Date:         Fri, 15 Aug 1997 20:37:03 +0000
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Barb Houg <fairwind@SERVER.NORTHERNNET.COM>
Subject:      Westy Tent FS

well, i've made up my mind.  committed.  no turning back.

i'm selling my 'Drive-Away' tent.  y'all want to know the price first
so here it is:  $450 US firm.  i pay shipping and COD charges to
anywhere in the 48 states.

now the details:
the tent can be viewed at 2 web locations.  the pictures on Michael
Heron's web page are of the tent itself as it is attached to my '87
Westy and some pics of the poles i've made. they are way down on the
bottom of his web page.

http://www.utoronto.ca/gpu/mheron/

also, an advertisement for the same style tent is at Joe Clark's web
page:

http://www.supernet.net/~jclark/vw/tents.html

note that this is a nice large tent with a full waterproof vinyl
floor, zippered and screened windows, a zippered section for the
jalouse windows by the side door, and and entry awning.  in short it
is cool.  it is mid-seventies vintage.

i will try to give an accurate description of the condition of the
tent as i want happy campers once they receive it.
1. Poles.  as depicted on Michael's web page, i have fabricated a set
of poles for this tent from awning parts.  they came out well, are
much stronger than OEM but must be emphasized they are NOT OEM. they
are easily replaceable should they be forgotten behind after a
camping trip.  the long supports could be cut in 2 for easier
transport but i stow the poles in between the bed cushions when
traveling.  i feel the 2 piece pole would be somewhat shakier.  i
have endured very high winds, heavy snow loads, and several kids with
this set.  they are strong but not OEM if that's what you need.
think i am missing 'only' the 3 Y-shaped corner poles of the OEM set
and can include all the OEM poles if desired and the OEM pole bag.
mine are better :-)

2. Fabric.  there are several small tears that i have fixed with a
combination of Shoe-Goo and hot glue.  they appear to have been from
a mouse chewing at some point in the tent's life.  i also recently
tore a small hole in the canvas that seals next to the sliding
door.:(  it was this very tear that made me think i just shouldn't be
using the tent on my vanagon.  all tears are fixed/sealed an were
about the size of a quarter.

3. Screens.  the screens are in good shape, however, i have repaired
the screen to the entrance just as it is attached to the zipper on
the bottom run.  the repair is a nice, solid job that is cosmetically
good.

4. Pole rings.  these are a weird design that was not too good from
the factory.  they are a thin, grey rubber ring that the pole runs
thru.  i have replaced 3 that have broken with some strong, black
shock cord tied in a ring.  this works well and is strong.

5. Stake Rings.  these are a blue plastic 'nipple' that was heat
sealed to the bottom of the vinyl floor.  several had pulled off
when i got the tent and i have reattached them with Shoe-Goo and
some reinforcing fiberglass.  the ones i've put back on have held up
well under grueling conditions.

6. Stakes.  a full set of skates will be sent.

7. Guy(Gal) Ropes.  VW made a really neat guy rope for putting
tension on the awning fly.  just a little aluminum thingy that locks
onto the rope and makes for easy adjustment.  6  VW guy(gal) ropes
will be included.

8.  Rubber Drip Rail Thingy.  this is in good shape but i've added
some strengthening glue to where the fabric attaches to the rubber as
i could see the threads were under alot of tension.

9. Overall Shape.  When this tent is set up, it looks sharp.  but it
is not a pristine, never been used unit.  It has the soil and wear
from 20 years of use, storage, and good karma.

The tent was made for the 'breadloaf' era of VW busses.  i've used
it on my vanagon but frankly, that is why i am selling it-- the
vanagon is just a little too big for a comfortable fit for this tent.
 it works but the van must be positioned so exactly with respect to
the tent that it is not very convienient.  i loved the extra, dry,
bugfree room it gave us and really made Westy Life fun. but when i
had to re-hook up each time i used the van for a side trip, i
realized i was just pushing the size limit too much.

this tent deserves a wonderful home with someone with a pre-vanagon
bus.  actually, it would be fine for the vanagon if you stayed in one
spot a longer time than i, or if a handy person modified the
canvas to fit the larger van.  i have used this tent at the Winnipeg
Folk Festival and it is fun because of the conversation it
generates.  the bright colors, square design, and obvious vintage
bring out the best in passer-bys.  and folks, it is *canvas*.
there's nothing like real canvas when it comes to living outdoors.

please contact me directly for more details as i am not currently
subscribed to this list.

-dan houg  Bemidji, Minnesota
fairwind@northernnet.com