at the time.

What happened is the wind got under the top and lifted it, literally breaking the heavy beam where it clamped down on the inside of the van. Picture the front of your FWC: behind the front lip of the roof the fabric folds in half when it lowers. On the van, there's a few small channels under the lip of their pop top. The wind got up, pushed into the channels and under the lip, and into the canvas folds. Thus making them into an inflatable jack, with enough force to snap a 2x4 sized support beam and lift the roof. Rather dramatic demonstration of physics.

Sportsmobile repaired it quickly; harm to the top, just the hold downs. And of couse I blocked those air channels :)
 
Many many years ago owner Ben Bernett and Mike Duncan took a truck and camper and drove down interstate 5 going 70mph. Mike was in the back and reported all was fine.
 
Funny how the walk around doesn't always work. I was at the FWC rally up past Sierraville. I pulled up, did a superficial walkround and left. I was parked in tall grass and it wasn't until I got home I realized I left my leveling blocks behind :(
 
Been there and done it. We now always do a walk around(camper and campsite). we still have our original step do to this practice.
 
As I recall, in the early days they used to advertise that you could drive 55mph with the top up. I’m sure their lawyers quickly put a stop to that advertising campaign.

While not a member (yet) of the driving while erect club, I’ve definitely driven off unlatched a few times. Fortunately was before I installed lift struts, so just made a lot of noise.
 
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