Date:         Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:27:30 -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: Sunbrella
Comments: cc: jpalmer@MYMTS.NET
In-Reply-To:  <COL401-EAS2156869F123B6EB6C048238B8810@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Thinking about new canvas for my 85. Maybe Sunbrella. Just wondering if
there is
> one manufacturer and many distributors or many manufacturers?


Sunbrella is a registered trade mark for one particular brand of
solution-dyed acrylic fabric, but other companies make similar material
under other names. People tend to generically call solution-dyed acrylic
Sunbrella just as they refer to tissues as Kleenex, but technically if it's
not made by Glen Raven it's not "Sunbrella."  Personally, I'm not a fan of
acrylic (of any brand) when it comes to poptop canvas. It's great for marine
applications but it makes a lousy tent fabric, and Westy poptop canvas is
more like a tent than a boat cover.  We do offer it for those who feel
differently, but personally I wouldn't use it on my own Westy. We have an
article on this issue at http://www.busdepot.com/details/canvas/. 

If I can throw a plug in here, our new in-house poptop canvas is top notch.
Frankly it's a near clone of the original for much less money. It will hold
its own to the most expensive ones out there, bar none, despite the lower
price.  It is linked from the above page, as are our OE German and acrylic
options. 

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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