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Volksaholic Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2005 Posts: 1771 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:56 am Post subject: |
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vermontgirl wrote: |
i love the idea of having the hatch door open just a little bit if having it wide open isn't an option. is there any actual name to the things you all have crafted to make this work or did you make them yourselves? sorry... i should probably know what they are but i haven't really seen it before. |
I made mine from those J-hooks that are available at any hardware store. I included a "before and after" pic in my previous post. I already had a torch out and was going to make one from some other steel rod when I saw the J-hooks in my hardware stash. It was easy to make, but it took heating, bending, brazing, and grinding... not something the casual Vanagon owner is set up to do. GoWesty sells their lock extension for about $30, which seems like a fair price if you're not set up to make your own.
Paul _________________ 1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251 |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7733 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:22 am Post subject: |
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Same thing, different (& admittedly low-tech):
You need:
- a bolt (4" to 6", your choice)
- a vice
- a hammer
- a nut
- super glue
Bend the last 1" of the bolt at right angles, add the nut & glue to lock in place. DONE!
TOTAL: $1.07 or junk laying around the garage.
TIME: about 5 minutes.
Yeah, I wouldn't be able to camp around here without the hatch up & screen in place.
I also plan to make the front window socks & I wish I had the time &/or guts to do the rear side window sliders or jalousie mod.
The hatch screen will have to do.
SLIDER SCREEN:
Possible to forget the zipper & just overlap 2 pieces @ the center?
I think it'd be easier than messing with a zipper & they would drape
together with enough overlap to stay bug-free...
_________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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childofthewind Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2010 Posts: 763 Location: Eastern Sierra
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:03 am Post subject: |
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dhaavers wrote: |
Same thing, different (& admittedly low-tech):
You need:
- a bolt (4" to 6", your choice)
- a vice
- a hammer
- a nut
- super glue
Bend the last 1" of the bolt at right angles, add the nut & glue to lock in place. DONE!
TOTAL: $1.07 or junk laying around the garage.
TIME: about 5 minutes.
Yeah, I wouldn't be able to camp around here without the hatch up & screen in place.
I also plan to make the front window socks & I wish I had the time &/or guts to do the rear side window sliders or jalousie mod.
The hatch screen will have to do.
SLIDER SCREEN:
Possible to forget the zipper & just overlap 2 pieces @ the center?
I think it'd be easier than messing with a zipper & they would drape
together with enough overlap to stay bug-free...
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brilliant! this i can do.
ps: love the beagle _________________ 1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1
“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville |
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Timwhy Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2009 Posts: 3997 Location: Maine
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4485 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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My bride made our slider screen that looks a lot like the commercial ones except that instead of a zipper ours overlaps slightly in the center and we use magnets sewn into the vinyl edging material to hold the two flaps together. You push it open to enter or exit and the flaps fall back together and stick. Seems to work pretty well. Also, the bottom hem of each flap is weighted with BBs so it rests against the floor.
She ordered no-see-um netting that is a much finer screen than normal. |
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Volksaholic Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2005 Posts: 1771 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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campism wrote: |
My bride made our slider screen that looks a lot like the commercial ones except that instead of a zipper ours overlaps slightly in the center and we use magnets sewn into the vinyl edging material to hold the two flaps together. |
I used Rare Earth (neodymium... sp?) to attach my screen to the body, but I imagine one would want a more conventional ceramic or some such magnet for the overlap. I'm not speaking from experience, but I suspect you could claw through the screen without opening the flap if you have it held shut with mating Rare Earth magnets!
Paul _________________ 1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251 |
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Love My Westy Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 1835
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:32 am Post subject: |
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We use sticky velcro (hook side) attached to the underside of the rain gutter for the full width of the sliding door, and some 6" pieces running down the sides. The center of the screens overlap by about a foot, and some 1-1/2" rocks are sewn into the lower hem which hangs outside the door about 8" below the door frame. A notch is cut into the top to allow the screen to fit over the slider guide. Non sticky velcro (loop side) is sewn to the soft flexible tent screening, full length across the top including about 1-1/2" of it on the side that falls on the other sided of the slider guide. Then 6" pieces are spaced down the sides. The overlapping screen makes it far superior to anything with zippers or snaps as you can easily walk through it and it will serve to wipe the mosquitos off your back.
The down side is that you can't close the door with the screen in place, but it's not that big of deal for us. We just remove the velcro from the inside as the door closes, gather the net up and stow it. You don't need the net when the door is closed. It's easy enough to put it back up when the door is opened. |
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Andross Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2011 Posts: 133 Location: Robson, BC
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 2:36 pm Post subject: Re: mosquito screens (DIY?) |
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Considering ordering the rear hatch and or sliding door screens from GW, but they come in an early model and a late model version? How are they different?
I have an 86' tin-top with the AC plenums removed and no cabinetry in either area. I wish they would give the dimensions and forget about model years...
Thanks in advance!
-Andrew |
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4485 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:19 pm Post subject: Re: mosquito screens (DIY?) |
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Here's a pic or two of the screen for the slider that I mentioned above and years ago, with the setup clipped to the outside of the van for demo purposes. The bottom hem is weighted with BBs and usually rests on the van floor when in use, but can also hang outside the doorway. We installed snaps along the upper edge and on both jambs to anchor the screen inside. No-see-um netting keeps out the pests.
This shows how the magnets are stitched into the center stiles. On approach you just slip a hand or elbow into the seam and it parts easily.
_________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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ak_runner Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2007 Posts: 231 Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: mosquito screens (DIY?) |
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I have one of the premade ones for my slider from a vender but never installed it as it does not fully seal the door opening and Alaskan mosquitos are smart enough to get around it. _________________ AK_Runner
`87 Westy Syncro |
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fxr Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2014 Posts: 2301 Location: Bay area CA
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2023 8:17 am Post subject: Re: mosquito screens (DIY?) |
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We fitted the Busdepot slider screen - https://www.busdepot.com/255413
It can be made to fit very tightly - it has kept us midge and mozzy free.
Note the fitting instructions should be used as a guide, not as gospel. A few extra snaps were needed to cope with fire extinguishers etc.
Here's the write-up:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=775674 _________________ Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300 |
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Irishcalifornian Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2016 Posts: 167 Location: CaliWestyfornia
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2023 8:45 am Post subject: Re: mosquito screens (DIY?) |
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I bought the GoWesty screen about 4 years ago.
Well made, great for mosquitos but the gnats/midges still make their way through it. _________________ One Life, Live It |
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