Dumb question but...

[Jared]

What exactly is a safari roof? I've seen them and know what they look like, but never had one on my truck.

[NelsAnderson]

The safari roof is a combination of two things: a secondary roof above the normal one, with an air space between the two, plus several vents that open in the main roof into that air space. The secondary roof, I believe, is always white in order to better reflect the sun. The vents serve to capture cooler air and force it down into the interior.

[BirdNerd]

Thanks Nels,

All this time I thought the purpose of the secondary panel on the roof was to give the Wasps a nice warm dry space to hide.

p

[Leslie]

The secondary roof is called a sunsheet. In addition to the sunsheet and vents, it will also have the alpine windows.

Usually it is referred to as a tropical top. It is found on "station wagon" models, with simpler roofs on non-station wagon versions.

Of course, they're easy to flip around, so just because it is a "station wagon" or not doesn't mean as much as it originally did.

FWIW...

[sayers]

I have a 1974 series with the sunsheet, but not the alpine windows and the air vents, this is the way it came from the factory. Also the color of my series is limestone. If you ordered or bought a series this color you could get the sunsheet painted limestone and not white. If you got a pastel green rover or other color then the top would be white. I have an orginial series that has not been modified or changed in anyway. It is just like it came off the factory line. I also have the window sticker and the sunsheet or tropical roof option in 74 was $61.30

[Clive]

This is Land Rover jargon, but I believe (and correct me if I am wrong!) Land Rover called the second skin (about 1 inch above the main roof) a "Tropical Roof" and was an option, mostly used in the tropical countries where the bulk of LR sales were in the 50s, 60s and 70s. It worked extremely well helping keep the interior cool - that and the relatively small amount of near vertical glass. The roof generally came with four manual vents into the cabin roof. It also had what Land rover called "Alpine Windows" which are the windows on the side of the roof panel. Discoveries maintained this uniquley Land Rover hallmark through the SI and II. I don't think the LR3 has them?

[JeffB]

The tropical roof (or safari roof) is fantastic at keeping the interior cool! During a hot summer here in Virginia, it typically reduces interior temps by a FULL 1 degree Fahreheit over the standard roof!

[Leslie]

I have a 1974 series with the sunsheet, but not the alpine windows and the air vents, this is the way it came from the factory.

I don't know whether this has been confirmed or not, but according to ECR's site, there possibly was a cancelled export order to the Middle East, of a special run of tops with the sunsheet without the vents and alpines.... ( http://www.eastcoastrover.com/INFOSeriesIIIUSA.html )


FWIW.....

[sayers]

In reply to leslie, this is possible on the truck having the sunsheet, but no alpine windows, I thnk that rovers north is going to post my window sticker and factory line ticket, so this may help in this mystery.

[NelsAnderson]

Living in Massachusetts I'm not really sure how effect the safari roof is on my 109 Station Wagon in the summer. I did notice this fall, though, that I had a bloody cold draft the first day I needed the heat on but had forgotten to close the roof vents!