Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:49:12 -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: Poptop Tent Material; Breathability Means ....
In-Reply-To: <4db4ef3c.81a5e60a.1241.5681@mx.google.com>
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> Means it passes vapor but not liquid water - at least in the
> circles I move in. Keeps your oilies from being wetter on
> the inside than the outside. Tents too I would think.
Correct.
>Sounds like the 2 extra windows would compensate
> plenty for any possible extra "keeping" of heat with acrylic.
Not necessarily. If the air is chilly at night you may not want to leave
your windows open when you turn in, but by morning when the sun is beating
down on the camper it can be sweltering. In those situations a more
breathable fabric will keep you from waking up drenched in sweat. On the
other hand if most of your camping is winter / cold weather camping, an
acrylic tent that traps air inside might be a better choice. Think of the
clothes you wear. In cold weather a nonbreathable material (nylon, for
example) will trap your body heat, which you might not mind, but you
certainly wouldn't want to dress like that in warm weather.
> I would be getting a 3 window version.
They are all 3 window versions. Even the current German production is
3-window.
> In terms of durability, Sunbrella will outlast canvas by a good margin.
An OEM German poptop canvas will generally outlast your need for it.
Consider that your original canvas poptop tent probably lasted, what, 20 or
25 years? If the replacement lasts as long, it will probably outlast your
ownership of the Vanagon. The key is to make sure that the poptop canvas
gets a chance to dry out. My family and I often camp at music festivals,
rain or shine, and even if it pours all night we leave our poptop (with
cotton canvas) open. Often it is necessary to close the top and drive home
with the canvas still wet. However I make sure to open the poptop and let
the canvas air out the first dry day we get. Under those conditions I have
never had a problem and my original canvas has lasted me 30 years plus on
many campers. Acrylic will be more forgiving if you just close a wet poptop
and never air it out. While mildew may form, it can simply be wiped off.
> Sunbrella is used fairly extensively in the boating industry for boat
covers and such.
For which it is ideally suited. Boat covers are exposed to continuous strong
sunlight reflected off of the water, so fade resistance is extremely
important. Breathability is not all that important for a boat cover, nor is
the stiffness of the material. Different application, different needs.
> I would recommend NOT going with an acrylic canvas no matter how well made
it is.
> They are very stiff and miserable to work with. I have installed many
Westy Tents over
> the years and only one acrylic one (I learned my lesson on the first one).
Very hard to
> install because the material is thicker and stiffer. Then you get it
installed and when
> you go to pop the top up and down it is a much bigger pain.
So on the plus side, Sunbrella lasts long, won't fade, and is more forgiving
if you close your poptop wet and don't subsequently air it out. On the minus
side it is harder to install, harder to fold when closing the top, and
doesn't breathe. Both have advantages and drawbacks; each has its supporters
and detractors. Since we sell both for about the same price, you can decide
which side of the fence you're on. Speaking for myself, when the time comes
I will install another OEM German canvas. The quality of the original is
time-proven to last decades - not just the material itself but the
stitching, zippers, etc. - and the fit is absolutely dead-on. Now that it
has three windows as well, I see little room for improvement.
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot, Inc.
www.busdepot.com
(215) 234-VWVW
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