Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 11:43:35 -0500
Reply-To: The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject: Re: poptop canvas installation
In-Reply-To: <3A0ACA53.DCF2DBA3@home.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> Do you mean the style of top you installed is not what BD sells now?
> Ron?
Yes, I am using a different poptop canvas supplier now due to the
unreliability of the supplier who made Karl's canvas. The one I use now has
been making poptop canvas for about 15 years (they have more experience with
it than anybody else), and is the same company that supplies West Coast
Metrics, Rocky Mountain Motorworks, etc. (The only difference is that I
sell the canvas for a lot less money.) Basic installation is the same as
Karl described, and it also has 3 windows like the one Karl installed. It
is available in tan or gray.
The main difference is in their choice of stock material. Whereas my other
supplier favored Sunbrella, this supplier prefers to use 100% cotton canvas
(with Sunbrella offered as an option). Sunbrella is a synthetic fabric
mainly used for marine applications, and it's biggest selling points are
that its color won't fade after prolonged exposure to the sun, and that it
is very water-resistant (hence the name Sunbrella). My present supplier
feels that the sun-fade issue is not one of importance with poptop canvas,
because unlike, say, a boat sail, it is not exposed to a hot beating sun 15
hours every single day (perhaps just a few days a month), so any fading
would not even begin to occur for many years anyway. On the other hand,
they argue that Sunbrella has no give in the fabric, while cotton does,
making the cotton canvas easier to install, and easier to fold when closing
the poptop. So they feel that Sunbrella's advantages do not outweigh its
disadvantages when used for poptop canvas. My feeling is that while I
slightly prefer the look of the Sunbrella (a bit "smoother" texture compared
to cotton-based canvas), I also concur that it's no-fade properties are of
little value in this application, and therefore would probably have to weigh
in on the present supplier's side with regard to the utility of canvas vs.
sunbrella. Regarding use in rain, I have used the cotton canvas and never
had it leak even when the top was up during pouring rain; Sunbrella could be
expected to be at least as good. So presently, the "stock" canvas I sell is
cotton, but Sunbrella is available optionallly for a bit more money if
desired.
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot, Inc.
www.busdepot.com
(215) 234-VWVW
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