Date:         Sun, 5 Feb 1995 16:50:29 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joe Clark <joeclark@freenet.scri.fsu.edu>
Subject:      Re: Westfalia Screen Repair Help Needed

The shade of Tom Brouillette, channeling through Rachel Martin, quoth thus:

> Does anyone have helpful hints on repairing the canvas screen on a Westy? 
> I have one where not only is the mesh slightly ripped, but the stitching 
> that holds the zipper in is all undone. A sewing machine is too big to 
> lift up there, but it there an alternative to hand sewing it--maybe using 
> a velcro kind of attachment? Any help would be appreciated.

I ended up doing it by hand after rejecting my half-baked plan for using 
one if thise kiddie sewing machines.  I got about $3 worth of screen from 
Lowe's, cut out the rotten old stuff that ripped every time you zipped it 
up, and sewed the new screen in.  Less than an hour.  Tremendous 
improvement, and virtually invisible except from the inside, and then you 
have to be looking for it.
> 
> Also, some of the side window screens on our Westy fleet have been broken 
> in various ways (one but a curious & hungry bear!). Repair seems a little 
> difficult, does anyone have extras for sale (local junkyard does not). 
> Any tips of fixing, replacing, substituting, etc.?

Hmm - try an RV store or a hardware store.  Those screens look like 
standard stock that's mitre-cut and put together with little corner 
thingies.  House screens shouldn't be that different if the framing's not 
too thick.  Mebbe you could cut down a house-screen frame and cut new 
screen for it??

On the other hand if the frames are at all usable, it's _very_ easy to 
re-screen them.

Joe 

joeclark@freenet.scri.fsu.edu     The REAL        Where there's no sense,
Tallahassee, Florida              Joe Clark           there's no feeling.
      Florida info, original fiction, VW stuff, IVD & kids' links:
<a href="http://freenet3.scri.fsu.edu:81/users/joeclark/index.html">Me</a>