Pop Top Canvas Choices

[jmstu76]

[Hoody]

And if you get desperate you can smoke it.

[Hoody]

ZZZZZ

[Busdepot]

[notchboy]

[Happy Hippie]

[Fathomz]

Hey, any words on the canvas from Accelerated Supply? Just noticed it today in the classifieds while lookin around for a new one. Has anyone picked one up? Any thoughts would be much appreciated Ad number: 912821

[71whitewesty]

I just finished installing the canvas tent from Busdepot. It was their German made one. They say it's the best $379. First one I've ever replaced and it went pretty well. The canvas was really just like the original in design but on this one I can acutally open the windows! It fit like a glove, pretty snug around the bottom corners. But 1st time it fit just about as good as any I've seen. Side window zippers seem light weight but that's how the original was. I used the tan colored one on a white 71 westy. Really looks good. I also painted, sanded and restored the whole pop top and luggage rack while I was at it. The whole process took a week of working on it in the evenings. Ready for some camping!!!

[petzl]

Anyone use the Euro tan canvas from CIP1? Its really cheap and they say it is imported from Europe. Just wondering how the fit is and quality?
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1978 Westfalia Deluxe - this thing travelled Europe for 7 years, parked in 1989 for 21 years in a barn(5 yrs in my barn) and now i have revived it and it is taking me to Alaska on my honeymoon Aug 2010.

[AB westy nut]

I too would like to hear if anyone has installed the canvas from CIP1. It's only $250 and looks pretty good.
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1976 Sage Green Westfalia Deluxe
freshly built 2.0L FI GD motor as of 07/12

[Collie]

[sneakyjack]

The Cip1 is a Just campers one. Mine came missing a tack strip (I had one from my original - came with bus) Mine also ripped pretty quick but it was completely my fault it got caught in the locking mech when the top closed quickly - fell. It seems thin but works for the price. I have not had it out in the elements but plan to spray it with a scotch guard water repelant before I go out - just for a back up. It looks nice and zippers work, just cover your lock mechnisim when you are installing with a sponge or something soft.
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Nothin left to do....
www.idolmakerfilms.com
NY NJ AND NEW ENGLANDERS - and anyone else -
check this event out for 2012 - Fun VW gathering
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461925

[patayres]

Wow... a lot of hemp-hating here without much reasoning to back it up. I installed the GoWesty Hemp/Cotton blend canvas about 2 years ago. Living in the Pacific Northwest I have had many opportunities to test its water-repellent qualities... no leaks in several downpours (one of which lasted 3 days -- that was a soggy weekend ). Love the big windows & the light natural color of the fabric gives a great ambiance inside the bus when the top is up.



My motivation for choosing the hemp-blend was based on its strength & sustainability as a natural fiber vs. cotton... not retardation or pot-head mentality. I realize that buying one hemp-blend canvas isn't going to save the planet, but do believe that supporting alternative sustainable natural fiber industries like hemp make it more likely that those industries will continue to grow. Some things to think about when discussing cotton vs. hemp fabric:

- Hemp fiber bundles are up to fifteen feet long, while cotton fibers are a mere three-quarters of an inch, which gives hemp eight times the tensile strength and four times the durability of cotton

- The pesticide king is cotton. Cotton is adapted to a wide range of uses, and it spins easily, but the environmental costs of cotton cultivation are incalculable. Cotton is grown on 3% of the earths best arable land and uses a whopping 26% of the worlds pesticides. It is a demanding crop that requires heavy irrigation and consumes more than 7% of the fertilizer used annually. It exhausts the soil, but is widely grown by developing countries desperate for a cash crop to pay international debts

- An acre of land will produce about 1000 pounds of primary hemp fiber, about 2 or 3 more times fiber than cotton. Fiber comes right off the plant ready to comb and use

- Cotton cultivation uses 5 times more water than hemp

- Hemp is far more resistant to the growth of bacteria, fungus, mold, & mildew than cotton

Tell me again why choosing a hemp-blend canvas is retarded...
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1975 Westfalia Helsinki - 1800 EFI w/ Pertronix
1965 Singlecab - 1600dp

yuthi'so'coro

[notchboy]

Because cotton costs less to buy and is more water resistant. Hey all the facts are well and good. Cotton has those "high" numbers because its king. It takes the lion share of allot of resources because allot of people want it and use it. Hemp has it qualities over cotton for sure. It has its place and purpose.

But the point on hemp bashing was its lack of water repellency. Thus requirering your top that you love being blended with cotton to work well. If it was 100% hemp it sounds like it wouldn't repell or last as long as with a cotton blend.

I personally think the repellency is a mood point based on human nature. Cotton has scotch guard or Teflon applied to make it repellent. It wears off eventually requirering you to put some more back on. So why cant it be done with hemp? Home work? Without looking into it I bet cotton holds the protectant longer than hemp. Thoughts?


BTW ^^^^^ thats a sweet bus!
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Jason "notchboy" Weigel
1963 Pearl White Sunroof Notch
1964 T34 S Convertible
1974 Westfalia Hardtop Campmobile
1977 Westfalia Camper pop-top

the1500club.com
TOOB Member #5

[patayres]

[towd]

They push hemp fiber material around here to support the local economy Then use the Panama stuff ... it's Red..

Sure wish this thread would have been here two weeks ago, I searched and searched looking for photo's of the canvas,, most photo's were to small to see the details or get the idea of window size and height.. Didn't even thinking looking at the sales sites. That $400 priced tag is to scary for me
so I put on my pretty little red panties and went to work.. and came out with this,,, not correct I know, what do you want for 3 bucks . what I not saying is I had most every thing needed, only had to buy one spool of thread, but it took 5 spools. there 3$ a each. This canvas is double thickness. so it's two canvases. in one. why is because I see holes worn by the hinges, before the cotton rots

If I had the money to buy new, I would have one made, by a local chick, she makes the canvas covers for the coast guard . You and I could never buy that material.
This was my first time doing any sawing on this scale, there's a lot more to making these than what you may think. This took me 10 to 12 days working 10 and 12 hr days.. no I don't huff on hemp

Thats is a nice looking bus,,, This green is looking better very time I see one, having the colors to do over, I would have choose the green..


[/quote]

[petzl]

I purchased the CIP1 canvas and installed it last month. The installation went easy and it comes with a good installation guide. The material seems a bit on the thin side, but for $250 i guess that is all i can expect. I used a "front triggered" stapling gun instead of the standard rear triggered(or lever) gun. I purchased an electric stapler that i returned because it did not work as good as the hand stapler.

if you are looking for an economic canvas, this is a good pick. We will see how durable it is on the 3 week trip to Alaska in August!
_________________
1978 Westfalia Deluxe - this thing travelled Europe for 7 years, parked in 1989 for 21 years in a barn(5 yrs in my barn) and now i have revived it and it is taking me to Alaska on my honeymoon Aug 2010.

[Heliconman]

Does anyone have the Bus Depot German $400 canvas on a late bay 75-79. What is the window size and how does it compare to the other brands of canvas. BTW the green bus and the hemp pop top is sweet. I like the window sizes and it looks like it fits very well.

We are going to replace our pop top canvas in a month or so and had decided to get the Bus Depot German canvas but the pictures on their web site look like it has small side windows. That has me second guessing my choice. We have not purchased anything yet which is why I wanted to do a little research myself.

[sunny78]

We are still in the process of installing our Bus Depot German canvas and I did not even think to look at the size of the side windows until I read this post. I had no idea the German one had such small windows compared to the aftermarket top installed by the PO


New top.


Old top.

[Heliconman]

[quote="sunny78"]We just installed our Bus Depot German canvas and I did not even think to look at the size of the side windows until I read this post.




So as I understand these pictures the new German canvas has the small windows and the old canvas you replaced had the bigger style. Which one do you like having had both?

I was thinking the smaller windows might be more durable less chance for screen damage but I like the idea of more ventilation.