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Sliding Canopy Latch Arm

lrfrey

Well Known Member
I spent quite a little time getting the latch arm trimed to fit and work properly on my 7A sliding canopy... but that was done with the bubble off the frame. Duh! :eek: Of course, now with the bubble installed it is too loose and will not stay latched.

I made a new one and have it close to trimed, my question is how much "pull" should it exert on the canopy frame? Not enough and it won't stay latched, too much and it will distort the frame. Just wondering.

Larry
 
Larry:

I would suggest you use the same guideline that is used when setting the force needed to close a quick-release bike wheel.

Make it so that when you first start feeling resistance to latching, the handle should be about 90 degrees from the postion it will be when it is closed.

Error at first on the too tight side, and then file the inside of the latch arm that captures the rollbar ever so slightly until you can close the canopy with no flex being noted. Its a trial and error type of thing.
 
C-654-1 Latch Arm - hard to fit

OK - I totally messed up trimming this one. Actually it is OK, but too loose... the canopy can move back about 1/16" when the latch is closed.

I have two questions:
1) The spring seems to pull the latch open, not closed. What did I do wrong? In fact have to hold the handle in the closed position or the spring pulls it open.

2) Any tips on making my next latch arm in the 1st pass?
 
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Make the bottom of the slot in the arm just deep enough so the handle rotates slightly past center when the canopy is latched.
 
If you're planning on putting weatherstripping in between you may wish to make it looser still. Second chance? :D
 
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canopy latch spring

Make the bottom of the slot in the arm just deep enough so the handle rotates slightly past center when the canopy is latched.
Somehow this is my problem. There is no "over center" to it at all and the spring doesn't do what it should.

What is the spring for?

canopy%2520latch.jpg


In the closed "stretched out" picture from the plans, it is pulling on both the latch arm and the handle. The latch arm can't move toward the spring (because of the pin in the roll bar) but the handle rotates freely, clockwise in this view from above. That is what is happening to me - the spring pulls the handle towards the unlocked position even when the latch arm in in place.
 
the spring has nothing to do with

the over center function of the latch. It is only there to open the arm fully so that the notch in the arm will reach thepin on the front rollover weldment while engaging the latch. The over center action comes from the relative depths of the notch in c654 and the notch at the end of the arm. Sounds like the notch in the arm that swallows the big pin #667 isnt deep enough to allow over center latching...
 
Sounds like the notch in the arm that swallows the big pin #667 isnt deep enough to allow over center latching...
You might be right Terry - I didn't do much with that notch.. just opened its width up a little allow teh 667 bushing to fit inside. Maybe I'll deepen it and see what happens. Ed sent me some awesome video of how its supposed to work and I'm not getting any over-center action at all.
 
I too thought I had this task done until I mounted the windscreen (before glassing it in.) At first it closed nice and tight, but with the windscreen on, I could see and hear it distorting the windscreen when I latched it. I figured I did not want the windscreen creaking and moving every time I latched the canopy. I removed just a slight bit of material from the C-654-1 latch where it contacts the latch pin when in the closed and latched position. This did loosen it up a good bit, so if you try that method, go easy - a very very little bit of removed material goes along way here.
 
I could see and hear it distorting the windscreen when I latched it.
Thanks Mike - I'm removing plexiglass where needed on the edge of the windscreen so that when the canopy is all the way closed there is a gap all the way around between windscreen plexi and slider plexi. I figure the gap will be under the fairing and I can put a piece of good size weatherstripping on one of the tubes to close up any air drafts.
 
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