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new bows installed in subhatch bus |
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one beveled, one not |
#1 bow |
needs bows around hatch |
location for rear bow - #3 - 55-63 |
early hatch prop |
late hatch prop |
rotten bow in my bus |
if your ceiling looks this good, leave it |
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Fliphatch Westfalia wood roof bows Price: $400 - 55-62 set
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There are currently (April 2025) no sets in stock. Place an order to get yours from the next batch made!
Here are the wood roof support bows for your '55-'67 split bus Westy flip-hatch camper.
These are made out of premium quality hardwood and can be bought as a complete set or piece by piece to repair your existing set.
The roof tends to leak by the hatch hinges, and damages the wood. Unless you have a nice bus that has been garage kept since new, the bows are generally rotted, damaged, warped, and/or missing. We have been making and supplying high quality replacements for years.
The materials for these bows are costly and these are fairly labor intensive to make.
The bows are made in three pieces just like the originals and come pre-fit and nailed together as pictured. On the subhatch models, you will need to nail the straight pieces to the cross bows and drill holes for your hatch hinge pins. The holes are not exactly uniform from bus to bus, so I do not offer them predrilled.
A complete set for 55-62 is $400:
#1 bow (in front of hatch)
one straight piece for in board of hatch
one straight piece for for outboard of hatch - cut on the bevel
#2 bow - directly behind hatch
#3 bow - braces rear large roof panel
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A '62 and earlier subhatch set runs $400
A '63-'65 subhatch set runs $425. It has the later prop, which requires more work to the #1 bow.
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Often in a flip hatch bus, the rear bow (#3) is good, but the bows around the hatch are missing or rotten. In that case you might want to re-use the original rear (#3) bow.
I strongly suggest replacing all the bows around the hatch, unless you have a nice camper that has always been garaged, in which case just don’t take the roof panels out. Even if there is some water staining from leaks by the hatch hinges.
For just the front and middle bows and the straight ones by the hatch:
A '62 and earlier subhatch area set runs $325
A '63-'65 subhatch area set runs $350.
If you just need a partial set, the prices are as follows:
Front roof bow '55-'62 $175
Front roof bow '63-65 $200 (this has an additional shape to fit the late hatch prop rod)
Center roof bow $125
Rear roof bow '55-'63 $125
Rear roof bow '64-'67 $125
Subhatch surrounding wood $50 each
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For the hardtop buses, you have an option to have these made in Fir at a reduced cost. please see http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1229943
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I can ship these worldwide, please email me with any questions.
These are not always in stock. I may have to make them to order.
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Install tips:
Lift one end onto the inner rain gutter, lift the other end up at a diagonal to the bus, put it on top of the inner rain gutter, and then wiggle the bow so it goes directly across the bus.
#1 is in front, groove to the front, right behind the metal bow. push it forward so it touches the metal bow.
#2 just behind subhatch hole
#3 in back, behind 3rd window
I have descriptions of installing bows and nailing the side pieces around the subhatch together in my 56 westy thread here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...;start=740
The shoe horns (wood strips) fit at the base of the bows, tucked into the inner rain gutter.
The shoes horns are marked where they fit.
While pushing the shoehorns firmly down into the inner rain gutter, nail or screw the shoehorns to the wood bows, and to the middle metal bow. These keep the large roof panels from popping out of the inner rain gutter.
*Install any sound deadening or insulation AFTER the bows are in place.*
Look at the last pic to see that the rear 55-63 roof panel actually touches the metal roof. There is a scuff line. Leave that line free of insulation.
Install the roof panels from front to back. Install the cab roof panels first.
Unscrew the dome light, but leave the wire hanging down. You can leave the light attached to the wire if you like.
Remove the grill at the back of the fresh air vent.
I used blue painters tape just under the inner rain gutter, and marked on it where the bows were. This made it easier to find the bows, when I wanted to put screws through the panels into the bows
For the large roof panels ones you get one side in the inner rain gutter, bend the panel into an "M" with the other side down and the middle down, lift the second side up into the other inner rain gutter. Then pop the middle up. Then you may have to shift the panel a little forwards or back.
It *really* helps to have a helper with a second pair of hands.
The big roof panels are directional, and should be installed with the front towards the front of the bus.
After all panels are in place, install rear dome light.
When installing the trim strips, start with the screw closest to the middle of the bus. Then work your way out towards the edge.
Re-install grill at back of fresh air vent.
use three screws through the back roof panel into the #3 wood bow
remove blue painters tape for marking bow location
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I can take pre-orders to bring items to
NorCal Bus Fest in Antioch
Fall OCTO
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Here is a link to pictures with installation tips:
http://goo.gl/WX1Y6
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