Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:29:39 -0500
Reply-To: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@WHISPLLC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@WHISPLLC.COM>
Subject: Re: Anyone ever use standard awning rails on a vanagon?
In-Reply-To: <C1D211F4-5CBF-474B-B815-2E61FAD7446A@KNOLOGY.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi Ive not been follow this link but the item in the picture is called Awning "C" Channel and comes in about 5 profiles or angles that the C is open. Ive got
some in stock if interested. also the item to fill the channel is called filler rail and another called Keder Welt and usually in your choice of black or white. It will
slip into the C Channel. Also the C channel is Aluminum and the filler rail is a hard plastics and Keder Welt is like a Fabric covered hard plastic tubing. that
can be sewn with a commercial machine. Keder welt is usually used in Large commercial and industrial applications and Plastic filler rail is the norm for RVs
and Lighter duty items.
Now if it were me and I had a C channel installed. I would make a filler rail and attach to a separating Marine Zipper. Then Just leave one half with the Bus
and the other to just Zip on when needed. You could even put one on each side and just zip on one side of the bus or the other. Not a Big deal Standard
Marine Goodies. Ive not made one since I don't like putting holes in Roofs. Issues with Dissimilar metal corrosion and leakage. I do it all the time for
customers but have a tough time doing it for myself.
Hope I helped instead of confusing more.
C-ya Jonce
>OK, I get it now that I have seen the pictures. Thanks so much. My
>original intent was to affix the rail so that the awning could be
>used with the top up or down. I see that that is probably not
>possible to do a top-down option on the poptop westy. It looks as if
>your configuration mounts the rail so high up that the top and seals
>don't even touch it when they close, but close over it so that it is
>accessible only when the top is up. That's OK by me, though if anyone
>can figure out how to install an awning rail to work both up and
>down, let me know.
>To comment on Loren Busch's post that followed this one, no, you
>probably can't use a metal rod. I have had canvas roof repaired that
>went to old-school campers. The only thing you can do is take a tarp
>to (or buy material from) a canvas shop and have them sew in a
>flexible piping made for a system like this. They will know what you
>are talking about and will have the right stuff.
>This system makes a great seal, by the way, and is very easy to
>install and take down. You just slip one end in the rail and walk
>down the length of the van. That's it.
>Jim
>On Feb 21, 2007, at 12:50 PM, Richard A Jones wrote:
>> Jim:
>>
>> I took some pix with the top popped and with it almost
>> closed. Pictures are worth a 1000 words--plus, I didn't
>> remember very well how the rail was installed. I would
>> have said the flange was up, not down!
>>
>> At the rear, when the top is closed, the flange of the
>> rail is right behind the rubber of the seal. Farther
>> forward, I think it is just above the rubber. It comes
>> down at the rear end, I think, because of the poptop
>> hinge, or maybe it is just the shape of the roof.
>>
>> See:
>> http://jones.colorado.edu/jones/VWAwningRail
>> for the five pix.
>>
>> To answer an unask question: I had my Carefree Sidewinder
>> on my '81 and just moved it to the Syncro. If I had not had
>> the Sidewinder, I would have explored using the awning rail.
>>
>> Richard
>> Boulder
>>
>>
Jonce Fancher
56 Single Cab
66 Sunroof Bug
66 Variant Squareback
66 Porsche 912
71 Sunroof Bus
84 Vanagon "Gottfried"
85 Vanagon Westi
2003 10 Passenger Sprinter
Fancher's Upholstery Inc. - www.fanchers.com
Not-A-VW Club- http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jaransont3/notavwclub/
