Date:         Fri, 30 Aug 2002 11:38:57 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Best quality poptop seal?
In-Reply-To:  <OE45DbzCUZtQctlK9tX0000d42b@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

>  I just replaced mine with the seal from GoWesty. It is not the same
> as the original seal at all ... the adhesive is black and can be messy
>  if used in excess... I feel a clear sealant would be easier to work
>  with. Also, don't let the roofrack bolts fall down inside your bus!
> I tied a tiny piece of wire to each to prevent this from happening.
> I shopped around and the kit from GoWesty was the most affordable
> especially considering VW wanted $500 for the original seal!


The complete Go Westy kit is the same price as mine ($79 for theirs, versus
$78 for mine with listmember discount).
But not all kits are the same.  Mine is better, and exclusive to the Bus
Depot.  This was my very first product when I started the Bus Depot, and
over the years I have refined it further to make it easier to install, more
reliable, and closer to stock.  By comparison, the others just sell a
generic length of weatherstrip and call it "poptop seal."

1)  Mine is the only poptop seal kit that requires no adhesive. It simply
clips on, using no-rust impregnated aluminum clips. Not just the poptop and
luggage rack sections, but even the front seal section (between the two).
It holds permanently, with no glue and no mess.

2)  My poptop seal is custom made to my specs, specifically for VW campers,
not a generic seal.  The location of the "insulation bulb" is just slightly
lower, and closer to the location of the insulation flap on the original VW
seal.  Also, the finish is a bit smoother, closer to the stock look.  By
comparison, my competitors just ship a generic, off-the-shelf length of
weatherstrip as "poptop seal."

3)  Whereas the other suppliers simply ship a shorter length of the same
generic "poptop seal" as a luggage rack seal, I ship a specialized luggage
rack seal.  It is not, and should not be, the same as the poptop seal.  If
you look at the original VW luggage rack seal, it really isn't a "seal" at
all but more of a decorative trim that matches the poptop seal. In fact it
has no insulation bulb that seals the luggage rack to the roof top.  There's
a good reason for that. If you look at your luggage rack you'll see that it
has holes for rainwater drainage. That rainwater must then get past the
luggage rack trim to the van's rain gutter. A tight sealing seal can trap
rainwater under your luggage rack.  My seal allows correct drainage.  As a
second benefit, its design makes it possible to install it without having to
remove or loosen your luggage rack, as you can (just barely) fit it in place
with the rack intact (saving you a lot of installation time/hassle).
However, I should note that in the case of wind noise caused by a loose
luggage rack, it may be neccessary to remove/tighten the luggage rack after
all (or even, in extreme circumstances, use a bulbed seal, which we can
supply, although this is rarely necessary and not recommended unless
absolutely needed).

So, I can safely say that you can not get a better poptop seal kit for your
Westy than mine, anywhere or at any price.

My part number for the complete kit is WESTYRUBBER.  Make sure to ask for
your listmember discount.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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