Land Rover Dormobile lifting roof

roof, vent, top bunk and such

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Lifting Roof

The classic Dormobile  side hinged lifting roof is the single most recognizable feature of  a Dormobile.  Though very rarely done, conversions could be special ordered from Martin Walter without the lifting roof. Though all Dormobile lifting roofs may look the same at a glance most if not all are sized to fit only one model of vehicle due to differences in roof shape and size.  The Land Rover Dormobile lifting roof comes with two windows and a single air vent. The plastic canopy fabric provided by Martin Walter is a white PVC/Terylene material with narrow red or green horizontal stripes on the outside. A later fabric with wide red stripes has been used by some companies to make replacements for Dormobile roofs.  Dormobile Ltd offers a solid white fabric as standard fitment for their reproduction lifting roofs and offers it as a replacement. Lately Dormobile Ltd has been offering narrow striped fabric per the original as an extra cost replacement. Though either coloured stripe could be specified for a Martin Walter conversion standard fitment colours were red stripes for  red, blue and white Land Rovers and green stripes for green Land Rovers. Interior height with the roof erected is 92 inches (2.34M).  With the roof lowered the interior height is 53 inches (1.35M).

Lifting roof interior

This picture of the underside of an erected top shows a lot.  You can see the steel bows that hold the top plastic canvas in place.  These are thin wall steel painted gray.  They bend easily and easily rust through.  Last time I looked, replacement  bow sets were reproduced by Dormobile Ltd.  Mine were badly rusted when I purchased my kit.   I just took my old bows to a custom machine shop and asked them to reproduce them in Stainless steel.  The ones I had built were stronger than the originals, do not rust and cost me way less than purchase and importing stock replacement bows.

Along the length of each bow you will see plastic strips with snaps that holds each bow into its proper location against the plastic canvas.  You can also see each of the upper bunks in their stowed location with the dust covers off.

One of the two support struts can also be seen.  The strut is composed of two tubes the upper of which telescopes into the lower one.  There is a spring catch that locks the support into the full upright position.

The roof vent is open.  If you look carefully around the edge of the roof vent opening you can see a metal ring that holds bug netting to the roof.  The is a corresponding one on the bottom flange of the vent cover that clamps the top of the netting to the cover.  The vent latch is completely inside the net wall.  The metal clamping rings are held in place by machine screws.

Just below the vent is a metal tube handle that goes the length of the inside of the lifting top.  You push against this handle and NOT the fiberglas. top to lift the roof.  You should always use this handle to support the roof whenever the support struts are not locked into their upright positions.

Close up of rear supporting arm base

Above is a close up of the rear roof supporting arm base.  There are a pair of coil springs  in the base assembly that aid in lifting the roof and keeps the roof from free falling shut when the strut catches are released.  The slotted bolt and nut allow the spring tension to be adjusted.  These springs have been known to break.  While I have never had to replace any, they do look a lot like the springs on a MGBGT rear hatch.

Also in the picture above is the warning decal that reads:
"WARNING BEFORE FOLDING DOWN ROOF IT IS ESSENTIAL TO STOW BEDS CORRECTLY"

Here is a close up of that spring. It is common to find broken springs, I suspect caused by an owner overtightening the spring.

Lifting roof exterior:

One of the three roof hinges

There are three galvanized steel roof hinges.  They are all connected together by a metal strip emended inside the layers of fiberglas. The strip provides a lot of the roof's rigidity and keeps the three hinges properly lined up.

 

The metal Land Rover roof has been substantially reinforced to carry the weight of the bunks

Rear three stiffening ribs

There are 6 stiffening ribs added to the underside of the roof, one at each end of the cut out that go all the way across and 4 partial ribs that go from the roof base to the edge of the cut out.  Circled items in the picture above and # B in the picture below show the ribs.  Adjacent to item # A is a "L" shaped frame that fits around the edge of the cutout.  The stiffening braces secure to this frame to keep the roof rigid ad to support the weight of two sleepers.  The upper berth bunks secure to the stiffening frame.

A- Stiffening frame around roof cutoff
B - 2 of the 6 stiffening ribs
C - Buffer strips that keep the fiberglass top from rubbing the paint off the aluminium roof. These strips  have a metal base and a raised plastic centre rib that contacts the fiberglass roof. The plastic rib is red when a red striped top us used and green when the green stripped top is installed. Note: The lift bar attached along the roof centre is nornally painted a medium gray.

 

Roof vent

The roof vent cover is white perspex plastic.

The roof vent handle is steel painted with silver hammerite paint.  The plastic knob faces the front of the Dormobile and locks the handle into which ever position you set it.

The opening/closing handle mounts have two attachment points to the vent and to the roof top.  There are small metal plates opposite the handle mounts to reinforce the area where the mounting hardware goes through the plastic and fibreglass. Phillips head screws and nylock nuts are used for mounting. The Nylock nuts are located outside the body on the top reinforcement plate.

Backing plates for the roof vent hardware:

The two hinges are piano hinge style, each 1-1/2 inches long with each side 3/4 inches wide. The hinge mounts to the inside of the vent lid using phillips screws. Flat metal backing plates fit outside the vent lid where the hinge mounting screws are located.

The roof vent is meant to always be closed while driving. Driving at high speeds or in brush while the vent is open is likely to damage the lid.

Door latches and hinges

Dormobile lifting roofs came with 2 outside draw latches and two inside fabric latches. 

Rear inside latch

Front inside latch attaches to underside of front headliner The inside latches are double thick, made from the same material as the bunk cover.

These are standard twist snaps that are used for the interior roof latch and to latch down the top bunk cover.

External Draw Latch

Martin Walter used a number of different external draw latches over the years so there is no one correct draw latch. Most were made from plated steel and have long since developed rust.  Exact duplicates can be very hard if not impossible to come by.  However very similar draw latches the correct size can be easily found though large hardware companies, such as McMaster-Carr.

This is a Stainless steel draw latch sold by McMaster-Carr that is very similar in size and shape to a style commonly used on Land Rover Dormobiles.  The primary difference is that this latch is lockable and it is made from Stainless steel and not plated steel.

Top up Warning system

As a safety feature there is a top up warning system that flashes a lamp on the instrument panel when the ignition is on and the roof is not completely closed.  There is a push button switch located on the roof just under the front roof support brace. This switch is depressed when the brace is in the fully lowered position.  The switch provides a ground path to the warning lamp then it is not depressed.  The basic circuit is 12V through a flasher unit, through the lamp, up to the roof mounted switch then to ground.

Location of top up warning light on a 1968 Land Rover Dormobile

Switch for warning lamp. The switch push button is pressed down by a tab welded to the lifting arm.

Upper bunks:

The upper berths are folding cots that are mounted on the roof. When set up, the cots each measure 70 inches long by 22 inches wide.   There is about 4 inches at each end between the bunk and the roof fabric allowing space for a six footer plus a pillow. The bunks are located 52 inches of the floor so the wardrobe step is also a step to get up to the top berths. The bunk material is single layer nylon canvas with a tube for the cot rail stitched on each side. Since the cot provides no insulation and there sleeping bag insulation is flattened under you it is easy to sleep cold no matter how good the sleeping bag.  Best best is an inflatable insulation pad as  mattress.  They make the top bunk more comfortable and provide much needed underside insulation.

Original fabric pattern used on early throuh mid  1960's Land Rover Dormobiles

Original top bunk fabric used on late '60's  and '70's top bunks.

Nylon fabric clamp Clamps bunk fabric to bunk side rails to keep the material from stretching against the rivets and ripping. Cut from 3/16" thick, 1-1/8" dia nylon tubing.  1-3/4" long, 1-3/8" wide measured along the outer circumference. Held in place by the pop rivets locking side rails to end pieces.  Holes offset from center, about 1/3rd from top side.

Interior lighting

A single 8 watt fluorescent lamp came standard with a second fixture as an extra cost option.  The fixtures were mounted on the plastic trim ring that finished off the cut made in the Land Rover roof for the raising roof.  The standard interior light was mounted to the centre of the front trim.  An optional second fixture was mounted to the centre of the rear rim opposite the standard location.

Two views of an original light

Rear rain gutter

A plastic rain gutter mounted at the rear above the rear door was standard fitment for all Land Rover Dormobiles with a lifting roof. When the roof is closed the rear of the roof sits inside the gutter. Note the green plastic strip mounted in a metal strip on the side of the fixed roof.  These strips kept the edge of the raising roof off the paint and from hanging up on the fixed roof's rivets. The plastic strip is red or green depending upon the colour of the canvas stripes.

Nick Baggerly wrote the following about removing and replacing the lifting roof

Here are some lessons learned when removing and re-assembling the fiberglas Dormobile top.

Removing the roof requires two people

Before you begin, take some pictures of the raised Dormie top. These pics will come in real handy during re-assembly. Photograph both the inside and outside of the raised top. Pay attention to how the PVC fabric is folded around the aluminium securing rails. Take a picture to record the bow orientation, one for the bunk orientation, and another for the vent hardware. Another pic for the perimeter trim strips (they're the strips that the bunk cover turn buckles are fastened to).

DISASSEMBLY
Like any other job, place all fasteners/hardware in marked containers/bags to ease re-assembly. Some of this stuff is difficult to replace so don't loose it.

Remove the bunks (for bolts each) and withdrawal from the vehicle. Use penetrating oil to prevent breaking the captive nut inserts in the metal roof. I broke several of these captive nuts once and can't find them at the hardware store. Any suggestions?

Remove the bows (four bolts total) and withdrawal from the vehicle.

Remove the vent fasteners and vent. Now you can put your head through the vent and stand up to unfasten all of the top screws.

Now to remove the PVC candy-stripe tent fabric. Remove all the flat head screws, square captive nuts, and washers that fasten the PVC tent fabric around the perimeter of the fiberglas top. There are a lot of fasteners here so a cordless screwdriver on low torque setting will speed this up. This is brass hardware and you may snap some of the screws. Be careful to not rip the candy stripe fabric as you go.

Remove the bolts that secure the two telescoping poles to the fiberglas top (four bolts) noting that the nuts are on the outside (on top of the roof)

Remove the three hinges that secure the fiberglas top to the roof. It is necessary to remove only the 9 screws that connect the hinges to the fiberglas top. Withdrawal the fiberglas top from the vehicle.

Remove the long lift bar (six bolts) that is used to raise the roof.

Remove the four plastic perimeter trim strips, bunk covers and turn buckles using a Phillips screwdriver. Martin Walter didn't use brass hardware here because these strips are fastened into metal. If your top has never been removed, the rusted screws may strip and be difficult to remove. For these, use an air grinder (or dremmel cutting disc if you have one) to square off the screw head. This allows a needle-nose vise grip to get a hold and turn them. Replace with stainless screws if you like.

ASSEMBLY PREP:
Unless you are experienced in fiberglas repair, find a nearby body shop that specializes in boat repair and get a quote for the following:

-repair any cracks using fiberglas and resin materials
-sand the top
-gel coat top (white)
-paint underside (original color was a natural fiberglas light yellow/pink. I sprayed mine in Dupont Centari gloss white so it will always look clean and new.

You'll save some money if you remove the roof yourself and bring it in. Also, tell the body shop to place a dowel (or small screw) through each hole in the fiberglas top prior to gel coating. This will prevent the holes from being filled in. Assembly will be difficult if the holes are covered by the gelcoat as drilling will be required.

Thoroughly clean the pvc candy-strip tent fabric.

While the PVC tent is removed, consider sewing in a tent-like fly complete with zippers into the rear of the tent. This serves as a vent. The previous owners of Hercules II, the Canadian Dormobile made this modification and I think it's PRO!

If necessary, straighten the three hinges that secure the fiberglas top. Mine were bent a little

If the plastic trim strips look bad or scuffed, lightly sand with 400 grit paper and paint them. I used Krylon red which matched quite nicely. These strips were originally red or white.

The underside lift bar is coated with a piece of coloured shrink tubing. These were originally gray or red. Similar shrink tubing is available in many colours at your local well-stocked electronics store. I used a plasticoat dip that came out a bit rough.

Inspect the bows for rust. If yours are heavily rusted you can have them fabricated as TeriAnn did using stainless steel tubing. Prep and re-paint if there's no rust present.

Remove the bunk fabric from bunks. The bunk fabric is secured in each corner by a plate and two screws. Under each plate is a small rectangular rubber piece that prevents the plate from tearing the bunk fabric. Prep and re-paint the bunk frames. If your bunks are torn they may be easily patched. [include picture]

Inspect bunk covers. If they are damaged, an upholstery shop can probably reproduce them in any material you want for $50 to $100. The original covers are a high grade cloth-backed vinyl.

Now is also a good time to paint the top of the vehicle...or the entire vehicle for that matter.

REASSEMBLY:
With the fiberglas top off of the vehicle, pre-ream (is that a word?) each hole in the fiberglas top with a drill bit of the same diameter as the screws. I think these holes are 3/16 but you'd better double check. This allows the screws to slide in easily.

Turn the fiberglas top upside-down (preferably on a couple tall horse-type stands) and attach the PVC tent fabric along the inside perimeter of the fiberglas top using old hardware and the four aluminium strips. It is much easier if you attach the pvc tent to the fiberglas top first. This step requires time and patience. Since you're inserting each screw through three layers, an electrical test probe or similar sharp tool is useful for lining up the holes.

Next, offer up the fiberglas top to the vehicle. Get some help so you don't mess up your nice looking new top. Line up the hinges with their respective holes and insert the hinge screws. I recommend putting the nuts on the outside to prevent the screw ends from digging into your aluminium roof.

Drape the pvc fabric in place around the roof and connect the telescoping poles to the fiberglas roof.

With the roof raised half way (use a robogrip or correct size stick to keep the roof in position) secure the bottom portion of the pvc fabric along the perimeter of the fiberglas top using the old hardware and the four aluminium strips. Once again, patience and a buddy will help here.

Install the bows (four bolts total) and snap into place.

Fasten the four plastic perimeter trim strips, bunk covers, and turn buckles.

Fasten the underside lift bar.

Install the vent with fasteners. Use JC Whitney part number XXX for an easily installed vent seal.

Slide the bunk fabric onto the bunk poles and install the bunks (for bolts each) by fastening them to the roof. Secure the corners by stretching the bunk fabric (you may need some help here) and secure each corner with the small aluminium plate and two screws. Prior to tightening these plates, insert the small rubber piece to prevent the plate from digging into the bunk fabric. Cut a piece of a bike inner tube if you are missing these small pieces.

The weather strips for the oval windows use a Rover part. Part number LR 304235 ($8.33 each) for the weather strip. Each strip is held in place by a rubber lock strip (also called a filler strip), part number LR 304236 ($5.85 each). I installed the weather strips myself and it took four hours because I didn't know what I was doing. One year later, after the top was gel coated I decided to give an auto glass shop the agony. Using their special tools, they did both windows in less than five minutes. No leaks.

Now would be a good time to drill a second set of holes in the telescoping poles a few inches below the original set. This allows the spring loaded ball bearing a setting that does not require full extension of the roof and is useful during the winter months when the PVC tent fabric is brittle.

Finally, raise the top and give the pvc fabric a good coating of silicon spray. I like the stuff used on Zodiac inflatable boats since they too are made from pvc. It is available at any boating supply.

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