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Bus Depot Poptop
Canvas & Seals
for all
Volkswagen Campers
Pop Top Canvas:
We offer a wide variety of poptop canvas options depending
on your needs and budget. Most are Bus
Depot exclusives, not
available anywhere else in the U.S. - higher quality, at lower
prices. Installation is time consuming but not exceedingly difficult;
hints are listed further down this page.
 '68-91
European Made Westfalia Poptop Canvas
Our exclusive
deluxe poptop canvas, imported from
Europe by the Bus Depot, has
three mosquito screens with zippered covers,
for better ventilation and comfort. Don't let the low price fool
you - this poptop canvas is far superior to any other cotton
or hemp based aftermarket canvas at any price. While the cotton
and cotton-blended canvas sold by the other
U.S. suppliers is rough textured and looks
absolutely nothing like the original, this material looks nearly stock.
Its fit and quality are also markedly better than the aftermarket canvas sold elsewhere,
regardless of price. If you're on a moderate budget and want
the "best bang for the buck," this is the one to
buy. We offer it in Tan for Buses, and Tan or Gray for Vanagons.
'68-91 Genuine OEM German Westfalia Canvas
If
you want the very best, this is it, even though
it's cheaper than many aftermarket alternatives. We've tried them
all, and the simple truth is that even the best aftermarket
canvas - regardless of price or material - doesn't
quite compare to the fit and quality of the German original. Time
has proven its quality. Your original probably lasted 20 or 30
years, and is waterproof yet soft and breathable - all of the
characteristics of a top quality tent. Our OEM German
canvas comes from
the original supplier to Westfalia, using the same materials and workmanship
found on Westfalias in Germany even to this day. We have updated the design to include
three mosquito screens for improved ventilation. On the Vanagon canvas,
we have also incorperated a design improvement that VW
only added in 1990-91 - a fully removable front screen, which
can be replaced separately
if it rips (i.e. gets caught in the latch when
closing). The OEM canvas is offered in Tan or Yellow for Buses,
and Tan or Gray for Vanagons.
''68-91
Synthetic Acrylic ("Sunbrella") in Custom
Colors: This U.S. made synthetic poptop
canvas is available in
your choice of tan,
gray, royal blue, dark green, yellow, or maroon. We still
recommend the OEM German canvas (above) if you want a stock
color, as we believe the OEM product's fit and quality is superior
to any other. (Contrary to what some retailers would have you
believe, Acrylic is not necessarily a better choice for poptop
canvas. It has pluses and minuses. It is somewhat more fade resistant
when exposed to prolonged strong sunlight over time, but fading
isn't usually a big problem with poptop canvas anyway since
it is closed most of the time. On the other hand it's stiffer, making the poptop harder to close.) That
said, Acrylic is certainly your best option if you want custom colors,
and this is the best Acrylic replacement on the market.
Pre-1968
Westfalia Canvas
We offer U.S. made replacement
canvas for Splitties in either 100% cotton (yellow, tan, or
gray) or Synthetic Acrylic (tan, gray, yellow, royal blue,
dark green, or maroon).
ASI/Riviera
and Country Homes Canvas
If you have one
of these rare campers with the "straight-up" penthouse
style poptops, we have the replacement canvas you need
- made by the original factory and cut from the original patterns.
The stock color is yellow for the Rivieras or white for the
Country Homes. However we can provide either style in either
color. This canvas is made to order and takes about 5-10 working
days to ship.
Eurovan
Canvas
We offer OEM German Westfalia replacement
canvas for Eurovans with the Westfalia poptop, genuine Winnebago replacement
canvas for Winnebago Eurovan Campers, and Country Homes canvas
for those conversions as well. We also offer a U.S. made canvas for
pre-1998 Westfalia poptops, in Gray or Tan heavyweight cotton, or in
Synthetic Acrylic in your choice of six colors.
Installation Hints:
Illustrated installation
instructions are included with our replacement Westfalia canvas. As
per VW spec the included instructions involve completely removing
the poptop, which does deliver the most consistent results.
However, many people do it wiith the poptop still on. This is
not very difficult (requiring only a short screwdriver and staple gun),
but it can still be time consuming, since a large number of screws and staples
are used to hold the canvas on, and the precise alignment is largely a
matter of trial and error. It is easiest to do the job with two
people. Prop the poptop half way up and remove the old canvas, being
sure to save the tack strip and other reuseable parts. Start by
stapling or screwing the new canvas corners to the poptop (most use staples;
later Vanagons use screws), then put a few in
the middle and at the bottom of the canvas. Then, very slowly and
carefully, raise the poptop and look for loose or tight areas. Getting it
lined up such that the canvas neither bunches up nor is too snug is mainly
a matter of trial and error. If it doesn't look like it's lined
up right, or if you find any tight or loose areas,
you'll have to remove some or all of the staples/screws, reposition, and test
again. Continue until completed. If you're lucky you'll get it right the
first time; if not it may take a few tries to get it lined up just right!
Important:
Please thoroughly inspect and measure your canvas before
beginning installation to ensure that you have a suitable replacement.
We cannot take back partially installed canvas.
Pop Top Seals:
Our poptop seals are
custom made to our specifications, and are
closer to the original
than any other aftermarket seal at any
price. You can buy them individually, or
we also sell them as a complete kit to fit '74-91 (part number WESTYRUBBER).
Pop Top Seal: On '67 and earlier campers
(small poptop), this seal goes around all 4 sides. On '68-73 it goes
around the two sides and the rear (you use the Flat Seal, below, for the
back), On '74-91 it goes around the two sides and the front (again, you
use the flat seal, below, for the remaining side). Available in pre-cut
lengths for all Westfalias. Also sold by the foot for custom use on non-Westfalia
campers. The seal uses imbedded aluminum clips that will not rust like
the original did. Installation takes only five minutes, as it simply
pushes on.
Luggage Rack Edging: Originally
found on '74 and later Westfalias (but also available for '68-73). The luggage rack
seal's primary purpose is cosmetic. Uunlike the poptop seal (which is
designed to keep water out), the luggage rack seal is supposed to allow
water past, so that rainwater can drain from under the luggage rack. Like
Westfalia's seal, our luggage rack seal is correctly designed for this
purpose. Other companies sell their Poptop Seal as luggage rack seal,
which is a mistake. It can interfere with drainage, and also can be very
hard to install without removing your luggage rack (whereas our correct
seal installs in minutes). As with our poptop seal, our luggage rack seal
uses no-rust aluminum clips.
Flat Seal: Used on '68 and later Westfalias. Goes along
the leading edge of the poptop where it comes down to meet the luggage
rack. Installs in minutes. Ours is the only flat seal that has an
imbedded clip for attachment; our competitors' seals must be cemented in
place
Installation Hints:
Poptop Seal:
The insulation bulb on the
poptop seal faces the inside of the van. It helps to slightly raise your
poptop (but not extend it all the way) when installing.
Luggage Rack Edging:
Use a
thin flat object (about the size of a flathead screwdriver blade) to
help coax the lip of the new seal under the luggage rack. (However, use
something relatively soft, perhaps made of wood or plastic; an actual
screwdriver will easily scratch your paint if your hand slips!)
Flat Seal: On the original VW
seal, this flat seal was actually attached to the 3-sided section, whereas
on the aftermarket seals it is a separate piece. If re-using your original
flat seal, simply use an exacto knife or razor blade to separate it from the worn out 3-sided section (although we do recommend replacing all of the seals at once,
as it will save you the trouble later). The new
3-sided poptop seal and the
flat seal (new or old) can be mated together just by butting them up
against eachother and trimming slightly with an exacto knife or razor
blade for a clean seam. You can use some weatherstrip adhesive or silicone
at the seam, but it isn't necessary.
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