Made a poptop tent

[Captain Pike]

Wallmart had the same canvas as Joann but at half the price. Zippers can be had anywhere or some online vendor. The front screen requires a little more skill as you want to be able to go thru but if you go with sides you can incorporate the screen in the top canvas. Make it loose rather than a perfect copy of your old one.
I need to make one for a Bay and one for a Vanagon. This time I'll document the entire process. Grey this time.
See it will make the "stickes"
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................

[peasant]

Finally had a chance to do this project.

It took me quite a while to do. I didnt track hours so I am not sure but I was up till dawn the one night, and worked another entire day on it. Its not perfect but overall I am very happy with it.

I used this thread, the pictures Kaiser Soze posted, and the old top as a template and model.

I bought 6 yards of this Hemp/Cotton material.

http://www.hempfabricshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=54

It cost me $100 with shipping.

Had extra screening in the garage for the window.

I also reused the zippers, rope, and plastic trim from the old one.


the old one:

the new one:

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89 wolfsberg weekender carat
89 Westfalia

[Captain Pike]

Very nice, hats off.
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................

[peasant]

..and thank you Mr. Soze for the inspiration
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89 wolfsberg weekender carat
89 Westfalia

[DAIZEE]

Indian Duck Cotton is excellent material. A lot of sailboats use it. It is quite heavy and would be warmer in the cooler weather. It is also water resistant.

Any good sewing machine and strong needles and the correct non deccaying thread. Its really 3 parts.

Make(use old) pattern for new, sewing and installing. I'm sure it took a lot of patience.

VERY GOOD!!! or GOOD ON YOU!
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[bjrogers86auto]

There is a place somewhere in the U.S. that will make you a tent based on the old pattern.

I will get the name in the next couple of days. A guy I work with (likely story huh?) sent an entire hardtop camper canvas to the U.S. from here on the east coast of Canada and got it replaced and returned for $700.

When I got my new replacement last year I was surprised at how little there is to it. It seems so much bigger when it's on the van. I'd rather do the mechanical stuff then sew stuff, so I bought mine.

Hats off to the seamstresses.

Brian.

[Captain Pike]

[Carleton]

Good Job! This is a project I'm looking forward to. I'm actually much better at sewing than monkey wrenching, and I sourced some cheap Sunbrella off of craigslist, so when I get the time next year it'll be fun!
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'87 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender

[?Waldo?]

[80qtdi]

Looks good, I'd call this upholstery work, not sewing .

[carterzest]

[bjrogers86auto]

Here once again is the problem with the wriiten word. In no way did I mean it wasn't "macho" to make a tent. I think it's a fantastic skill and wish I had the gonads to try it. I know my limits. I can make stuff from wood but fabric outwits me everytime.

Usually my posts are of the sarcastic nature...this one wasn't. It is a nice tent. Congrats.

The 700 was for an entire hardtop camper trailer.

That being said, I do laundry and I do it well!

Brian.

[?Waldo?]

Brian, I wasn't at all put off by your comments and I hope Bill wasn't either. I did, however, find Bill's response quite funny.

[klucz]

That's really cool. A new tent has unfortunately been at the bottom of my list of things to do due to the cost of a new one. This makes the piggy squeal less. Nice work Soze.
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84 Westy 4spd sold

[Captain Pike]

I'm groovy just a little sensitive. I was the only guy to take home economics in my grade, got lotsa shit for it too "your a fag...mommas boy.... "the like.
BUT I can sew and cook better than most house fraus + repair just about anything, build the house,install the power/water,then make dinner.
Most if not all the stooges from shop class now call me to work on their homes.
The best part is when dude's wife was in my "cooking"class.
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................

[DAIZEE]

But do any of you actually do windows and/or iron

Alas a lot of men never learned any housekeeping/cooking/survival skills cause lots of moms did everything for them. If moms only knew the impact on the future.............

I wanted to take shop BUT girls weren't allowed to waaaaay back then but I did learn to sew a dress all by hand stitching. Never took "home ec" again Took typing instead and that was an excellent choice.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[bjrogers86auto]

Laundry,cook,wash floors,windows,plumbing,build stuff,mechanic,fix Barbies,dress Polly Pockets,changed diapers and read to my daughters.

One of the benefits/drawbacks of being a firefighter is the amount of time off we have. I like fixing/building things. Hence the van.

One of the other benefits/drawbacks is that we generally cut each other all day long. So again, I never meant the comment as a cut.

Anyhow, did I mention I thought it was a nice tent?

Gotta go wash the dishes.
Brian.

[peasant]

To those of you that have Cotton, Hemp, or Canvas Tops:

Have you treated it with anything like scotch guard or waterproofing?

I recall reading something about letting it get wet to let the fibers swell and thus making a tighter more waterproof fit.

If this is true do you think it would wiser to let it get wet at some time so it can swell, shrink, and dry....And then treat it with scotch guard? or just leave it alone and do nothing at all?




Although seemingly unrelated I imagine this will help with wrenching and doing mechanical work because both involve problem solving, critical thinking, and dexterity.

Yea it was a fun project, although frustrating at time. I like learning and try new things and did learn much and am happy to acuire any skill or knowledge.

A real motivator to do this was the cost savings. Although time is the most valuable asset of them all, I was more inclined to invest the time than the money. The $200-$300 savings really makes a big difference for me right now
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89 wolfsberg weekender carat
89 Westfalia

[DAIZEE]

What you describe as get it wet, let it dry etc... is called seizing and all old canvas tents had to do this. Even when I got my new new tent (ground tent) a few years ago, it recommended that I set it up, spray it with water, let it dry and repeat several times. As long as nothing is touching the material this is what they recommend so if you have a house and a hose with a sprayer (lite lite stream) why not do it on sunny days when you know it will dry.

Scotchguard is also good. Its good to put it on material that is over furniture as it will "resist" staining.

I can't see that doing both if thus inclined would hurt. Well the scotchguard would hurt your pocket book.
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Captain Pike]

Water treat 'fer sure.
I need to get off my ass and make 3 now, 1 bay, 1 vanagon and a 181 top(cameo soft top)
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................