The housing is made of a pretty good quality steel (no, I don't know exactly
what steel) and is quite springy.  I think it's pretty much the same stuff
as what VW uses for the curtain retainers.  Yes, it can be pulled out of
shape, but so can the originals.

If you left the actual cable inside the housing, It would not have the
ability to stretch at all.

Karl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe L." <jliasse@toast.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 5:53 AM
Subject: Re: Vangon curtains/canvas?

>     Adding to the chatter:
>      The idea sounds good but (there is always a "but") it seems to me
that
> bike break cable housing takes a lot of compression from the cable inside
> being tightened never but takes any stretching as bike cables are
installed
> with a lot of slack to follow along frames, handlebars etc. Because of
this
> the housing my not have been designed to take any pulling. Hanging
curtains
> would pull on the housing. Repeated open/closing would pull more. After a
> while things could sag. Perhaps the cable inside should be retained and
the
> cable itself used to attatch the housing to the van so as to take the
strain
> and leaveing the housing loose.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of Karl Wolz
> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 2:35 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Vangon curtains/canvas?
>
>
> I used to work in a bike shop, and it sounds quite feasible to me.  Brake
> cable housing can be purchased in 100' rolls, as  I recall.
>
> Karl Wolz
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ken Wyatt" <kokopellis@att.net>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 11:08 PM
> Subject: Re: Vangon curtains/canvas?
>
>
> > Hey Vanagonauts,
> >
> > I've been discussing curtain cable replacement with a few breadloaf and
> > vanagon owners.  After examining the original curtain retaining setup,
> > we speculate that one could use the exterior shell of a bicycle brake
> > cable with the cable removed as the curtain holder.
> >
> > To attach to your van, screw an eyelet screw hook into the end of the
> > cable, fasten this onto the van by drilling a small hole and using a
> > small phillips screw to attach to the van frame.
> >
> > These cables shells are flexible, strong and are basically the same as
> > the original equip.  Of course this was garage chatter and hasn't been
> > tested but visually it looks quite possible.
> >
> > Maybe I should put a kit together, : )
> > Thoughts, Experience.
> > Ken
> > 82 westy
>