Westie Poptop canvas replacement

[BoDukey]

Hi Folks,

Firstly, it's my first ever post on here, so: hello! I've just become the very chuffed owner of a 1970 Campmobile and trying to plan for some time away with OH and the boy.

My question is this: does anyone have any links for clear picture demos/guide on replacing the canvas on the poptop? Google is proving to be a nightmare in just picking up t25s and rear hinge stuff.

I've got a replacement from Alan Schofield and hoping to fit over the Christmas break. If and when I get it done, I'll post some pics up on how it went... :shock:

Thanks folks and happy Christmas and a wonderful new year

A lurker no longer!

 

[Lee C]

Hello n welcome along!!
Get some pics of your bus up, man!!!
As for fitting the poptop canvas, I'll look forward to seeing your pics & reading your write up, as I'll be doing the same job next year myself!!

 

[Graham L]

Whenever we have done it we have done it this way

1. Fasten the bottom part of the canvas to the top of the bus using the ali strip first making sure you have the corners in the correct place
2. Then staple the top of the canvas to the wooden strip starting with the corners and making sure its square and taught then gradually work round tensioning the fabric as you go, worth getting the middles up as well and staple to the corners.
3. Finishing the top can be done in a few different ways and everyone seems to have a different way, once up we fold the canvas over to double it and staple again and then put a cover strip over the staples.

There are various ways of doing it but the key thing is to get the canvas tensioned correctly as you dont want a floppy canvas once its up.

Sure people will do it different but hope that helps

 

[BoDukey]

Thanks guys.

Let's see how the photos works...

 

[*Sam*]

Having read the Bentley manual and then spoken with members on here and then fitted and re fitted my own roof canvas the best way for me was as per the Bentley Manuel.

1) remove pop top
2) lay the canvas in pop top mark the centres of the wooden frame and the canvas check that it puts the corners of the canvas in the corners of the pop top staple the canvas to the wooden frame in the pop top. Ensure that you have the hem edge of the canvas facing up toward you as your working on it, then staple the rubber track strip to the canvas and wooden frame so that when you lift the roof back on to the van the canvas hangs over the track strip hiding it from sight when stood in the van looking at the roof.

If you don't understand that then I suggest buying the Bentley manual as to date it's most accurate manual I have used.

 

[BoDukey]

Thanks Sam, Graham and Lee.

Just been searching for the Bentley manual too. I've get a Haynes, but seems not to include anything about this.

Funny, but I've got not fear of engines (if not that competent) but this has really put the jebbies up me.

 

[Harlequin]

Bentley manual on-line.......just print the pages..
http://mysicka.ics.muni.cz/cgi-bin/fotky.cgi?T3/VWBus1968-79ServiceManual.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[*Sam*]

You will be fine mate it looks worse than it is.
Send me a PM and I'll give you mobile number if you need more help.

 

[simo]

Hi fella - nice looking westy 8)
Did mine before (twice :shock: ) see here http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30349&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At the end follow the link where i did it the second time using a WW one which was much better quality!
As Sam said i found it easier to remove the poptop, flip it over and fit it to that first centring all the sides, which gave a great og finish to the top inside afterwards!
Good luck - have a go :msn4:

 

[BoDukey]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the link, that's saved me 20 odd quid! learning loads already.

Gonna have a crack (hopefully if the weather is dry) middle of next month. A lot depends on when my buddy can get time.

Great forum BTW, first time on and peeps are already really helpful. Love it.

 

[carloswesty]

Hi I found a link on the samba.com on their tech pages helped no end good luck and just take things a step at a time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[*Sam*]

How did you get on with the Canvas ?

 

[BoDukey]

Hi Sam,

Not attempted yet. Mate has been busy and trying to arrange a couple of days (just in case it goes pair).

Gonna try the last weekend of the month. Will post as soon as attempt begins...

 

[lard]

Good luck with it - btw if yours it ripped and a temp fix would make it last another season then spinnaker/sail repair tape works really well, sticky rip stop fabric - put a temp repair to mine in various places with the intention of replacing and it's been like that for 4 years now

 

[BoDukey]

Nice one Lard!

 

[BoDukey]

Well, I had to move house in the last six months and it's been manic with the boy starting a new school and decorating etc. but finally got the top done. No harm done it being in the new garage for ages.



First effort was removing the ally strips holding the canvas down. The only major issue with was reaching up to the front (short arse that I am) and 45 year old screws... Thankfully I only lost one screw to threading but think that was due to a decent impact driver rather than any skill on my part



This is where I have to object a bit to the Bentley manual. It says tie up the spring arms, so did so. But as soon as the bolts were undone, they kept moving and stopped me being able to take the roof off. So, they had to come off. Two tiny nuts and bolts but would have had to come off anyway to replace the canvas.



As I did this after going to AliveN'VBubbin I also decided to replace the perished rubber retaining strap things. Being an idiot, I didn't realise that the rear one (with the metal catch) was the same thing but with a hole drilled in it... But did carefully take photos of how the fixings worked. I thought that I'd have to go out and get new split pins, but a touch of wd40 and no problems. Bit stiff to get back in, but lubbed up and hammer time worked a treat getting them in...

So, stapled into the corners first and hay presto, all lines up nicely. Slowly worked our way round (after the OH had been back out to get the right stapes..) and it appeared ok. Time to lift it back on.




Getting the roof on was a direct reversal of the removal, but my mate had arrived by then, so v much easier. Issue was getting the bolts back into the body. Two on each side went in fine, the other two are a total no no (off to the Internet to check out how to do this. Tip on this one, get a stick to hold the roof in the right position, or face lactic acid burn in your arms as you swap bolting in duties....



So that was about a days work, by now I'd had a few too many beers and decided to put him back in the garage and wait till the following day to finish off. At this point, it took around 6 hours with two of us working at a time. Top is on, bolted on the front and happily ok to drive around it...

Following morning,'it's just me working. And the stick, with an old rag at the end. So hung over attempted to finish the work. This was a pain in the proverbial... Had to line it up twice too get it to fit. The corners were the worst bits and sooooooo tight. I had to cut the plastic to get it to bend right and getting the screws back in was an impossibility, so the drill had to come out... But after about another 5 hours work:



Ta da!!! TBH, I'm really pleased how this went. Total of 17 working hours worth of effort (or beers, old van and chatting poo). The only real error was folding the canvas over at the top, but figured that it being directly stapled to the Poptop couldn't be right... Would have given about 5mm play when attempting to refit the strips.

Hope this helps anyone else attempting this.