Date:         Tue, 28 Sep 2004 09:49:36 -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:      NEW IMPROVED Poptop Canvas is Here!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Some time back I promised new Westfalia poptop canvas offerings.  After
a year in the works, I am happy to finally announce that they are a
reality.

To recap, for the last 15 years or so, there's been just one aftermarket
manufacturer of poptop canvas. So no matter where you bought your
replacement canvas (unless it was custom-sewn), you got the same
product. It is a course cotton material that, while quite functional,
looks very different from the original in terms of finish and texture.
The same factory also offers a Sunbrella synthetic fabric for about $100
more, which looks a little better but is expensive and somewhat stiff
(making it harder to close the poptop). Neither is a very authentic
match for the original (although both are of good quality). On the
bright side, this aftermarket supplier uses three screened windows with
zippered flaps, instead of just one front window.  Anyone who has had a
3-window canvas knows that this is a huge improvement over the original
VW design, in terms of ventilation and getting a nice cross-breeze going
on a hot night.

About two years ago I brought in some genuine Westfalia replacement
poptop canvas from Germany (from the company that actually supplied it
to Westfalia).  Of course they were beautiful - the same fit and finish
as the original. The quality difference was unmistakable, and they sold
out quickly. The only drawback is that, like the original, these only
had a single window.

Recognizing the potential for a "best of both worlds" product here, I
have for some time been working with the German supplier to come up with
an upgraded version of the OEM poptop canvas - the same genuine
Westfalia canvas, but with three screened windows and zippered flaps.
And now it's here. The price is $349, which is about 1/3 of what
Volkswagen charged for the single-window version.

While we were at it, we also upgraded the front mosquito screen to the
improved '90-91 design. On those years, the screen could be completely
removed, rather than just partially unzipped, allowing you to replace it
separately in the event that it ripped (i.e. you caught it in the latch
while closing it, etc.). Now all of our genuine Westfalia Vanagon canvas
has this feature.

Then I also went a step further, and sent samples of the genuine
Westfalia canvas to a European specialist to have aftermarket
reproductions made.  These are basically "knockoffs" of the
aforementioned genuine Westfalia canvas, complete with three screened
windows (although not the fully detachable screen). I must say I'm very
impressed with what they came up with. Compared to the genuine Westfalia
ones the color shade is slightly different (the tan is a bit lighter;
the gray has a hint of tan in it), the mosquito netting is darker, and
the fabric maybe just a tad lighter-weight. But they're surprisingly
close - much closer than any aftermarket canvas that has been available
until now. What's more, the price is lower - just $229, making it the
lowest priced on the market.

So now you have two choices:  A new and improved aftermarket replacement
for $229, or a top-of-the-line, better-than-original genuine Westfalia
canvas for $349.

You can find the canvas at the following links:

For '80-85...
<http://busdepot.com/catalog.jsp?model=58&category=40&group=94>

For '86-91...
<http://busdepot.com/catalog.jsp?model=43&category=40&group=94>

Incidentally, new illustrated instructions are included with both
versions. The job is not particularly difficult, but it is somewhat time
consuming (probably a day's work).

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

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