I believe it was one car length for every ten miles an hour.
Can be difficult in major urban areas!

On 10/16/06, Michael Hart <mjhart853@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> A late addition to this earlier thread....
> Starting with a 19 year old '85 van with original canvas, I found it
> leaked
> in heavy rain (one of the winter storms passing through northern
> California).
> The canvas got wet through on the sides and leaked pints through the
> zipper & window area.
> My solution was as follows;
> (1). Proof the canvas thoroughly with spray on tent canvas proofer
>   (I used 2 different brands, they seem similar; from REI or other
>   camping store). Pay special attention to the main vertical seems
> - this may take 2-3 cans total.
> This stops the rain coming throught the main body of the tent,
> (2). (Buy &) install the 'Westfalia rainfly' that Frank Condelli has on
> his site
>   (just google 'Westfalia rainfly') [or make your own if you are so
> inclined
>   - I don't know one end of a sewing machine from the other, and the
>    aforementioned product is very well made].
> This keeps rain off the window & zipper area (at least if you have just
> the
> single window canvas).
> Since then, not a drop has come in, even through major storms such as
> the one we experienced in southern California over Xmas/New Year '04-'05
> (mudslides in Malibu, several inches of rain over 3-4 days - just like the
> old
> times when I used to live in the UK).
>
> Mike
> '85 Westy (currently a few inches shorter than factory)
> Now I know why there are so many threads about 'Big Brake kits' and why
> I need to keep at least a quarter of a mile behind the car infront....
> I remember that there was a 'stopping distance' chart (how many feet it
> takes to stop at different speeds) in my driver's manual when I first took
> my driving test (some time ago now)
> - I'm thinking of laminating a copy to place on my dash...
> '87 Westy (patiently waiting for a repeat of all the work I put into my
> '85...)
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 6:47:07 AM
> Subject: Re: [WetWesties] waterproofing (was RE: RAISED ROOF hard tops
>
>
> On my Westy I have the acrylic 3 vent canvas. The only time I had
> water leakage was water that went through the front vent and
> accumulated in the seam enough to leak through the zipper....and even
> then it only leaked AFTER the poptop was back down.
>
>
> On Oct 13, 2006, at 8:37 AM, Malcolm Stebbins wrote:
>
> > --- Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> >
> >> How do you keep water from seeping through the canvas or the
> >> canvas seams in
> >> strong rain and wind?   How have others dealt with that?
> >
> > With the 3 different pop-top Westies that I have owned (over 20
> > years), I have NEVER had rain come
> > in through the canvas or seams.  When wet, the canvas swells and
> > becomes damp, but never any
> > leakage.  M
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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>
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com