Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:19:12 -0400
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Canvas Replacement-I Regret Ever Buying This Van!!!!!!!!!!!!
In-Reply-To: <922342903.931060.1334502533108.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
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Jeff, every summer I have to do several of these for customers. Each
time I try to do it a little faster, with a little less effort but it
usually results in much sweating, and pain on my part. I feel like a
little piece of my soul dies each time I do this and I am running out of
pieces at this point :-) The funny thing is that I have never had to do
this for myself, only for others (customers).
Here are some hints for those intrepid list members who are going to
attempt this job this summer from someone who has done way too many:
1. Plan on doing this on the coolest day you can. So if you want to do
this job I would recommend early spring when the temps are the lowest.
On the day you are going to do it, park the van in the shade and start
early in the morning. Even a little bit of sun will make the top into a
sauna.
2. Only use a cotton canvas. I installed a Sunbrella canvas for a
customer a few years ago and I swore never to do that again. The
material is much thicker and stiffer so it makes install about twice as
hard (if not more). If you have good seals on your top and properly
close it each time the canvas will serve you well for many years to
come. Plus cotton is cheaper!
3. If you are going to get someone else to do this for you, please
contact them BEFORE you buy your canvas. Don't buy your canvas from
someone else, then call me to install it for you. I probably won't even
call you back because I am afraid I will feel sorry for you and install
it in spite of the fact that I absolutely HATE doing this job and only
do it for good customers that I really like or as part of a larger job.
Buying the canvas through the installer will help them not heap as many
curses on you and your generations to come as they would otherwise.
:-) Also it helps them assure the quality of what they are installing
is good and then make a little bit extra off of it for themselves. You
want them to NOT hate you for life afterwards.
4. Use a box or piece of wood to prop up the top to about half open
while installing the bottom edge of the canvas. This will allow you to
install the bottom edge more easily than if you were trying to do it
with the top up (I would say that would be impossible) or the top just
laying completely on you while working (horror show). Another way I
describe doing this job is "Nailing yourself inside your own coffin."
If you are going to do that you want as much room as possible to avoid
the "Kill Bill" effect where you freak out and karate chop your way
through the pop top because of claustrophobia. Use a prop to make this
a little easier.
5. Use a magnetic dish to hold all of the screws. There are almost 100
small screws holding the top and bottom of the pop top canvas in place!
Imagine putting them into a coffee can or something similar and as you
writhe around in the heat and sweat you knock that can over and the
screws go every where. BTDT. Use a magnetic tray to hold all of the
screws that way when you kick it or bump it you still have everything
you need to put this thing back together.
6. Take pictures before you take stuff apart. Because of the soul
rending nature of this work, most folks will give up in a fit of self
hatred about halfway through and then wait a while to start again (next
lifetime). If you use your cell phone to take pictures before you take
anything apart, you will always have a reference when you start again
and forget everything. BTDT as well.
7. Use a hand screw driver of the proper size. I know it is tempting to
use a power drill screw driver to whip these bad boys out. However the
screw heads are small and tend to strip out or sometimes the shank will
break if you put too much pressure on it. Doing 100 screws with a
battery drill is taxing on your arm even more so than just doing it by
hand. I recommend using a small screw driver that is the proper size
for the screw removal and also replacement. Poking a hole in your brand
new canvas with your power drill bit is an event that will make a
preacher curse and throw things. Of course I have never done this
myself :-) Putting things back by hand will prevent puncturing the
canvas and slipping off the screw heads less likely.
I guess that is my advice for now. If you are going to do this job, do
it now before it really starts to get hot! You will thank me later.
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
On 4/15/2012 11:08 AM, J Stewart wrote:
> Wow, at it already for two hours this morning and dripping wet with sweat, I just love it when you can't already see then have sweat dripping into eyes causing them to burn. Gotta be one of the worst damn jobs ever. To recap: At least 8 hours spent so far, numerous cuts and blisters on both hands, sweating so much band aids have come off the blisters. Working towards the rear of the Westy top is miserable for someone 6'4" and 195 (maybe 192 with how much I am sweating) makes me long for a Riviera with its much more sensible straight up pop top. 75 year old neighbor is probably contemplating selling her house after all the colorful language she has probably heard over the last two days. About 10 more screws to go on my LAST canvas replacement EVER!
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