Date:         Thu, 5 Sep 2019 02:07:00 +0000
Reply-To:     Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Size of Westy side window opening vs. Tintop
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BL0PR20MB2098F17FE55670546322995BA0BB0@BL0PR20MB2098.namprd20.prod.outlook.com>
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 OK, this is starting to make sense.  VW at design meeting (maybe on a Frydaye) agreed that looks and "aerodynamics" and ease of use dictated.  Plus, they had the pop top with a roof vent.  Pop top surely allows MAJOR exit of interior heat, and roof vent even more....the couple inches of loss at window side opening was weighed against ease of use.  Still....a lot of trouble regarding parts and fabrication and replacement...but that was 15 or 20 or 30 years down the line.
Makes sense.  The potential of turning a Tintop into a camper was not an issue for them at this design meeting...understandable.
For me, having previously owned an old air-cooled 70 Baywindow, I made homemade screens out of wooden frames with grooves on the underside to match glass windows lifting up, and they were installed at night when camping....on front doors; they worked kinda OK.  When I got my 85 Vanagon Tintop, I was thrilled with side opening windows in the sleeping area, but I immediately recognized the importance of letting heat ventilate upward.  So I bought a 14" x 14" standard articulating roof vent from a local RV shop, gritted my teeth.....and used a Sabre saw with a metal cutting blade to cut a giant hole in my Vanagon roof!  It all came out immaculate.
So now, that's still the configuration:  hot air passes up out of the roof vent, and then later in the night the cool air comes back down in.  The side windows and screens enhance all of this.
So...I guess a couple inches here or there on side windows.....not a big deal.  OK, at least now I understand this mystery.
Rich
San Diego







    On Wednesday, September 4, 2019, 6:26:59 PM PDT, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:  
 
 The Westys have the screens on the inside with the latches relocated to allow the windows to close without the latches having to pass the screen. Westy windows do not open as far. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dan N
Sent: Wednesday, September 4, 2019 9:10 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Size of Westy side window opening vs. Tintop

I have a 1990 tintop with similar side screens as you described, aluminum frame, metallic screen, screwed on the outside, on top of the rubber seal.
None of my other vans has them.
as in this pics (not mine) -
https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesamba.com%2Fvw%2Fforum%2Falbum_page.php%3Fpic_id%3D1309221&data=02%7C01%7C%7C3b94701943d040da521808d7319dcddf%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637032426151238133&sdata=z2aPhiIA%2FD3AXsLPA0cKXfU2Vm%2FBEBUHea%2Blu%2BQzGew%3D&reserved=0

but here's another weird thing... the 1990 tintop doesn't have rear hatch wiper, there's a rear wiper on my 1985 tintop sunroof, all others have it.
I still wonder on those 2 options...

dan

On Wed, Sep 4, 2019 at 5:40 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

> A Westy just parked across the street from me.  As I have noticed from 
> time to time, the Westy side window configuration is different from 
> the Tintop configuration, presumably for enhanced ventilation while camping.
> For my Tintop, there is a legit 16.5 inches of open width...just 
> measured with tape measure.  I'm trying to understand how VW 
> determined to make this modification.  Seems pretty complicated to do 
> so.  So....what is the open ventilation width on a Westy side window?
>
> Not that it matters much, but I made screens that attach to side 
> windows with Home Depot stuff, and sheet metal screws that anchor into 
> the rubber seal.  They have worked great for over 30 years.  But was 
> curious about why the design difference?  I think Country Home Campers 
> built and attached side screens exactly the same as me.  Maybe some 
> minor differences on bug proofing at the sliding edges (for instance, 
> I glued onto the edge of screen frame a specifically cut out edge of 
> thin flexible plastic material to totally make mine bug proof, they 
> match the sliding aluminum frame exactly; also used a bit of black 
> foam rubber strip on interior perimeter for compliance); mine work 
> great, but they are just normal screen material, gray fiberglass 
> stuff, not the No-See-Um kind with super-fine woven mesh holes, although I could do this modification readily.
>
> Just fodder for discussion....but still curious.
>
> Rich
> San Diego
>