We have just returned from our maiden voyage to France in our our new Triton 420. Great fun and the van felt like home from home. In only rained one day but boy did it rain. Unfortunately we had gone out and had left the pop up roof up and also had not closed the high light zips. We returned to a flood! Was
this because we had not zipped up the high light zips or is it necessary to lower the roof to stay water tight when it rains hard?

I can imagine a situation should the rain be directional shall we say (more horizontal than vertical) where the lip or lower edge where the canvas is attached becomes overwhelmed with water with the result that it slowly completely saturates the canvas allowing water through. The canvas is more what one could call water resistant in my view rather than being water proof. Maintaining the canvas in good condition obviously helps in this regard although to be honest, we always close the pop-top before leaving for the day should there be even the slightest possibility of rain. If you look at the shape of the pop-top, it offers quite a lot of protection from vertically falling rain via the considerable overhang whilst rain coming in from the side the canvas is fully exposed. Whatever the cause, hope not too much damage was done and that a good dry out will see everything sound once again.

It might also be worth checking the seal at the bottom of the canvas in "seated properly" . It sits in a channel and at the bottom of the canvas, in the bottom of the canvas there is a rubber seal which is square sectioned, if it's not seated correctly water can find it's way through to the inside.

I would add that the van not being level can make the water enter, even slightly out of level

Hope your damage was not too bad

The rain was torrential to be fair! No lasting damage at all. Just three rolls of kitchen paper used to remove the water from the channels and all had dried out by the next day. But , I would prefer not to have to lower the roof every time it rains and hopefully next time it rains we will be situ to monitor the situation and thus be able to answer the question ourselves., Overall the van was great fun and we are both converted already. Many more trips in the pipe line . Lovely forum too.

And anyway surely it can't be right that if it rains at night you have to lower the roof. What happens if you need to get up to spend a penny and bang your head on the roof! I like to think that it flooded because I didn't zip up the zips.

Quote: robertwilson wrote in post #6

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And anyway surely it can't be right that if it rains at night you have to lower the roof. What happens if you need to get up to spend a penny and bang your head on the roof! I like to think that it flooded because I didn't zip up the zips.

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When you say new is brand new or new to you? We have been in the Eriba in some bad rain storms and never had any issues with water getting in from the canvas. If you have left the poptop vent open then this will have been the source of the water getting in with the driving rain.
The canvas can lose its waterproofing over the years which will require it to be reproofed with the correct solution, be careful when washing the van as detergents can strip out the waterproofing from the canvas.

Been in storms,rain and floods in France (and the UK - several times ) - and never found the need to lower the roof in these situations ! Always kept the 'vent zips' fully closed in these situations ! :)

If the rain was seriously torrential, it might just be splashing off the roof getting through the vents.

Have you checked the seal on the door. Our door was a terrible fit and let water in . If the water was on the floor, it would soon cover a small area.

I can confirm this one, I am just in my van in the lake district, I am cooking our tea with the poptop vent open and it has started to Chuck it down,. Rain is splashing off the lower poptop and pushing fine spray through the mesh. So there you have it don't leave your vents open when you go out for the day if it forecasts rain...

100% down to leaving vents open. No need whatsoever to lower the roof, just close the vents up and let it rain as hard as it likes. We didn't take our top down all week on a recent holiday and it belted it down several nights in a row. With vents open, rain bounces in from the roof or rains directly in when going sideways. When vents are closed, it doesn't. Simple.

Thats good to hear chaps especially poptop and the vast majority, thanks guys . I must say that the missus was not having it that you have to lower the roof when rain strikes . Just a case of silly me for not zipping up when we went out, after all the van is brand new. Pretty envious of you Poptop being in your van even if its chucking it down.