Frage Closure of Pop Top

Does anyone know how to close the pop top on a Club City Joker on your own? The only way I can close it is to get my partner to push the strut inwards from outside while I pull the pull-down handle from inside. Because the pressure on the strut is towards the van I am unable to close the pop top on my own from within the vehicle. Does anyone have a solution please.

I have added an additional photo of the anchor point on the underside of the pop top roof. It is apparent that simple swapping the positions of the piston and rod elements would still leave the locking pushbutton on the outside. Rotating both the van roof anchor point and the attached rod and tube piece together through 180 degrees results in the locking pushbutton on the correct side for operation inside the vehicle. Alternatively, if the preferred location of the tube and rod piece is above the piston, the same re-orientation of the anchor and tube and rod piece applies. Two points to note however. Changing the position of the anchor and tube and rod piece would be different to that on the other side of the vehicle, which may result in an undesirable distribution of forces for the pop top opening and closing mechanism. Secondly, the exposed bolts and fixing nuts would be on the inside closest to the pop top fabric which may increase the possibility of the pop top fabric becoming snagged and damaged. Again, I would be grateful for any feedback. I am grateful to those people who have provided comments so far.

I am now of the opinion that a non-Westfalia rod and tube part has been installed with the locking pushbutton on the wrong side for internal van operation. Does anyone know where I can order a genuine Westfalia part?

You should have to push the right gas strut _outwards_ slightly through the roof fabric, where the "push" symbol is, to disengage the lockout. (As you write in english, If you're from the UK: I have no idea if there's a "mirrored"/RHD interior of the Club Joker City, and on which side that strut sits in these model.)

If you have to push inwards, maybe someone mounted the strut the wrong way around?
The red "push" plastic piece might be all that has to be pulled and rotated by 180?

Hi Martin,
I have added four photographs.

It appears that it has been installed the wrong way round and there is no facility to rotate it 180 degrees.

Regards,
Michael 

Looks like the red part is in the wrong way around. Attached how it looks here (photo from inside)


edit: now it made click: looks like your strut is upside down compared to mine? For me: the pressurized part
is on the bottom, the thin strut inside the tube on the top. 

That is very strange but explains why it is reversed. I am a loss to understand how this has come about. Is this a Westfalia mistake in construction? I think unlikely unless someone else has come across this with their campervan. 
The obvious question is, can the struts be refitted in the reverse positions to rectify the problem?

Looks like it slipped through QC, looks like Westfalia assembly quality dropped quite a bit in recent years, rumour says especially during the Pandemic (my hot water boiler was certainly installed with multiple masks on).

Make a warranty claim if still possible. Hope your dealer treats you better than mine 🙈

I bet the strut just has to be flipped.

actually, the proper way to mount a gas strut is with the thin part downwards, because otherwise the seal in the reservoir (the thick part) dries out.

Hi Willi, yes, your advice on orientation concurs with what I have subsequently found out from manufacturers.
I bought my Westfalia secondhand, so it is possible that it has had a strut replacement and been incorrectly installed.

Thanks