VW Westy pop top replacement
Since I am still too banged up to Freebord — or longboard or Flowboard, hell I can kind of walk, sort of — the Wife and I have turned our attention to my 73 Westfalia.
We have the interior almost complete, which gives me a warm, tingly sensation. The outside of the bus is a patchwork of body repairs and other work that will take a little longer, so right now, as it lumbers down the road, the camper looks more like it was sneezed into existence that the fine piece of German engineering it was ment to be.
This weekend, though, we managed to replace the crummy cloth someone had stapled up on the pop top with real canvas — thanks to the people at gowesty.com who have a huge online selection of Volkswagon camper gear for sale, from split windows all the way to vanagons.
The top, including hinges and tiedowns, needed a buch of work, not to mention a sound cleaning … so we took it off.
To do this, I highly recommend having a couple of tall helpers in good health on hand. The Wife and her gimp husband managed somehow to get the top off … and much more difficult, especially when it comes to lining up the front hinges, back on again.
Getting the top cleaned — it was growing penicilin and something that looked like leprosy on top — and new seals, also from gowesty.com, all the way around were much easier tasks with the top completely off. Also, the two-piece pop-top seals are very simple to put on. I understand from some of the online guides that the single-piece gaskets can be difficult to the point of having to trim the fiberglass where it goes around the corners to seal with the luggage rack. Use the two-piece sets.
Also, with the top off, stapling in the tent was a breeze, no sweat. Again, this is a two-person job. With a minimal stretching, the canvas fit perfectly, though the Wife found out good, strong wood clamps to hold the fabric in place right where you want it are almost a must. Also, we used an electric staple gun which also made quick work of the task. Be careful when using one of those, though, because they can damage the wood if you are too close to an edge. Also, make sure the staples are the right lenght.
Putting the top back on the van sucked. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, sucked. We really needed those tall, healthy — without a sprained foot — helpers to get things in place. They would have been especially helpful holding the top at the right angle, in the right place, while we put in the first bolts holding the front of the top down. Still, we managed — after teaching anyone with in earshot exactly how many cuss words a newspaper editor picks up over the years — to get it back on and lined up right.
Also replaced the fold out top cot. A no-brainer, four bolts on and off and that job is done.
One point of advice here, aside from having help, check the front hinge bolts for rust and the wood under the top they mount to. We found ours had rusted and the rubber washers shot, so the wood on one side was completely gone … powder. While you have the roof off is a good time to deal with such repairs.
It’s also a good time to clean under pop-top and around the roof of the bus in those areas that are impossible to reach with the fiberglass in place.
Expect to spend between six and eight hours on this.
rachel said,
January 2, 2007 at 4:51 pm
is design by chance or design?
db said,
July 25, 2007 at 10:00 am
I replaced the canvas on my old ‘77 Westy in my in-law’s driveway a few years ago. Not a wise idea. They thought I was a nice polite guy before this day. After 7 hours of more swearing than I would do in a year, they soon learned of the dark side.
If there is a Hell, this is the profession of choice. I now own a ‘89 Vanagon Westy and am planning to replace the canvas on it this summer, in my own driveway, with the music real loud as to not disturb the neighbour children, you know.