Date:         Sun, 6 Jun 2010 10:29:40 -0700
Reply-To:     Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: sliding door screen
Comments: To: Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <397A9387B1B64A08BFC2A65667AC8C41@OwnerPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Regarding the mid-door opening, if you are building from scratch you might really want to consider magnets on one flap and metal washers/disks on the other.  While the commercial offerings utilize zippers (or your alternative velcro suggestion) the one-handedness of the magnetic closure is vastly easier to deal with, especially considering that you might be carrying something while going in or out.  We simply push one of the flaps open, the magnets release and let the flaps part, and when they fall back together the magnets pull the flaps closed again, no hands required.  Seriously, nice and easy.

Stephen

--- On Sat, 6/5/10, Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA> wrote:

From: Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: sliding door screen
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010, 7:33 PM

Here's my idea for screening for the sliding door and the rear hatch -
adhesive Velcro! No gaps, no snaps, easy-peasy.

I want my screens to be easy to attach and absolutely impenetrable to all
bugs - right down to no see'ums. You get your bug-free netting, cut it to
size and sew or stick one side of the Velcro tape to it. Then stick the
other side of the adhesive Velcro to the frame of the hatch or side door.
When you want to set it up, you just press one side of the Velcro against
the door frame strip; slide your finger along until the whole screen is
attached and voila! - you are screened in and enjoying the breezes sans
bugs.

I'm making a one-piece screen for the hatch, and you could easily go with a
one-piece for the side door also. But for ease of entry and just general
classiness, I want to emulate Stephen's wife and make a mid-door opening,
which would also be Velcro.

You can check out the tape at
http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Sticky-Back-Fastener-Dispenser-90086/dp/B00006I
C2L?tag=dogpile-20 but it is easily available at most hardware stores and
probably Home Depot, etc for less.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone tried it before?

Cheers, Pat 1982 Westy - 'Otter'



Date:    Fri, 4 Jun 2010 14:59:13 -0700

From:    Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>

Subject: Re: sliding door screen



My bride, a talented seamstress, made a slider screen modeled after the GoW=
esty item out of no-see-um netting with grey vinyl border, but with the low=
er hem weighted by BBs in it to rest against the floor, and a magnetic clos=
ure instead of a zipper (GREAT for ease of entry/exit).=A0 We used existing=
screws in the curtain tray to anchor some snaps and drilled for others in =
the tray and in front of and behind the slider opening.=A0 It is indeed dif=
ficult to fit around some of the Westy obstacles but it seems to work prett=
y well.=A0=A0However, we have not=A0camped in=A0a full summer bug assault y=
et.

=A0

Stephen



--- On Thu, 6/3/10, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:





From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>

Subject: Re: sliding door screen

To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

Date: Thursday, June 3, 2010, 10:34 AM





---- Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Tell me more about the sliding door screen. What year is your van?

> Does anybody know what the difference is for the arrangement of the

> early (as =

in

> through 83) and later sliding door is? I have access to both style

> interi=

ors

> to look at, if need be, but I have no idea how the screen attaches. It

> is=

 an

> 83 I am wanting to put the screen in.



I have a sliding door screen in my 1991 VW Vanagon GL Campmobile.=A0 I inst=
alled it following directions from the vendor (GoWesty).=A0 The screen itse=
lf is of excellent quality.=A0 However, I am very dissatisfied with my inst=
allation, and frankly, I can see no way that it could be installed so as to=
fit tightly and function to keep out insects, with all the things it has t=
o fit over and around.=A0 It is particularly problematic at night if I have=
a light in the cabin.=A0 that attracts the critters.=A0 In these parts, th=
e brown scarabs called locally "June bugs" are particularly bothersome, and=
of course some mosquitoes certainly find their way in.=A0 It does seem to =
exclude houseflies, which are numerous at some public campgrounds, and admi=
ts fewer mosquitoes than no screen at all.



If anyone knows how to fit it tightly to the frame, and could advise me, I =
might try to redo it, though of course I would have extra snaps in place.



David McNeely