Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:32:58 -0400
Reply-To: Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Replacing Canvas on Westy
In-Reply-To: <35EBB2CA40D44A90A5847D11EB9EE170@RON>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hey Ron,
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing more information. I've been
meaning to contact you about the top but have been dragging my feet since
I'm not looking forward to the replacement process. I'm glad that I'm the
only one who has seen this top deteriorate and will add a little more usage
history from my top in case it helps explain what I am seeing with it.
The first tear was at one of the side zippers which was binding in the
closed position (I've since stopped zipping them all the way closed to avoid
this) and when I finally broke the zipper free I had managed to tear the
fabric a bit near the zipper. This was a few months after I had
purchased/installed the tent. From there I've been very careful with the
tent because it tore pretty easily in that case. Also, the side zippers
often are sticky after being left in one position for a day or two. I'll
try your lubrication suggestions which I haven't done. I have noticed the
zipper track (name?) becoming distorted at the slider position after a few
days in one position. Usually this is associated with flapping in
winds/etc. but if the side zippers were the size of the front I doubt this
would be a problem. The top has been on my van about three and a half years
and in those years there have been at least three periods of more than a
month where I've camped on the coast with the top up almost continuously.
This has resulted in a lot of sun exposure and often light dampness at night
during those periods. The top has typically dried out the each day during
these times. I've been driving Westies for more than a decade so have
learned to keep the top dry when it is stored, to roll it up so that it
never hangs out of the seals, etc. This top has been treated well beyond
the beach time that I spoke of above and left down for the most of the time
that it's been installed.
The tears have popped up in different places and not at the normal spots
(middle sides, middle back). Two of them showed up when I was washing the
top last year (mild soap and water, long-handle brush) and indicated to me
that the top was getting worse. I suspect that all of the tears may be
associated with a spot where small damage had previously occurred at some
point though I'm not sure. The fabric tears very easily along it
weave/grain, like paper, once a hole or small tear appears somewhere which
is why I suspect this.
I will definitely call you when it comes time to get a new top and will be
glad to send this one back so that you can experiment with it and compare it
to others if that is helpful. I'm glad others haven't had trouble but I
still think it's helpful to advise care in handling of these tops based on
my experience. Most of us do hope to get a decade or more out of these
things between the awkward replacement process.
Jonathan Poole
'83 AC Westy
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 8:33 AM, The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com> wrote:
> > It has been on my van for a little over 3 years and while
> > I do use my van more than most it should have lasted longer.
> > It has started to break down and may be dry rotted as
> > there are small tears that have shown up in odd places...
> >
> > For the record I've been buying from Bus Depot for years and
> > have always been/still am happy with them, etc. and will keep
> > buying from them, except for this tent. They are a great
> > resource for sure.
>
>
> Jonathan,
>
> Sorry to hear about your experience with your canvas. When it comes time to
> replace your canvas again, email me directly and I'll see what I can do in
> terms of giving you a substantial discount on your next one.
>
> I have to say I'm a bit perplexed because we've had no other complaints
> whatsoever about the OEM canvas ripping prematurely, so yours would seem to
> be an isolated case. As a rule, when a poptop canvas rips or rots it's due
> to either being closed when wet and not reopened to dry out at the next
> convenient time, or not being tucked in properly when closed (so a tiny bit
> either gets caught, or hangs out and is exposed to wind and rain while
> driving). A sticking zipper can also cause a rip, just like on a camping
> tent, especially if the canvas is already stressed or worn for some other
> reason. A periodic application of liquid soap, beeswax, or lip balm on the
> zippers can reduce that likelihood dramatically.
>
> We do sell other options (including an aftermarket European made one, and a
> U.S. made Sunbrella one), but the OEM one consistently gets the highest
> customer feedback. Customers of course do find plusses and minuses about
> all of the varions options, but as a rule the only gripes I hear about the
> OEM one are minor personal-preference type things (such as some people
> preferring the late-style front-window zipper/velcro arrangement better and
> some thinking it's worse), never quality issues. The fit has always been
> dead on, the stitching quality is good, I haven't had anyone else report
> any
> ripping, and I can only recall one other report of a broken zipper. I have
> customers who have been using the OEM canvas for years and it still looks
> like new (as might be expected given that the original one tended to last
> 10-15 years or longer). Based on the comparative long term feedback for all
> the brands, I plan to use the OEM one myself when the time comes. But as I
> said, we do offer an aftermarket Sunbrella canvas and an aftermarket Cotton
> one for those who prefer another alternative. (The aftermarket European one
> is actually our most popular one, because it is good quality and very
> reasonably priced.)
>
> - Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> www.busdepot.com
> (215) 234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>
>
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