Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:51:42 -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: sliding door screens
In-Reply-To: <004b01c6682d$35d18b60$6a01a8c0@emachine>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Was this a factory screen item with all vanagon westies?
>
> I don't have my westy at home right now.are their existing
> snaps inside the van door or will I need to install them?
>
> Does it hang down at the bottom and touch the floor or will
> every bug in the world simply go under the bottom?
To my knowledge a side screen was never offered in the U.S. at all, but was
an option in Germany. Some time ago I scored an N.O.S. one on a trip to
Germany (which I now use in my own Westy), and the repro's we sell are exact
copies of that original, warts and all.
What I mean is that this is one of the few things that the Westfalia
engineers did not design perfectly, IMHO. The fit is good, but not
exceptional. They put a few of the snaps in odd locations (in my opinion),
and there are a couple of small gaps where a bug could find its way in. (The
bottom hangs pretty low so it's difficult for bugs to get under the screen.)
In that regard it's kind of like a side tent; the connection between the
side tent and van is not hermetically sealed, but it's good enough to keep
the vast majority of bugs out. Someday when I have time (yeah, right :-)
I'd like to make some design mods - this is one of the few things I think I
could design better than the good people at Westfalia did - but even as it
is, it works well enough that I make good use of mine.
I should also mention that the original (and hence the repro) ws designed
for vans with the later ('85-up air) style ducting above the sliding door,
so it will fit better on those than on earlier ones. Also, it was designed
for Westfalias, and while it will work on non-Westies, again the fit is not
quite as good.
Even if not perfect, the screen is a worthwhile thing to have, as it really
improves ventilation inside the van when camping. The screen has a zipper
in the center for getting in and out without unsnapping it, and comes with
the snaps for installing it. If you click on the Gray link below, you can
see how one looks installed on the van (albeit not detailed enough to show
the snap locations).
http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=255413 (Gray)
http://busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=253603 (Brown)
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot, Inc.
www.busdepot.com
(215) 234-VWVW
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