Better A'van Roof Lock

The A'van (left) has no gentle lead in. The one on the right requires almost no force at all.

All early model A'vans had a ceiling/roof locking lever similar to the one pictured above on the right. The gentle lead in makes locking the walls in place so much easier, particularly if you are a short woman. Simple remove the four screws and drill a series of holes to match the sample. Finish off by filing smooth. We have one of those tiny belt sanders so we cheated a bit by using it! To finish off put a small radius on each of the outside corners. All in all this a fiddly job but a very worthwhile one. Our USA friends have advised up that their vans have the radiused lead in type. If you are handy with metal you can increase roof integrity by replacing or augmenting the rear pad bolts and fitting another lever lock. Doing this will positively lock the walls to the roof and increase resistance to wind quite markedly.

Bob Eustace