Bus Depot Pop-up tent Experience Anyone???

[HOBA]

Moderator edit 2:
Update on the issue has been posted: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9706595#9706595 .

Moderator Edit:
The OP of this thread has not returned since her initial post. It has become quite clear from the photos and feedback from Ron at BusDepot that this bad tent is most likely NOT any fault of BusDepot, but is almost certainly the result of an unskilled installer.

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Dear VW friends,

I am reaching out to this community for advice/input. I recently got my pop up tent replaced on my Vanagon 1990. The shop which did the work for me refused that I bring a tent for installation. They preferred to provide the tent themselves, claiming they exclusively use BUS DEPOT tent because of their superior quality and impeccable fitting. After reviewing BUS DEPOT's website, tent descriptions, and learning about their solid reputation and reviews, I confidently proceeded with the installation.
What a disappointment and dissatisfaction when I saw the results: canvas wrinkles all around, apparently too loose, unacceptable fit for the exorbitant price I paid. NOTHING like what BUS DEPOST or the shop had promised.
See photos attached, titled "BUS DEPOT SLOPPY TENT" under the Vanagon category.
What is more seriously disheartening, is that upon seeing this horrible tent fitting, I contacted BUS DEPOT immediately to inquire if this was indeed the "impeccable fit" they were claiming to offer. To my dismay, after many emails and phone calls over 10 days, I have yet to hear back from them about my lousy tent installation.
I can't be more disappointed in BUS DEPOT, their customer service and their products at this point. Is this typical of this company? It's my first time dealing with them and as far as I am concerned, likely my last... Any recommendations? Thank you.

(Moderator Edit: Added photos into post)

[DuncanS]

The photos are hard to access. Insert them on your post as they will become buried as others upload to the general Gallery.

Apparently you are talking about the Westy canvas. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell what is going on as the closeups don't allow an overall view. Perhaps you have different hinges than the standard Westy and the top doesn't go up in the normal fashion.

Have made many, many purchases from BD over the years. Once the cat came with the wrong end fittings and they gave me a refund immediately. Core charges can take a bit of time as the item usually has to go back to the rebuilder for an assessment, but I have always been given full credit.

All I can think of is you either got the wrong item, or have an odd top.

[djkeev]

First...... WELCOME to thesamba!

We have a thread on pop top canvasses up in the Stickies above.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

Specifically ....

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=565815

I put a bus depot tent on my 86.
It fit great, no hassles, no problems.
A great $$ value.
To be honest, BusDepot did have fit issues years ago, but they have pretty much solved that problem.

After viewing your photos and adding them to your thread I have these thoughts......

BusDepot is good people.
Ron is generally very responsive to problems that arise.
We also have a feedback thread where you can post vendor problems though there are rules about problem solving steps taken before posting in it.

My guess is .....well...... the photos clearly show....... that they real problem lies in the shop you chose and their skill at installation.
If you don't do it correctly, you will be disappointed no matter whose tent you purchased!

This isn't like bolting on a new water pump, skill and attention to detail is required.
I'd be talking to the shop you used, not being mad at BusDepot for something they cannot control after the sale.

What year is your Van?
Early staple on style or later metal channel style?

It may simply be a matter of biting the proverbial bullet, undoing the tent and installing it correctly.
This sadly may even not be perfect for some screw holes / staple holes trim cuts, etc may have left permanent damage in areas you will see.

Actually, your shop demonstrated incompetence already, I'd not be trusting them to redo it properly for free!
I can only imagine the ugliness!

Edit: looking at the photos again, this may actually be the worst tent install that I've ever seen!
You might want to apologize to BusDepot...... focus your ire on your installer instead.


Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[space]

My BD canvas worked fine (maybe too tight)
However, when I got the westy it came with an new uninstalled canvas
The uninstalled canvas was for an early model westy, which mine is
The pop top was a later model with the aluminum rails
My point is the top may have changed or they ordered the wrong style canvas for your top
btw the uninstalled canvas was also from BD
T
_________________
82 westy
w:
2.5 JDM Subie
Rear discs

[sanchius]

Wow, that's a doozy of a first post, Skillfuleating...

We get it, you are upset, your beautiful new tent that you paid a bunch of hard earned $$$ to acquire and install looks like cr*p, and nobody likes a slow/non-responsive vendor when there's an issue.

But, you have two possible sources of the problem here, BD or your installer.
It is both quite surprising and rather damaging to your credibility to see how quick you are to throw all your blame and venom on Bus Depot in such a public forum when it might not be their fault. While you are free to do what you want, frankly, if it were me, I'd edit the vendor name out of your gallery image titles ASAP until you have absolute proof that your problem is with the vendor and not your installer.

[dgbeatty]

The best advice is to carefully remove the original bellows/tent preserving the wooden alignment blocks. Make a full sized jig, four wooden pegs in the ground works. STRETCH the new canvas over the template/pegs and carefully transfer the alignment blocks.
Now is a good time to do the same for the bottom. Carefully mark the center and corners.
You are now ready to install. Yes experience installers do it by feel and four measurements just as some piano tuners do it by ear while others use instruments.
_________________
Schau in das Buch

[djkeev]

Just to add.......
In our collective experience it isn't like Ron to ignore a problem as you say BusDepot has done.
He is an upright guy who hasn't run from problems or mistakes made.

I scratch my head and wonder..... I know that there is another untold side to your story.

We don't know any details beyond your story, we can't make any judgement.

Ron is a member here, he has probably read this thread or soon will.

But again, you photos clearly show an installation error.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Red Ryder]

As others have politely suggested, please give the vendor an opportunity to work thru your issues with you. The fault may not end up with them and your reputation on the forum may be sullied. Be sure to return to this thread with the final outcome regardless.
_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[Ahwahnee]

Mine (from Bus Depot):

Not drum-tight but I feel that slightly loose is better long term.

Yours, on the other hand, looks tight enough but stressed two ways with the bottom attachment points and top attachment points misaligned.

Just my opinion, but I think you have an installer issue, not a product issue.

[dabaron]

a BUS DEPOT tent installation is time consuming and the end result is a factor of working slowly and being super OCD if you want a perfect install. it's not a simple task, but is doable with a tremendous amount of effort...

the top rails are in place and carefully aligned so the center is centered and the ends are in the proper location so corners will be taught.

i took a very long time to get the front corners to work, the center had to be dead center for it all to line up at the corners.

overall, this took me 6 hours to do and it was my first time. i'm pleased with the result and as you can see, it is not perfectly taught but it works.

i think the installer rushed the job and it is an hour or so job for the installer to adjust the fit and make it right. the tent is not ruined and once resolved i think you'll be rather pleased with the functionality of the design.

good luck and let us know how it worked out.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[DuncanS]

Unless I misread the OP's first post, he did the instal himself.

After reading about how important getting the corners exactly right, perhaps they were a little off?

In any case, he has paid the bucks: it now has holes in it and can't be returned, so there is nothing to lose by striping it off and trying again.

[Red Ryder]

[vanis13]

Yep, installer issue....."If the glove don't fit you must acquit! "
_________________
83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[DuncanS]

"They preferred to provide the tent themselves, claiming they exclusively use BUS DEPOT tent because of their superior quality and impeccable fitting. After reviewing BUS DEPOT's website, tent descriptions, and learning about their solid reputation and reviews, I confidently proceeded with the installation."

[Ahwahnee]

[Howesight]

I reckon the excess wrinkles are the installer's fault. Note I said "excess". Most off-the-shelf pop-top canvas tents will not install without any wrinkles - - there will always be a few wrinkles.

I worked with a boat-canvas seamstress to get a perfect fit on my DIY pop-top tent, having no choice since my top is modified. It was a LOT of work. Once the tent was sized to fit the fiberglass top, I marked out my windows, removed the tent and my seamstress sewed up the windows, zippers and screens. Then I installed the tent AGAIN, and fiddled for hours with the fitment of the lower portion of the tent and, when I had as many wrinkles as possible eliminated by pulling and adjusting the fit of the bottom of the tent to the van roof, I marked out where the piping/welting would have to be sewn onto the fabric and removed the tent again, and had the welting sewn into place.

Even after all this work, when I installed the finished product, I still had to pull the welting slightly further inward in order to get the last of the wrinkles out. It was truly amazing to see how, in some instances, just the very the smallest pull inwards, or adjustment forwards or backwards under the aluminum bottom retaining strips either eliminated or caused wrinkles.

So, the point of the above is to point out that a great fit results from the installer, not so much from the tent, when you use a reputable vendor, which Bus Depot is. The fussing involved in a great install is immense and most technicians can't find customers willing to pay them shop rate for the hours this task really requires to do it right. Realistically, for those not willing to spend mega-bucks, the best path is to install the tent yourself and take your time.

Attention to detail is critical. The installer who did the tent below got the tent fairly wrinkle-free, but aspects of the job appear, somehow, a little "off":

Okay, that last comment was at least partly in jest. The above pics demonstrate graphically my point - - even installed upside down - - a pop top tent adjusted carefully upon installation, can come out reasonably well.

Here's my DIY pop-top tent deployed at Syncro Solstice. Despite all the efforts and much trimming before final fitting, there is still a bit of wrinkle visible.

_________________
'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[Eric_Taylor]

I did the Bus Depot tent a couple years ago and it was a very tedious time consuming process. I think the wrinkles you show in your pictures are acceptable in my eye, but it depends on what your discuss with the shop was.

Mine is rather tight and looks great when popped. Those internal wrinkles show only on the inside in my install and I honestly don't know how I would have gotten rid of them. It's a really consuming and OCD process.

Had the shop done a lot of them? Did you see the other installs? Again, I think completely flat, perfect, no wrinkles as an expectation is unrealistic. I haven't done another tent, but the process showed me that it was going to be super hard to align crazy precise. The bottom line is that it's a hell of a job.

[greebly]

You threw Bus Depot under the bus ( Pun intended) but failed to mention who installed it. Why is that? Did you buy the canvas from Bus Depot, or did your installer buy it from them?

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[djkeev]

Just to clarify, BusDepot did have fit issues but that was years ago and water under the bridge.
They fixed that.
Sure, maybe an odd problem with any product may slip through and get shipped but by and large, these are good fits now.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert