Guac's Upholstery Phase 1 - Kick Panels

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:33 pm

All this uphostering is getting me tired.

Anybody up for a game of "Chutes and ladders"

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:33 pm

Adventurewagen wrote:All this uphostering is getting me tired.

Anybody up for a game of "Chutes and ladders"

My daughter's second favorite game, after Candy Land.

Oh, and at least you didn't rib me about all the VHS tapes.

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:42 pm

Adventurewagen wrote:All this uphostering is getting me tired.

Anybody up for a game of "Chutes and ladders"

Are all of us okay?
I just realized that a bunch of guys are talking about fabric...

Must be estrogen poisoning

So what colors do you like to use on your quilts? $\:D/$

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:55 pm

spiffy wrote: I just realized that a bunch of guys are talking about fabric...
Must be estrogen poisoning
So what colors do you like to use on your quilts? $\:D/$

No shame, if it's about the ride, the van. The very macho, latino, guys around here spend an insane amount of time on their bikes and vans. No shame, continue.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:51 am

Ok then.

Sunbrella, that stuff is the shit. If ever you decide to replace your curtains go spend the extra doh for Sunbrella. It cost me 100 bucks to redo all the curtains in my bus which included some sewing supplies in addition to just the fabric so about 70 bucks in fabric, but now after 3yrs its totally faded and will only last probably another couple years.

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:14 pm

Adventurewagen wrote:Ok then.

Sunbrella, that stuff is the shit. If ever you decide to replace your curtains go spend the extra doh for Sunbrella. It cost me 100 bucks to redo all the curtains in my bus which included some sewing supplies in addition to just the fabric so about 70 bucks in fabric, but now after 3yrs its totally faded and will only last probably another couple years.

So is it "the shit" or just "shit"???

<---confused.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:30 pm

"TheShit" Kind of a one word kinda thing. Its a good sorta thing though.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:35 pm

It sounds like they are recommending spending the money on it, but that it only lasted for a couple of years and will now have to be replaced.

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:39 pm

chitwnvw wrote:It sounds like they are recommending spending the money on it, but that it only lasted for a couple of years and will now have to be replaced.

Hence my confusion.

Curtains are on my to-do list and I've been debating on the material.

I'm thinking ideally it would be a patchwork of material from old jeans. Then it could fade and I wouldn't care.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:45 pm

chitwnvw wrote:It sounds like they are recommending spending the money on it, but that it only lasted for a couple of years and will now have to be replaced.

Sorry, I thought it was clear

I used regular run of the mill fabric from a fabric store for my curtains which faded after one summer and are now really going south after a few years.

I have a front cover for the windshield and side windows that I got from my mom as a present (she used the old tattered one as a template) that is made from Sunbrella and that stuff looks exactly like it did the day I hung it from the bus.

I even have extra fabric she gave me that I compared a while ago and they were the same!

So... My recommendation for bus fabric material for shades and such items would be Sunbrella because it really lasts and is so durable. I is NOT cheap though, but well worth it. I bet my front cover lasts me 15yrs!

covelo · Post by **covelo** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:22 pm

My girlfriend made curtains from a $15 piece of fabric from JoAnn's fabrics (our favorite store :---) ) and they have done very well in the California sun for the past year and a half. The trick is to get light colored fabrics that don't fade as much and still look good when they do fade. I am actually not that impressed with the fading characteristics of our sunbrella garden pillow covers, but that may be because they sit outside in the fog and the rain, which probably accelerates the fading. Sunbrella is also full of all sorts of nasty chemicals, which doesn't really fit with the idea of a low impact camping vehicle, IMO.

Here's a (not too detailed) picture of how our curtains look.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:54 pm

covelo wrote:
Here's a (not too detailed) picture of how our curtains look.

How fast were you going up that hill?

10-4 on the stop the torture, that stuff is just nuts.

Birdibus · Post by **Birdibus** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:18 pm

covelo wrote:My girlfriend made curtains from a $15 piece of fabric from JoAnn's fabrics (our favorite store :---) ) and they have done very well in the California sun for the past year and a half. The trick is to get light colored fabrics that don't fade as much and still look good when they do fade. I am actually not that impressed with the fading characteristics of our sunbrella garden pillow covers, but that may be because they sit outside in the fog and the rain, which probably accelerates the fading. Sunbrella is also full of all sorts of nasty chemicals, which doesn't really fit with the idea of a low impact camping vehicle, IMO.

Here's a (not too detailed) picture of how our curtains look.

Ahhh... that's one of my favorite spots in Yosemite, Olmstead View. That is Cloud's Rest monolith and the other side of Half Dome in the distance. There is a short nature trail that starts at that parking area that leads to a killer view of the upper valley. I've left the designated area and hiked over the bare granite, but it gets very steep and dangerous with nothing but granite cliffs below, so don't take the kids beyond the nature trail. Nice places with echoes to play flutes are near there.

Cotton and cotton blend fabrics will not last long in the sun, but they hang well and gather up nicely when you want to strap the curtains open. Light colors last longer. If you can sew, it's really cheap to make your own, especially if you can find fabric bargains. I don't park in a garage, so I simply expect that curtains will need replacement occasionally. I look for fabric that is non see-through.

Sunbrella is a bit stiff to use on the curtain rods where it needs to be scrunched up, but could be made to work. I made sunbrella curtains for my 71 bus, but I snap them into place. Be aware that sunbrella comes in different weights. The furniture weight fabric is the lightest and most flexible. Awning weight sunbrella is VERY stiff.

At the factory where I worked, the old umbrellas would come back to the shop for repairs, so I saw many examples of weathered fabric. I didn't notice fading so much as dulling of the colors from embedded dirt and salt spray. Fraying could occur in places where the fabric rubbed against wood, but otherwise it was very stong.

I have some sunbrella banners hanging from trees here and there for privacy. When they get dirty, I spray them with strong bleach solution and they look good again. Bleach is not a good idea though if the thread is cotton blend, for it will damage the thread.

covelo · Post by **covelo** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:27 pm

Birdibus wrote:
covelo wrote:My girlfriend made curtains from a $15 piece of fabric from JoAnn's fabrics (our favorite store :---) ) and they have done very well in the California sun for the past year and a half. The trick is to get light colored fabrics that don't fade as much and still look good when they do fade. I am actually not that impressed with the fading characteristics of our sunbrella garden pillow covers, but that may be because they sit outside in the fog and the rain, which probably accelerates the fading. Sunbrella is also full of all sorts of nasty chemicals, which doesn't really fit with the idea of a low impact camping vehicle, IMO.

Here's a (not too detailed) picture of how our curtains look.

Ahhh... that's one of my favorite spots in Yosemite, Olmstead View. That is Cloud's Rest monolith and the other side of Half Dome in the distance. There is a short nature trail that starts at that parking area that leads to a killer view of the upper valley. I've left the designated area and hiked over the bare granite, but it gets very steep and dangerous with nothing but granite cliffs below, so don't take the kids beyond the nature
trail. Nice places with echoes to play flutes are near there.

It's not too bad of a drive actually. The worst part is that big hill before Groveland, which I like to do at night, especially in the summer. Then a nice boondock in Yosemite (we like the turnout at Merced Grove) and then you get up early to drive to Olmsted Point for coffee.

We're planning to go again this weekend for a through trip to the hot springs on the east side near Mammoth Lakes. I had a lot of carburator problems there last year, so I hope this year will be more relaxing.

Here is another Yosemite picture. .

DjEep · Post by **DjEep** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:38 pm

We're taking Geri Lou to Yosemite in 2.5 weeks. I hope she's up for it! We're just hitting the valley floor for a wedding. But I remember quite a climb to get out of there.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Guac's Upholstery Phase 1 - Kick Panels