Rollerboard Sleeve = Single Zipper Only? My Pilot Slides Around My Luggage Handles

[bohnfan87]

I picked up a Pilot and it's great. Except for the rollerboard sleeve zippered area. It's only secured by a single zipper which means you can't limit the width of the opening, which means the pilot bag slides around the handles of the luggage you mate it onto.

My only other past experience with a bag of this design (meant to mate over the handles of a luggage) is a RedOxx bag and they have a dual zipper setup on their sleeve. Which means you can open the sleeve area up exactly to the dimensions of your rollerboard luggage handles and it will be dead center aligned.

Before ordering the Pilot I didn't think to ask because I assumed TB would do the same thing. RedOxx is well behind the curve on R&D and TB is world's ahead on advancement so I just assumed the technology of dual zippers on the luggage sleeve compartment in my 4 year old RedOxx bag would have made it into TB.

Is there a reason why the Pilot's rollerboard area only uses a single zipper? I was really set on ordering a Western Flyer, whenever they were up for production again, in the rollerboard style, but if they too use a single zipper, then I'll pass. Anyone know?

Am I just doing something wrong? Is this an oversight on TB's design team's part? Or an intentional decision to save 3 grams of weight by only including one zipper? I feel like the only solutions I have are:

A) Attach a bunji cord to lock it down to the luggage, which would add much more weight and complexity than a second zipper pull.

B) Only unzip the compartment just enough to slide it over the luggage, even though it would be extremely lopsided since it's sliding on over the right side only, and just ignore how terrible the asymmetrical appearance looks.

C) Find a sewing shop that can add a second zipper pull for $50 or so since they'd have to completely disassemble the bag.

Are all TB bags with the luggage mating feature like (with a single zipper) this or just the pilot?

[TavaPeak]

I had a similar issue. The near-empty Pilot wouldn't stay put on the bag handle. Once the Pilot was packed with clothing in the large pocket, the sliding issue was better. However, the zipper on my Pilot kept opening, and then the bag would flop again.

I returned the Pilot for now, because I decided to go with a Synapse 19 for an upcoming trip. The organization of the front Pilot pockets are ideal for my needs--so it was a tough decision. Love being able to put a Side Effect on one side (with my 7" tablet in the suede pocket behind it), and a 3D clear pouch on the other with my 311 items, with room for more. The front side of the Pilot is terrific!

However, one solution to add to your list might be to get large Velcro dots or strips with sticky backs, and apply them inside the top edge of the Pilot back pocket? You could experiment with placing them where they don't annoy whatever you intend to put in the pocket when it's not on a bag handle.

I'd almost prefer a tight, non-zipping wide luggage sleeve on the back of the Pilot. Hate to give up the functionality of a zipped pocket, but I need the Pilot to function well on a roller bag handle and stay put. Zippers on both ends of the pocket don't always solve the bag flop issue, because the load isn't centered.

[tpnl]

bohnfan87 and TavaPeak

Is the zipper for the rollerboard sleeve silver with a black tip? This is what my Co-Pilot has and the zipper is actually "locking" - i.e. if you take the zipper handle and put it flush with the rest of the zipper, it will not move. This works only one way - do the same thing in the other direction and it is not locked so try putting the zipper handle flush one way and check to see if you can move it. If you can, put the zipper handle flush the other way. One of those setups should lock the zipper opening. You can make the opening just the right size to pass though the rollerboard handles and lock it in place to avoid the loose "flopping around".

Locked Zipper (opening size for rollerboard is locked in place):


Unlocked Zipper:



Hope this helps

Cheers!

[Hawaii]

I recently ordered one of the last western flyers with luggage sleeve. Glad I did!

It has only one zipper but zipper can lock like previuos post. Also since the zipper area is asymetrical, the zipper unzips from right to left so that it is more centered on the handle.