Date:         Wed, 12 Apr 1995 00:12:43 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         william killian <killian@gcr.com>
Subject:      Re: Camping in the Rain



On Tue, 11 Apr 1995, Jon Van Wyk wrote:

> What's the best way to protect the canvas in a Westy top from the rain? 
> Pack it up and go home?  Does it need to be kept dry?  I'm told it
> shouldn't be put away wet.  Got my first camping trip planned for the
> weekend after Easter.  Rain could be in the offing.  Any advice would be
> appreciated.  Thanx!
> 
> ---------
> Jon  \/an   Seattle, WA
>     \/\/yk  (jvanwyk@halcyon.com)
> 

Back when my family went camping in a Westy we'd be gone for weeks at a 
time.  Avoiding the rain completely was impossible.  We'd be stuck at 
times where we would pack up camp with the top wet (even just dew 
sometimes) but we'd put the top back up later that evening.  If you HAVE 
to put the top down wet just be sure to put it back up within a day or so 
to dry.  Next campsite or home as the case may be.  Of course we were in 
a then 'new' Westy.  As the top aged we had to put extra water repelleant 
on the canvas.  We treated the canvas just as we did all the canvas tents we 
had (including the one that 'attached' to the sliding door of the bus.  
Boy do I wish I still had that VW!!!!! (Went to my step sister - she gave 
it to her stepson who trashed it! ARGH!)

bill killian
'93 EV MV
'73 Thing