OK, I get it now that I have seen the pictures. Thanks so much. My
original intent was to affix the rail so that the awning could be
used with the top up or down. I see that that is probably not
possible to do a top-down option on the poptop westy. It looks as if
your configuration mounts the rail so high up that the top and seals
don't even touch it when they close, but close over it so that it is
accessible only when the top is up. That's OK by me, though if anyone
can figure out how to install an awning rail to work both up and
down, let me know.

To comment on Loren Busch's post that followed this one, no, you
probably can't use a metal rod. I have had canvas roof repaired that
went to old-school campers. The only thing you can do is take a tarp
to (or buy material from) a canvas shop and have them sew in a
flexible piping made for a system like this. They will know what you
are talking about and will have the right stuff.

This system makes a great seal, by the way, and is very easy to
install and take down. You just slip one end in the rail and walk
down the length of the van. That's it.

Jim

On Feb 21, 2007, at 12:50 PM, Richard A Jones wrote:

> Jim:
>
> I took some pix with the top popped and with it almost
> closed.  Pictures are worth a 1000 words--plus, I didn't
> remember very well how the rail was installed.  I would
> have said the flange was up, not down!
>
> At the rear, when the top is closed, the flange of the
> rail is right behind the rubber of the seal.  Farther
> forward, I think it is just above the rubber.  It comes
> down at the rear end, I think, because of the poptop
> hinge, or maybe it is just the shape of the roof.
>
> See:
> http://jones.colorado.edu/jones/VWAwningRail
> for the five pix.
>
> To answer an unask question:  I had my Carefree Sidewinder
> on my '81 and just moved it to the Syncro.  If I had not had
> the Sidewinder, I would have explored using the awning rail.
>
> Richard
> Boulder
>
>