For your Westy
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[edit] Accessories for your Westy
[edit] Awnings
[edit] Ezy-Awning
- BusDepot.com sells the Ezy-Awning. I owned and used one before getting a Shady Boy. I found the Ezy-Awning to be heavy, clunky to set up (took two people), and the attachment to the van's rain gutters seemed crude. Even after having set it up several time, I found that I had to re-figure it out every time I needed to set it up again. It's non-intuitive, at least to this owner who has owned tents and awnings too numerous to count, from ultra-lightweight backpacking tents, high-end mountaineering tents, canvas Springbar and sidewall tents, and cheap-o Chinese-made family tents. That said, it's sturdy and works as advertised (provides shade and rain protection. I wasn't sure what to do with it when I drove into town for supplies, though, as it doesn't break down easily, and leaving it semi-freestanding while away from camp was worrisome in windy conditions. I didn't care for it but that's just my opinion (Rocket J Squirrel).
[edit] Fiamma
GoWesty.com sells the Fiamma F45i awning.
- I have one and it works wonderfully. One person can deploy it in a minute or so and it retracts just as easily. Very high quality. Very expensive. I installed one for a customer and by the time it was shipped here, the bill was over $900!I did spend eight hours under one at a car show once and had a very mild sunburn--gone in a day or so, but it was surprising. I suggest you attach it to the poptop via a nylon strap while driving. This will keep it from bobbing too much on dirt roads leading to a cracked gutter. This applies to all heavy awnings not just the Fiamma. I rigged up a stainless cleat--similar to the tie downs in the luggage rack of a Westy--to hold the awning securely to the poptop. You just have to remember to remove the nylon strap when you want to pop the top. A friend ties his to a Yakima rack he carries ridiculous amounts of crap on (Tom Sinclair).
- I have had the Fiamma F45i awning for 3 years now. We are completely satisfied with it. It sets up in less than 1 minute and closes just as fast. Very good quality construction. We set it up as a matter of course whenever camping rain or shine. A few tips that I have to increase convenience: I cut the crank handle down so it could be stored under the bench seat (it was a little long for the cranking anyway). Tilt the front down with the adjustable legs at night just in case it rains so it does not pool in the middle of the awning, and use the middle support bracket. I store the middle support bracket in the “rain gutter” above the sink when travelling (the mounting clips can be mounted there using the existing screws that hold the interior panel so no drilling required). One small problem is that the rain can get between the awning and the van over the sliding door so a tip to fix this is to add a length of material such as a strip of vinyl siding to bridge between the awning and the rain gutter so the rain goes into the rain gutter. We hang out towels and lights from the frame (Pascal Giasson, 84 Westy).
[edit] Shadyboy
- Equinox Sunshine Products makes the Shady Boy awning for VW vans. I've used one for three years now and am pretty satisfied. It sets up in about 10 minutes (label the poles so you remember how to assemble them) and comes down in about the same time. It sheds rain very well if the guy lines are pulled tighter to prevent water pooling on the fabric. I bought mine with the optional downdraft poles (not shown on the company page, be certain to get them) and use them all the time. With them, the awning easily withstands very strong wind gusts. There are quirks: 1. my downdraft poles shed invisible fiberglass "splinters" for a couple years that routinely imbedded themselves into my hands, which was painful enough that I wore leather gloves, this has not been much of a problem lately, and 2. rolling the poles and awning up tightly enough so that it all fits into the roof box is a frustrating job; I now just roll the fabric up on one of the poles and pack the other poles in the van. Much easier, and 3. the corner poles fit into pockets on the outer corners of the awning, and the fabric is showing signs of wear where the pole tips press against the fabric -- those could use some reinforcement (Rocket J Squirrel).
[edit] GoWesty Wasserstopper Pop-top Rainfly
[edit] Why get a rainfly?
- Just as with a backpacking tent, the fly serves to keep rain out so the tent material can do it's normal job.
- The stock canvas, even when sealed, appears to accumulate moisture. Since we camp upstairs, less moisture on the canvas the better.
- When road tripping the use of the pop-top is highly desirable when it's raining, however putting the top down wet is not.
- A fly over the luggage rack allows items to be kept dry and out of the way (backpacks, shoes, firewood, etc...
[edit] Overview
The GoWesty fly (part# GVW-RAINFLY) is designed to completely cover the pop-top canvas and luggage rack. Made of rip-stop nylon fabric, it is designed to keep *most* water out. Both the GoWesty website and the product instructions state that not all water will stay out. Design and quality of the sewing appear very good, however seams do not appear sealed (this can be done by hand, but for the price it should come that way).
The fly attaches using five snaps across the front edge of the pop-top, two snaps hanging on short tabs across each side, a buckle and velcro at the rear and a strap and buckle running through the cab to tension the front. Three coated metal hooks fit under the gutter on each side and are adjustable with velcro. The instructions were easy to understand and installation was not hard.
[edit] Installation Tips
There are some lessons learned during installation which may be helpful.
- A factory screw was located where the center snap goes (1983.5). To install, this was removed, the hole filled with a glued dowel and the snap screwed on. The screw was reinstalled nearby.
- The side tabs / snaps should be installed *perpendicular* to the side of the van with the proper tension. To get the proper tension, the strap was snapped to the fly then pulled parallel to the van until taut to find the attachment location. Once the tab was attached (perpendicular to the side), there was approximately the correct amount of tension. Late Westfalia tops (where the canvas to the top instead of stapled) do not require this care.
- Ripstop nylon stretches - when installing, care was given to making the material taut enough. Note that when warm it will shrink slightly. Many adjustments were made after the snaps were installed to tension the front and rear buckles as the material relaxed.
[edit] Notes and Ideas
- As noted above, the seams should be sealed
- The material does not appear to be a "coated" nylon so it may absorb water. This reinforces that it will *not* keep all the water out, but rather some may seep in.
- During the initial installation, getting the rear material closed enough was difficult. Adjustments helped, but not completely. We'll see if this can be corrected.
- Since thy fly attaches with snaps and velcro, care will be given in high winds and very heavy rains. This is not storm-proof like a good backpacking tent, but then again that's not what it's advertised for.
- There are no vents in the fly and no tensioning rods for the sides or the front. This means that flapping should be expected in high winds and condensation on the inside.
- Using two spring clamps, the fly fits over the casing for my Transawn 2000 awning. This will help keep water from dripping between the gutter and casing while the awning is deployed.
- The fly comes with a fabric case, however this was replaced with a backpacking stuff sack. The fly is crumpled and stuffed rather than folded.
[edit] Kelty Carport Deluxe
This is a lightweight, portable sunshade that sets up in about 10-15 minutes. It only weighs about 10 pounds and is not permanently attached to the van. I have some issues with this design. Setup is a hassle with all the poles, velcro straps and tie-downs. Construction is fairly wimpy and the upper corner gussets ripped out in a moderate breeze. Much stronger gussets are needed. The aluminum poles bent when the wind turned it inside out like an umbrella. Although I have not used it in the rain, I can tell that it is not a good choice under those conditions. On the up side, it does a good job of shading and is very portable, which means it can be used on any vehicle on either side or even the rear if you want. It can be used with poles to add height or staked to the ground. Or free standing using two poles and guy lines with stakes.
