Westfalia poptop front bit....

[Phase28]

Evening,

We have an 87 with a westfalia poptop roof 3/4 with the luggage bit at the front.

Question being, where does the rain water go?

The moulding at the front is recessed to take luggage and has holes in it to drain any rain water so it doesn't get filled up. However it sits on the roof and has a rubber seal were it sits on the paintwork of the roof.

Is this void under the pop top filling with water ?

How does it get out or is this damp area going to eventually rust through the roof panel ?

Your help and advice is really appreciated.

As a footnote, spent a fantastic day in red bussy (as the family call her) on the common today, and as I looked out at our children playing as I cooked some sausages with beer in hand, I couldn't have been happier. Everyone should have a camper at some point in there lives.

[Ralf85]

Water just drains away from my experience. The rubber seal around the edge is not water tight. No probs - relax.

[Tufty_B]

I thought that is reopen a recent thread rather than start a second asking the same question.

Can someone confirm how the Westfalia style luggage rack drains water?
I ask because I'm sure that I have a leak from the roof fixings to the headlining and dripping down onto the driver's seat. I taped over the fixings and the dripping seems to have stopped. Now it has stopped raining I'm going to use silicone sealant as a temp fix until the spring/summer and then take it off to have a proper look (it is riveted at the rear edge).

To me it looks like the water should drain down the holes on the corners:
and out the sides from behind the raised parts on the lower edge/top of the roof but there is very little space between the rack and roof:
Is this correct, I saw some water drip out of the edge but can't test at the moment because I need to keep it dry until I have sealed the fixings?

[lloydy]

I would say remove the fixing screws and lift off the luggage rack, you don't seem to have the fixings though?......

[Tufty_B]

I would say remove the fixing screws and lift off the luggage rack, you don't seem to have the fixings though?......

It isn't a genuine Westy item and it had been riveted at the rear onto the roof, I don't have a rivet gun, so I don't want to take it off just yet. Anyway I'm still in the middle of sorting out my heater fan and have the dash out:

[jpennington]

Yes, the water drains out into the roof gutters through the rubber seal and particularly at the rear because the seal is a bit shorter than the luggage rack.
Also yes the cab roof can rust through. I took my rack off to clean it about 8 years ago and found a couple of pin holes above the drivers seat. I cleaned the metal, rustproofed it and plugged the tiny holes with body filler.
No problems since.

I would suggest that at some point you find a way to remove your rack. Bits of trees and leaves tend to find their way through the drain holes and collect on top of the cab roof. I usually take mine off every other year.
The fixings at the rear edge of the rack should be fairly easy to get at. The side fixings seem to have been filled over on your van, but you may be able to release the supporting brackets from inside the cab if you take out the headlining.

jp

[Tufty_B]

...
The fixings at the rear edge of the rack should be fairly easy to get at. The side fixings seem to have been filled over on your van, but you may be able to release the supporting brackets from inside the cab if you take out the headlining.
jp

Thanks, I plan to remove it later in the year when/if we get a few dry days, in the meantime I have silicone sealed the fixings.
My rack has fixings in the top recess with rivets on the rear edge, so I'll need a rivet gun to put it back on.