Brad wrote:
<<Also, any tried and true designs for building window screens to cover the
side (sliding) windows?
Any suggestions are appreciated, just don't tell me to trade up to a Westy!
>       [Brad Anderson]
>       87 Vanagon Syncro>>

Here's my take on screens for the Westy impaired:

I've got a '90 Syncro - not a Westfalia - that I fabricated some screens for
- they fit right into the window tracks and are held in place by closing the
window on them. (They don't "cover" the windows - they "are" the windows...)

The sliding windows are 1/4" thick - about the same thickness as 1/4"
plywood. I made a little wooden frame from this plywood - rounded at the
front edges just like the window - about 3/4" larger in height than the
window opening, and about 2" narrower in width. I then attached some
aluminum window screen material to the back using silicone caulking. Next, I
hot-glued two strips (vertically) to the back (square) end of the screen,
and spray-painted the whole thing black.

To install, just bow the screen slightly to get it to fit into the window
track top/bottom fuzzy molding, slide it forward between the fuzzy molding
at the front, then close the window. The front of the window will fit
between the strips on the rear of the screen. They work great and look like
a factory part until you get a few inches away and see the hint of
woodgrain. They are removable - in that to close the window you must remove
them - but that takes all of 5 seconds per side. Big plusses for me are 1)
of course they keep the bugs out, 2) I can drive with them in and 3) I can
leave the windows open during the day and have at least some deterrent to
passers-by reaching into the van. But then again, this is Portland, Maine -
I wouldn't necessarily recommend that elsewhere.

As with the awnings I mentioned the other day - if there is any interest,
I'll snap a few pics of them on my next roll of film and mail out the
.jpg's.

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Yarmouth, ME
dfrandolph@talkam.net
'90 Syncro