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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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 Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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OR you could consider a high top conversion. I like my Riviera pop top BUT I don't like that it's plastic and not fibreglass and can crack easily.
_________________
'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) |
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thatvwbusguy
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2007
Posts: 1712
Location: Newmarket, New Hampshire
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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As the saying goes, "Anything is possible with enough time, money and persistence". You might have some issues with the current ASI bed platform not fitting under the Westfalia poptop since the Westfalia campers had a flatter , more reinforced roofline from the factory.
Basically, you could use one of the how to's for adding a Westfalia poptop to a standard tintop van as your guide. It is not too tough to add the fiberglass poptop itself, but a comfortable bed that will fit under the poptop on a normal passenger van roof seems to be more a more elusive goal unless you are willing to do some cutting and welding from the original Westy donor van.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion. |
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mpratt4
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2009
Posts: 1
Location: Gridley
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| Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:24 pm Post subject: Interchangable? |
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| If I wanted, could I replace my riviera pop top with a westfalia pop top? |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 10036
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:31 am Post subject: |
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My daughter prefers the ASI top over the Westy top because she can sit up in back and finds it roomier. I prefer the westy top as I can't sit up in the Riviera like she can, but can sit up in the westy top at the front of it.
The ASI tent is made of much longer lasting material than the Westy tent. Mine is 27 years old and flawless. The ASI top itself, as mentioned, is less hardy than the Westy top. Mine has a few cracks I would like to repair. Nothing external, just in the inside ceiling. I just started a thread on repairing the tops here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4530095#4530095 |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, I have just bought an 83.5 Riviera which is presently being converted to a TD with extra oil cooler. Mine is baby blue inside and out and I have the swivel chairs but no arm rests (  )l Just sold my 84 Westy. Going to do lots of work esthetically inside and out and another Samba member is doing all the mechanical stuff.
I started a Scooby Blu thread because so much will be changing. I'm excited and I like to be different. Its a Vanagon L.
_________________
'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) |
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oorwullie
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2003
Posts: 2365
Location: fribourg,switzerland
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:03 am Post subject: |
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good luck with all that then.  |
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AMERI-SWISS
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2006
Posts: 132
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| oorwullie wrote: |
are you streetlegal yet? |
NO. I just got back from two weeks in Croatia in which we were supposed to take my bus but instead had to take a tent. Croatia is perfect for a bus as they have more campgrounds than hotels. And every time I saw a westy (which I saw hundreds) just pissed me off even more, But still had a great vacation. The paper work that they want now is, how do I explain this?, the bus is 1982, I bought it 2 years ago. And they need the certified ownership records because as far as they are concerned I am the only person who has owned this bus so for over 20 years this bus just sat there with no owner, and the American bill of sale is not good enough because its not officaily certified. WTF
And as soon as I supply this form then they'll ask where are the official oil change records and then the "how many times did someone fart in this bus records" and then the this and then the that. 
GOOD LUCK BUCKO, I hear Germany is just as hard. Take all of your paper work to your local notary and get them stamped and certified, and I mean ALL papers. Maitnence records (fake a maintence journal if you have to), ownership records, and reciets for random sh%t.
If I knew it was going to be this hard I would of sold it in the states and bought one here, but it was too late I already fell in love with my bus.
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I guess that makes me a Swissicain |
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kayakwesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2007
Posts: 687
Location: East Tennessee
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:43 am Post subject: |
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What good is new canvas when that cheap abs plastic starts cracking?
Or does anybody know where to get a whole new top?
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I don't know where you can get a new top but I do know it can be repair to like new
in my circle we paddle ABS whitewater canoes and we beat them up and repair them, and this is an excellent place to learn how to fix them.It's the Samba of canoes.
http://www.cboats.net/
there was a thread on there(forum) using ABS sheets and melting them with MEK and making a slurry,painting it on after prepping and sanding it down, and make it look pretty etc
and here is a webpage on how to weld ABS
http://www.mv.com/users/morris/paddling/boat-repair.html
this might help?
_________________
1984 Westy 2.0 Jetta ABA Motor/1.8 head converted to auto tranny, with 180,000 on body, 55K on engine and transmission
B.5.5 Passat Wagen with 30v V6-67000 Miles
DAS AUTO
CHANGE YOUR FUEL LINES!
A post without pictures is useless
http://www.kayakwesty.com
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.com/ |
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oorwullie
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2003
Posts: 2365
Location: fribourg,switzerland
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| AMERI-SWISS wrote: |
What good is new canvas when that cheap abs plastic starts cracking?
Or does anybody know where to get a whole new top?
Me personly I love my riviera as the wood grain interior looks much nicer than the white plain westys, but that damm top cracking and no way to repair it, might consider putting on a fiberglass westy top which might involve alot of custom work which I dont want to do, OR the most expensive option would be to take the top off and send it to a fiberglass shop and have them make a new one.
All possibilites leads to headache and empty wallet 
Damm you ASI for using garbage plastic as the choice material for the tops :2gunfire: |
are you streetlegal yet? |
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bucko
Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2004
Posts: 2617
Location: Coppell, Texas
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| camo westy wrote: |
.......The OEM Westfalia tops fit, the aftermarket tops fit sometimes. My canvas replacement was very difficult, and the supplier had no help, only excusess. I have fitted Westy OEM canvases with NO problems at all.
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Are true OEM Westfalia canvas tops even available anymore? Do you have a source for one (OEM)?
I have read about the GoWesty (and others) that don't quite fit because of extra material, or too short, etc. This is why I chose to patch a hole in my original. If there's a source for OEM tops, I'm willing to replace.
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia
Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181 |
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AMERI-SWISS
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2006
Posts: 132
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:04 am Post subject: |
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What good is new canvas when that cheap abs plastic starts cracking?
Or does anybody know where to get a whole new top?
Me personly I love my riviera as the wood grain interior looks much nicer than the white plain westys, but that damm top cracking and no way to repair it, might consider putting on a fiberglass westy top which might involve alot of custom work which I dont want to do, OR the most expensive option would be to take the top off and send it to a fiberglass shop and have them make a new one.
All possibilites leads to headache and empty wallet
Damm you ASI for using garbage plastic as the choice material for the tops :2gunfire:
_________________
I guess that makes me a Swissicain |
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csclassics
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2006
Posts: 271
Location: North Wales, PA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:04 pm Post subject: thinking about fitting a top. |
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| I am thinking about fitting a top in the future to my 86 non camper. I was thinking of going with a riviera pop top, as I've never had one before. |
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camo westy
Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2006
Posts: 400
Location: Madison, Va
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:53 am Post subject: |
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"A new canvas tent is easy to get for a Westfalia pop-top, you can get them in a couple of styles made of a few differant materials. "
The canvas available from suppliers that is not OEM Westfalia should only be ordered only if you know what the supplier is actually supplying, and I would reccommmend a written agreement for a full refund if the new canvas is not what is expected.
Previous thread here turned up a number of replacement tops laying about garages due to difficulities making the tops fit. The OEM Westfalia tops fit, the aftermarket tops fit sometimes. My canvas replacement was very difficult, and the supplier had no help, only excusess. I have fitted Westy OEM canvases with NO problems at all.
So far as canvases for Riverias go, no top is worth buying canvas twice due to suppliers who sell parts that dont fit. If you find a 'topless' Rivera, get a upholstery shop to fit a canvas, cant cost as much as two Westy Canvases. |
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howdyhoss
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2007
Posts: 159
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:00 am Post subject: |
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| prAna wrote: |
| Love my Riviera! New canvas top from PLF...well that was a few years ago now I guess. Swivel front seats. Propane heater on a thermostat for those winter trips in the Colorado mountains. We generally sleep with about 340 pounds up top and haven't noticed anything different than the Westy in terms of support. |
Were the swivel seats standard, or something that came aftermarket? Was this only on the GL or standard Vanagon as well?
Any other notable differences (other than the top) between the Vanagon Rivieras and Westys?
I've been trying to do some research on the riviera's (living in Oregon, I see my fair share). They seem to command a bit less on the market than Westys, but that's a good thing, eh? |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Country homes campers went out of bussiness several years ago.
Then they came back, and a year or so ago people posted that they weren't returning emails.
If they are back and ready to sell stuff I don't know, but I would give them a call and check on availability before I got my hopes up on what they have. |
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D Clymer
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2005
Posts: 2986
Location: Issaquah, WA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:18 am Post subject: |
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They built the Riviera campers through 1985. I've seen plenty of 85s and the ones I've seen were all built off of base model vans.
You could order the top as a custom installation all the way through 1991, I think.
David |
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prAna
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2004
Posts: 33
Location: Loveland, CO
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:04 am Post subject: |
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Love my Riviera! New canvas top from PLF...well that was a few years ago now I guess. Swivel front seats. Propane heater on a thermostat for those winter trips in the Colorado mountains. We generally sleep with about 340 pounds up top and haven't noticed anything different than the Westy in terms of support.
While on the subject of the ASI...from everything that I have found they quite doing that conversion in '83...but mine is an '84 watercooled. Can anyone point me to some more accurate information?
_________________
Just say "No" to Bud, Miller and Coors
Current:
'84 Vanagon ASI Riviera camper
Gone but remembered:
'69 9 passenger bus
'71 bus |
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Lanval
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2007
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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MightyArt,
Are you implying that CHC might be dicey/slow/dishonest? It'd be useful to know, so I can cross them off my list of vendors.
Thanks,
Lanval |
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?Waldo?
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 10036
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Nope. |
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mightyart
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 6188
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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Have you ordered anything from Country Homes Campers? |
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