Date:         Tue, 29 Jun 1999 19:28:55 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject:      Re: GO Westy /  Westy Table
Comments: cc: contact@wagonworks.com
In-Reply-To:  <19990629185546.11700.rocketmail@web209.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Also Canvas tops; I am strongly considering a 3 window
> canvas top from GOWesty along with the rubber seal for
> the pop top.
>
> > -- Does anyone have a comparison opinion regarding
> > camper top canvas from
> > Go-Westy, Poptop.com, any others?


Most of the Vanagon poptop canvas out there (including Go Westy, West Coast
Metric, Motorworks, etc. is actually the same product, from the same factory
(and in fact identical to what I _was_ shipping myself until not long ago).
It is a heavy cotton-based "canvas", decent quality although not well suited
to the later Vanagons (whose canvas mounts differently from the earlier
ones).

The canvas I am now shipping is better.  It is made of a material called
Sunbrella, which is commonly used for marine applications, among others.
Sunbrella will not fade over extended use, and is more waterproof.  If there
is a negative to Sunbrella it is that it doesn't fold quite as easily as the
other stuff when new, so it takes a bit more effort to "tuck in" than the
cheaper stuff.  But this is more than offset by its longevity and
weatherproof construction.

The "raw materials" cost of the Sunbrella canvas itself is about $60 more
than the standard stuff.  My price on the poptop canvas is $259.95, which is
about what the others charge for the cheaper stuff.

By the way I also have the Go Westy tables for the same price as Go Westy
does.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com