pop top/sides standy weather sealing questions

[rustytoolss]

I've been looking at some pop top (soft side and hard side) and clamshell that have soft sides & hard sides trailer designs. I was just wondering if rain is a big problem. How water tight can this type of construction be ? I would like to build a standy , but sure don't want to have a leaky trailer. So how do you keep them water tight? or do you ?

[S. Heisley]

Mine is in its fifth year of camping and no problems with the roof yet. The lifting roof has sides that overlap to act sort of like eves on a house and also allow the roof to fit over what I call a docking lip. The lifting roof has weather stripping on its edges and some of the exposed plastic/rubber weather stripping gets replaced every couple years simply because of travel & camp grit, gravity, and tightness. I don't know if the plastic/rubber weather stripping is even necessary; but, I feel more secure having it there. The docking lip also acts as a barrier to water, should any water ever get past the lifting roof sides and weather stripping while traveling on the road. There may be better ways to do it; but, I'm happy with what I've got.

There are quite a few pop tops out there now. Many pop tops have been on the road longer than mine and their owners appear to still be happy with them. Look here to see many a variety of pop tops and their build journal addresses:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50969

[JaggedEdges]

My take from the designs, is that normal rain is not going to be a problem even not weather stripped. Where the problem for these type, and also door, window and hatch seal issues occur on other types is towing at speed in driving rain and spray... then... the water is not only hitting with force practically horizontally, but due to air pressure may be driven upwards, entering lapped closures from underneath.