Skyline Aurora Pop-Top opening on motorway?

[cgtmiles]

I saw a white van on the A303 on Monday with their skyline roof open about 8 inches at the front, I tried to tell them as we pulled along side but I think I just freaked them out and they didn’t stop. I later saw them pull into a lay-by so I guess they worked it out but I think I was more panicked than them!

If this was you I’m sorry if you thought you had a maniac following you

 

[Alba23]

I found this thread parked up in a service station googling 'Skyline pop top opening on motorway'

It's a terrifying experience and obviously very dangerous.

It happened to me about a year ago, Skyline (who installed it) suggested user error (I strongly disagree as this is something I take very seriously) It's happened several times since. I have taken the van in and they tightened all fittings and it seemed fine for a 4000 mile Europe trip but it's now started happening again. On a 100 mile drive a fortnight ago it would happen as soon as I hit 70mph, I'd hear a crack as the driver side latch went but at least the pop top wasn't going up.... I drove to the nearest service station and tightened as many of the strut bolts as I could and it got me home.

Today it went up fully on the motorway, had to get onto the hard shoulder and sort out. My dog had an absolute melt down, it's a very loud noise when it goes.

When I spoke with Skyline last year, they suggested to me that this was unheard of so this thread makes for some very interesting and unsettling reading.

Mine opens but only on the right side. Not user error, totally fastened down so the roof is pulled tight. It happened on motorway. Luckily I heard it so pulled over immediately. I have now have to put a ratchet strap around the handle of the poptop to the handle at drivers side where you get in the cab. Coming back from Scotland at weekend it was terrible. Perhaps every 4 mins it would pop off the catch. I’ve really lost confidence in it. Definitely not user error., I pull the roof down from outside and feel the cam pulling it tight to roof. It’s also strange that is didn’t happen from the beginning when first fitted.It’s like the roof has moved back? I’m now trying to get a thicker bar cut and put inplace on the roof. No way would I now drive without my botch of the ratchet straps in place. Fuming after near 4K for the lwb version.

This is exactly my experience a week ago... as soon as I got up to 70mph I'd hear the driver's side catch go bang... and would have to grab the handle... luckily the other side didn't go... had to limp 100 miles home... horrendous considering the cost of these...

 

[Bargy62]

I found this thread parked up in a service station googling 'Skyline pop top opening on motorway'


Today it went up fully on the motorway, had to get onto the hard shoulder and sort out. My dog had an absolute melt down, it's a very loud noise when it goes.

When I spoke with Skyline last year, they suggested to me that this was unheard of so this thread makes for some very interesting and unsettling reading.

Are they run by the post office.

 

[Greybeard]

Are they run by the post office.

I had exactly the same thought last night, but chickened out posting.
Two ongoing issues that need sorting pronto.

 

[Trouts]

I had exactly the same thought last night, but chickened out posting.
Two ongoing issues that need sorting pronto.

indeed.
greed/profit being put ahead of peoples wellbeing. again.
it really is disgusting/depressing. and we're supposed to be a civilised country/species.

 

[BCH]

I am now in the same situation my roof popped up today on the way to work. I have a ratchet strap now that I will be putting on to get home. I've Never had any problems but this has pisses me off. I and going to a local installer tomorrow for them to have a look. This guy fits Skyline roofs so hopefully it can be sorted. I have phoned Skyline head office and they said take it to them as well.

 

[Ricardo T]

So visited Skyline Midlands today with a pre arranged appointment (aka XtremeVan) for them to 'check' my original roof catches etc before it gets lots of use in the coming months. I went with not really knowing what they were going to check and do tbh, but as i was almost passing it would be daft not to. As mentioned before i have been pleased with the installation whch was done a few years back and it has been no problem at all. (Not done by them but by Retofitted in Bury St Edmunds who have been excellent)
No clear signage on arrival and no spanking workshop so overall first impressions were not so good....have i got the right place?? I had indeed.
To be fair they are expanding and building a new workshop next doors so i guess this will all change over the coimng months.
Anyway..they opened the roof and checked the catches and immediatly noticed one of the catches was not fully overlapping the bar on the roof. So they changed both cam latches and bars for the new improved version, without any fuss, or cost to myself. The new version of cam has a final 'clip' to ensure it is fully engagaed over the new wider roof bar, seems to pull the roof down nicely.
They did note that the old latches had been fitted incorrectly, part of the securing washer was fitted the wrong way but their explanation was not 100% clear.
The new cams are a slightly different design with a more visible neoprene sealing washer between the stationary and moving part, and the catch may be a tad longer and the whole thing is fastened to the roof with two large nuts and a shake proof washer in between.
The bars are wider and have elongated holes for more adjustment to and fro.
The finishing trim around the headlining on the inside where the key goes is also larger so you can see the key of the cam more clearly without feeling for it.
The guys here said if you have a lwb Aurora rood it helps to have roof bars along the sides to keep the roof rigid and from flexing/moving.
They've done a good job on the face of it and with no fuss whatsoever, turned it around pretty quickly while i waited but tbh im not really sure how much more confient i feel after my visit as now i have a 'new' system in place in lieu of something which to a layman wasnt actually broken. Maybe ill just be on a better standing if something 'does' happen! Damn...why did i say that doh!!!

 

[simonewt]

I have a Skyline roof on my LWB T6 and the roof has now opened TWICE on the motorway, much to my wife and kid's terror. In fact she'll no longer drive the van.
Both times there's been a very loud bang, as the cam at the front detaches from the locking bar, and I've had to make a crazy swerve to reach the hard shoulder. As I slowed down and pulled over the cams seemed to release on both sides and roof completely rose. If it wasn't so terrifying, it would almost be comical - people gawping at us, wondering why this mad family are pulling over to camp on the hard shoulder.
To your points: I'm fastidious about the way I lock the cams, particularly after the first incident. I ensure they're fully engaged, and check the roof is firmly pressed down. I then get someone else to check it. Even with that, these failures have happened. Secondly, on both occasions, the cam bar has been bent upwards at 45 degrees indicating that it's engaged, but somehow under tremendous pressure.
The first time it happened we were - completely by chance - near the Skyline factory in the West Country. They replaced the cam free of charge, but it was clear their line was that these failures were user error. Yesterday my roof opened again, this time at 65 mph on the M6, and I had to drive the 80 miles home with a strap tied between the roof handle and my front seat. Once again the cam bar is bent.
To the point made by Grim Reaper, the overlap of the cam bar and roof latch seems a critical aspect of the design. I'm puzzled why there is no hook of some sort on the end of that bar to literally hook on to the catch.
In my case the roof has clearly lifted at high speed, bending up the cam bar, before it reaches a critical point where it slips out of the latch causing these high-speed openings. My converter is going to replace the cam this time, but I think I will have to find a way of physically strapping the roof down in future.
Finally, wherever the fault lies, it strikes me there should be something in the design and/or installation instructions that completely negates the risk of this happening, another visual layer of security. There is no back-up if one of those cams opens at high speed, and trust me, it's not a pleasant experience.

 

[BCH]

This is what happened with mine. I took it back to skyline and they were great and sorted it out straight away. New cams fitted with a penny washer on them ...stops them bending up. Mine also had only 3 bolts fitted on each side of the hinges that hold the pop top down and to stop it moving. It's now got the 4 bolts in so it cannot move and the cams will lock into place. The fitter has now left who did mine in the first place as the boss wasn't happy with him. All told to come back every 6 months when passing to so they can check e all out.

 

[KShezza]

I found this thread parked up in a service station googling 'Skyline pop top opening on motorway'

It's a terrifying experience and obviously very dangerous.

It happened to me about a year ago, Skyline (who installed it) suggested user error (I strongly disagree as this is something I take very seriously) It's happened several times since. I have taken the van in and they tightened all fittings and it seemed fine for a 4000 mile Europe trip but it's now started happening again. On a 100 mile drive a fortnight ago it would happen as soon as I hit 70mph, I'd hear a crack as the driver side latch went but at least the pop top wasn't going up.... I drove to the nearest service station and tightened as many of the strut bolts as I could and it got me home.

Today it went up fully on the motorway, had to get onto the hard shoulder and sort out. My dog had an absolute melt down, it's a very loud noise when it goes.

When I spoke with Skyline last year, they suggested to me that this was unheard of so this thread makes for some very interesting and unsettling reading.

Ours has gone up again this weekend doing about 60 on an A Road no hard shoulder. Haven't contacted Skyline yet, not sure what to do but it's the 2nd time it's happened so ruling out user error now as we triple check it all after the first time!

 

[KShezza]

This is what happened with mine. I took it back to skyline and they were great and sorted it out straight away. New cams fitted with a penny washer on them ...stops them bending up. Mine also had only 3 bolts fitted on each side of the hinges that hold the pop top down and to stop it moving. It's now got the 4 bolts in so it cannot move and the cams will lock into place. The fitter has now left who did mine in the first place as the boss wasn't happy with him. All told to come back every 6 months when passing to so they can check e all out.

This is interesting to read. So do you think some of them may need that extra washer? Ours popped again at the weekend doing 60 on an A road

I spoke to someone at skyline who offered a very simple solution, penny washer.
Will definitely help. Will see how it goes and post back here if any other issues, but it might do the trick.

View attachment 233025

Hiya,

To put the washers on, do you need to go up through the ceiling at all? We're fully carpeted and don't fancy messing about with that

View attachment 230847

View attachment 230848

This is something I'd be interested in doing but not sure how we would fit it round all the canvas, plus we have a sliding hatch so I'm not sure where we would attach the brackets to

This is exactly my experience a week ago... as soon as I got up to 70mph I'd hear the driver's side catch go bang... and would have to grab the handle... luckily the other side didn't go... had to limp 100 miles home... horrendous considering the cost of these...

Hi can I ask what you've done to resolve this? Ours opened whilst driving yesterday

I have a Skyline roof on my LWB T6 and the roof has now opened TWICE on the motorway, much to my wife and kid's terror. In fact she'll no longer drive the van.
Both times there's been a very loud bang, as the cam at the front detaches from the locking bar, and I've had to make a crazy swerve to reach the hard shoulder. As I slowed down and pulled over the cams seemed to release on both sides and roof completely rose. If it wasn't so terrifying, it would almost be comical - people gawping at us, wondering why this mad family are pulling over to camp on the hard shoulder.
To your points: I'm fastidious about the way I lock the cams, particularly after the first incident. I ensure they're fully engaged, and check the roof is firmly pressed down. I then get someone else to check it. Even with that, these failures have happened. Secondly, on both occasions, the cam bar has been bent upwards at 45 degrees indicating that it's engaged, but somehow under tremendous pressure.
The first time it happened we were - completely by chance - near the Skyline factory in the West Country. They replaced the cam free of charge, but it was clear their line was that these failures were user error. Yesterday my roof opened again, this time at 65 mph on the M6, and I had to drive the 80 miles home with a strap tied between the roof handle and my front seat. Once again the cam bar is bent.
To the point made by Grim Reaper, the overlap of the cam bar and roof latch seems a critical aspect of the design. I'm puzzled why there is no hook of some sort on the end of that bar to literally hook on to the catch.
In my case the roof has clearly lifted at high speed, bending up the cam bar, before it reaches a critical point where it slips out of the latch causing these high-speed openings. My converter is going to replace the cam this time, but I think I will have to find a way of physically strapping the roof down in future.
Finally, wherever the fault lies, it strikes me there should be something in the design and/or installation instructions that completely negates the risk of this happening, another visual layer of security. There is no back-up if one of those cams opens at high speed, and trust me, it's not a pleasant experience.

Same happened to us at the weekend. Second time. After the first we very obviously triple check it all before setting off so this time definitely not user error. The cams/catches don't seem to be long or safe enough. Question... how and where did you strap down on the inside please? Pics would be amazing if possible. And also, do you have the sliding inside cover and does the strap interfere with that?

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

There was talk of this further back …. I think there is a catch change fix or back to the fitter for upgrade
I actually saw this happen on a motorway to a van in opposite lane

 

[KShezza]

There was talk of this further back …. I think there is a catch change fix or back to the fitter for upgrade
I actually saw this happen on a motorway to a van in opposite lane

We bought the can converted and the company is quite a trek away so not sure what to do tbh! Had a look today and the clasps don't look great. Loose, rough (like white rust) and worn at the very tips so obviously not fitted far enough forward!

 

[davecdjt]

We had the same issue with our the day after we picked it up from having the roof fitted. When it was demonstrated to me the fitter showed me to try lifting three front corners with my thumb as a means of checking that the roof is latched closed properly. Now when he showed me I noticed that the roof lifted slightly. I didn’t question it as he was the pro. The next day when I drove it back to the fitters with it having opened only a few miles up the road I mentioned this. When I got the van back some two hours later after the whole workshop had poured over it whilst the boss apologised repeatedly the roof was pinched down tight by the latches and doesn’t lift a bit when I test it. Is it possible that in the case of others who have had this happen, that their latches are just too loose and leaving room for the roof to vibrate slightly and work the latches open?

 

[KShezza]

We had the same issue with our the day after we picked it up from having the roof fitted. When it was demonstrated to me the fitter showed me to try lifting three front corners with my thumb as a means of checking that the roof is latched closed properly. Now when he showed me I noticed that the roof lifted slightly. I didn’t question it as he was the pro. The next day when I drove it back to the fitters with it having opened only a few miles up the road I mentioned this. When I got the van back some two hours later after the whole workshop had poured over it whilst the boss apologised repeatedly the roof was pinched down tight by the latches and doesn’t lift a bit when I test it. Is it possible that in the case of others who have had this happen, that their latches are just too loose and leaving room for the roof to vibrate slightly and work the latches open?

Yes could be thanks. I've just had a good look at it and the catches seem to be loose, especially drivers side (which is what went yesterday) . I would have thought they shouldn't be able to turn without the key but they do! Also noticed that they have only been catching at the very end of the bar so if we went over a bump

There was talk of this further back …. I think there is a catch change fix or back to the fitter for upgrade
I actually saw this happen on a motorway to a van in opposite lane

Just booked in with the fitters. 180 quid but peace of mind, sounds like they've had it before!!

 

[Philgy]

We have a Skyline. Van was converted a year ago. No issues at all. Last 1/4 of action of the match is very positive, so much so I need to press the top down. No lift when locked down. I think I have the newer version of latch. All that said I do check it very regularly.

 

[DXX]

Since reading this thread I’ve been having a look at shallow pop tops on the motorway at speed. I passed one yesterday and the leading edge was fluttering up and down approx’ 3cm. The strip of rubber that’s sold as a wind deflector / spoiler is probably doing nothing useful at all.
The noise in the cab must have been unbearable.
If people keep buying them companies will keep making them!

 

[Burner]

My skyline has these latches to hold the roof down and nothing else, there’s always a bit of a gap around the roof , but there as tight as can be .

 

[sherryport]

This has just happened to us. Roof completely opened on the motorway yesterday while doing about 65mph. Very scary. We're waiting for a response from skyline and hopefully we can go in tomorrow morning to get the now bent catches, replaced. I will come back and update on what they are willing to do to fix the problem.

 

[Bav]

Out of idle curiosity, is anyone keeping count of all these reports? Could be useful when refuting any "no-one else has reported it"- type BS from Skyline.