Neil, I would recommend NOT going with an acrylic canvas no matter how
well made it is.  They are very stiff and miserable to work with.  I
have installed many Westy Tents over the years and only one acrylic one
(I learned my lesson on the first one).  Very hard to install because
the material is thicker and stiffer.  Then you get it installed and when
you go to pop the top up and down it is a much bigger pain.  You can't
pop the top with all of the windows closed.  It won't go up.  Instead
you it creates a suction.  You have to open something to get it to go up.

The canvas or cotton material that was originally used holds up for over
twenty years as long as you don't cut it or close the top when it is
wet, or let the seals go bad and then the canvas gets wet and stays that
way when the top is closed.  That is why these things need to be
replaced.  Maybe the tent might be more resistant to being cut but that
is not a problem if you put the tent away properly and don't allow it to
get jammed in the mechanism.  Maybe the material resists mold better but
mold is not a problem if your tent isn't allowed to stay wet.

So treat your canvas tent right and it will last forever.  I have seen
original tents that are still in great shape.  If you let your pop top
seals go or don't know how to properly take care of your tent then I
think you are going to be looking at a replacement every few years.
There is no excuse for not replacing your pop top seals.  It is just
being cheap or lazy or both.  The kits are $80 or less and take just a
couple of hours to install.  Not even a little difficult.  It will save
you a $400 canvas and the time and labor to replace it.

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242

On 4/24/2011 11:30 PM, neil n wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> Trying to decide between a new Arylic "Sunbrella" type or OEM German canvas
> for my top.
>
> Though I'm still not sure which is more water resistant (acrylic or properly
> treated/maintained canvas) when we talk of "breathability", are we talking
> about how well a material helps keep the interior cooler in hot weather or
> which material dries out faster after getting really wet or both?
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242