Wasn't there a traveling Vanagon Mechanic... years ago?

[jlrftype7]

[Abscate]

[jjb182]

Hi again!

Vanis13, I'm a little (lot) jealous of your signature line (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)

So HillTop Motors here in Jax charges $95 an hour so I'm planning to take it there for the gas smell/leak... and I'm realizing that $95/hour is reasonable/good. I guess I haven't taken in a car/bus/van to be serviced in a LONG time.

Depending on how much time he quotes me to do the pop top... I will likely just do that myself... or maybe connect with Vanis13.

Anyhow, it's nice to have a Group! Thanks for all of the support!

Also... a Black Friday sale on a solar system had me buy an EcoFlow Delta Max 1600, with way too many solar panels--I'm embarrassed to say...and they won't all fit on the van! But it seemed like a deal. It was a tough call between this and the Jackery.

Thanks All for the support!

[djkeev]

Just be careful.

There was a thread a month or two ago about a Van owner all pissed at BusDepot because of the crummy ill fitting tent they sold him and their refusal to refund or replace the tent,

Once pictures were forthcoming it ended up being one of the worst installs any of us have ever seen!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758447&highlight=bus+depot+tent

Just because you are paying a "professional" someone does not mean that you are going to get a quality installation!
As a matter of fact I am of the mindset that most DIY jobs will actually come out better because of the pride in ownership.

You are looking at a shop charge of close to $1,000 I bet.
If they aren't experienced at doing poptop tents you will be paying them hourly for their education.

Dave
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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

[Ahwahnee]

If you do decide to install the tent yourself, I think my 84 will be identical to what you will be working with.

I saved a few pictures and came up with a couple of tricks.

[zimflux]

[elizer]

Just get it running over the winter and in spring go to Quebec and get it installed by a professional. Cheaper than any installer in the states only costs time and gas lol. When I went there were close to a bazillion geese migrating south it was deafening.

There was this youtube video posted here of the gentleman at a vanagon event installing a tent incredibly fast. He was carrying on a conversation the whole time. I watched a lot of videos and read a bunch of threads. It definitelylooks doable, but my van was up in Maine at the time so it made sense at the time. Plus I got one of his awesome tents!

http://www.atelierspk.com/west_english.html

[Irishcalifornian]

Does anyone recall the man who installs Vanagon windows at the Busses By The Bridge or the Syncrofest events?
I will be at both events and hope to use his services if I connect with him.
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One Life, Live It

[Ahwahnee]

[bobhill8]

Thanks Ahwahnee - It's posts like yours that make thesamba so unbelievably helpful. I will probably only replace a tent canvas once in my life, but it will be easier because of those tips/tricks.
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1986 Westy
1971 Squareback

[jjb182]

Ahwahnee! Your van looks a lot like mine! And fabulous job on the instructions.

[vanis13]

Error post
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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

[leecat]

Having seen the hack jobs that some so-called 'professionals' (not all, to be sure) do on pop-top installations, I too would really recommend doing it yourself. And I guarantee that if you aren't happy after someone else installs it, it's going to be a world of hurt trying to make them live up to any so-called guarantee they offered - there will be every excuse in the world.

You just can't buy the kind of love you can put into your own van. AND - worst case - even if you have to take it off and start again from scratch at least you're not out a grand.

Took me roughly a full day to do mine, first time I'd done a Vanagon and that included a lot of fiddling around because I wasn't 100% sure about the process - had to keep running back to the Samba and checking details and taking breaks to just sit and look at it to think it through.

Turned out superb though. I found careful attention to alignment when starting was really key. Should have thought ahead and bought new staple strips though, I think I got tetanus from being repeatedly stabbed while pulling 40,000 rusty staples out of the old stuff to re-use it.

[bobbyblack]

I did my '87 tent myself a few years ago. After getting it done, I swore that if someone were to ask me to install one for them, I'd tell them "no less than $1000 for me to do it for you" .. I agree taking time and making sure things are well researched, and thought through was the only way I got through it myself.

Now, I am also not looking forward to, but in need of doing my recently new to me '86 Westy. Oh the Joy! I asked Mrs. Black if she'd like the same color tent as came on the bus (Tan tent Pastel White bus [ugh, brown interior]) or to go with a different color, showing her an ample set of colors which I thought red was nice... Nope, Gray! Fine by me, BD version of tent has been great for us so far!

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch