mosquito screens (DIY?)

childofthewind · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:25 pm Post subject: mosquito screens (DIY?)

howdy. i'm about to move back to mosquito infested new england for the summer and have been contemplating getting a set of mosquito screen/doors for my 87 wolfsburg hardtop. i would be happy with one for the sliding door and rear hatch. i see bus depot and go westy have some nice looking ones but so spendy. have any of you made your own? how did you go about it? just wondering if the DIY route is, in this case, a major pain as opposed to buying them.

thanks!
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1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

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VWeGoBeachNow · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:57 pm Post subject:

Home depot or Lowe's is your friend. I'll be making my own driver and passenger side screens pretty soon.
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DAIZEE · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:00 pm Post subject:

Someone posted in the past year about making their own (quite simple) and easy to stash in the front door vents. Try searching in the Vanagon Forum. I'm planning on making them as I simply don't tolerate any bug bites.
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jackbombay · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:04 pm Post subject:

A fabric store will have thinner more flexible screen material than home depot. You can make a "sock" that slips over the top of your front doors and then you can roll down the windows as needed. Sewing magnets every ~6" or so along the bottom inside edge of the screen will keep it "sealed" to the door.

Hope this helps Cool

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DAIZEE · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:11 pm Post subject:

yes, that's the design I was referring too, really simple to make but as you say you need lite netting not screening material.
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PDXWesty · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:11 pm Post subject:

I screen for the slider will be much harder to make. I would suggest you actually invest in a rear hatch screen. I've sold them before used. Perhaps you could find one in the classifieds, otherwise it's a good investment to buy the actual screen.

Here's one:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1092520
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

childofthewind · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject:

childofthewind · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:20 pm Post subject:

oh and thanks, pdxwesty; i just noticed the link you gave and shot them an email. looks perfect, even without the zipper, which the newer ones come with.
_________________
1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville

PDXWesty · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject:

Here's another link

http://www.vanagonauts.com/Front-Door-Screens174.htm
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

jackbombay · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:30 pm Post subject:

A screen for the slider isn't too bad to make, screw one edge up behind the headliner (the 1/8" ply) and have magnets sewed (or glued to the screen for that matter) along the other 3 edges, when not in use tie it up with a couple pieces of string that can get wrapped around a couple of the headliner screws.
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Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies Smile

Samba ad here.

DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs)

kamzcab86 · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:03 pm Post subject:

I made my own slider screen using screen from Home Depot (they have many screen types to choose from):

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Strong magnets are along the edges.

Second owner made front door screens, which I modified: put magnets along the bottom. Don't have a good pic of them on the van; this is the best I can do for now:

Will eventually modify them again and put magnets along the remaining 3 edges to get rid of the "pocket".
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climberjohn · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:11 pm Post subject:

Personally, here in the not-humid pacific NW I never camp with the rear hatch up for more than a few minutes of gear loading/unloading.

Perhaps it'd be smart to really look at your camping style to see how much time you'd really spend parked with the rear hatch open, before you buy a rear screen.

-CJ
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childofthewind · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject:

strong point, climberjohn. i'll be doing a lot of sleeping in my van on cape cod this summer where it's warm enough to invite a cool breeze through the van. maybe having the side door and windows open will be just as well.. but i was thinking i would be pleased with the hatch and sliding door; seems simpler than getting/making screens for all the windows.

i love all of the pictures. thanks.
_________________
1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville

davevickery · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:36 pm Post subject:

When it is hot and muggy, sleeping with the rear hatch open is awesome. I provides a nice breeze that none of the other openings can provide.

I would get a (used) stock westy rear screen and a package of snaps and figure out a way to mount it. The top is easy, you can mount into the A/C covers and the sides, you can probably figures something out. The bottome doesn't need snaps.

I used a bug netting on the slider before. It was just an oversized piece of netting (from army/navy store or someplace) and I closed the top of the passenger door on one end and draped the other end around the sliding door hanger. It stayed tight enough at the top and hung down past the floor so bugs didn't get in. It was cheap and easy to crumple up and store anywhere. The real ones look nice, but this had some advantages. It wasn't attached so my dog could jump out whenever he wanted.

Volksaholic · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:50 pm Post subject:

If you buy a used one make sure it will work with your van. I've got an '88 Wolfsburg and a Vanagon Westy hatch screen... it's too small since I don't have the same A/C and cabinets. I don't know what year it's from... that might make a difference.

The rear hatch screen is pretty easy. I made one in a couple hours from run-of-the-mill window screen. I'm going to remake it a little bigger though, and sew in the magnets. I was just sticking it to the frame with rare-earth magnets last Summer.

I also had some J-hooks kicking around so I made a rear hatch prop that kicks the hatch open about 6" but still allows it to lock. Between the prop and screen, Summer sleeping is SO MUCH more comfy!

Paul
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1988 Wolfsburg Edition, 2001 Subaru EJ251

Jedi · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:52 pm Post subject:

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_search_results.php?search_phrase=screen
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ALIKA T3 · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:06 pm Post subject:

I use this for the hatch:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Put some epoxy putty to lock the threads

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

and put these grills who have a metallic net inside on 1/2-1/2 sliding windows (window from passenger van,the Westfalia ones are 1/3-2/3 to keep the bug screen while sliding the window)
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Timwhy · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:58 am Post subject:

X2 for the rear and slider screens + a couple for the front windows. We were pretty lucky
last summer, really no bugs as a lack of snow in the winter. It won't be the case this year.
So I'd suggest, get those screens "cause you are going to need them. I also second/third
the rear hatch support. I use mine all the time, nothing like a little cross breeze in the Westy.

Rear Hatch Screen lengthened and snaps applied to keep it in place.
The snaps were added after this pic was taken.

Slider screen with snaps on bottom to keep in place,

Front window screens.

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SteveVanB · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:06 am Post subject:

Here's what I did for the side windows.......
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3...mp;start=0
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childofthewind · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:07 am Post subject:


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