An introduction and a question

[dudeandadog]

Hello, y'all can call me dude. I've been full time living/rebuilding an old StarCraft that I found abandoned in the desert. Just me and miss Jellybean here living the dream (my ex took everything, this is all we have)
But anyways, I appreciate being added and hope to learn as much as possible from y'all and maybe share some of the things I've learned along the way.

My first question is this: has anyone successfully changed the canvas on their pop up truck camper and if so what supplier did you use? Bonus points if you tell me about the buying experience!!
I've seen a few suppliers online but the websites all look very dated and make me nervous to send any money or information. If anyone has done this and can point me in the right direction they would be an absolute hero.
PS, Jelly says hello and she's glad we got to join y'all.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Have you walked, into/ checked into places that make boat/bimini tops?

 

[dudeandadog]

Have you walked, into/ checked into places that make boat/bimini tops?

I have not, but that is an excellent idea. I'll have to make some phone calls. Thanks!

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

May end up being your best bet, with the starcraft. Hard to say though, the tops can get spendy. Could possibly pull yours and take it in for them to use as a guide. + you could get windows, etc added where of if you wanted them.

I have not done that, but know folks on here have done so before. I have used the canvas replacements website before, for the hand cranks.

Canvas Replacements

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I had a custom top made for my custom camper (only option), and had the work done at a local Marine Fabric specialist. I was lucky that he was interested in doing the job as he put it "It's better and way more interesting than doing AFB top". (AFB = Another ******king Bayliner). His words not mine.

He used Sunbrella, and steered me away from the Vinyl and other hybrid sorts of fabrics. I guess the abrasion resistance and durability of the Sunbrella is superior?

Or go to Starcraft. That will probably not be much cheaper, but probably a lot easier. Sorry to hear about your troubles man, and love the puppy! She's a cutie!

 

[dstefan]

Hello, y'all can call me dude. I've been full time living/rebuilding an old StarCraft that I found abandoned in the desert. Just me and miss Jellybean here living the dream (my ex took everything, this is all we have)
But anyways, I appreciate being added and hope to learn as much as possible from y'all and maybe share some of the things I've learned along the way.
View attachment 905489View attachment 905490
My first question is this: has anyone successfully changed the canvas on their pop up truck camper and if so what supplier did you use? Bonus points if you tell me about the buying experience!!
I've seen a few suppliers online but the websites all look very dated and make me nervous to send any money or information. If anyone has done this and can point me in the right direction they would be an absolute hero.
PS, Jelly says hello and she's glad we got to join y'all.

Found this company recently mentioned in a for sale thread. In San Diego, but not terribly far from us in AZ. They do canvas and pop top repair and upfitting. Might be worth checking out.

Canvas & Upholstery

truckcampergarage.com

 

[Atl-atl]

I have used Truck Camper Garage, previously Poptop Overland, and independently Sacha at Seams So Fine(who is married to one of the owners of TCG) for multiple FWC canvas replacements. She is an excellent seamstress, good communicator and builds a quality product. She likely has more experience than anyone else on the planet building custom canvasses for a variety of pop up campers. She is well versed in pop up camper canvas "options" such as preferred materials, window styles, "cold weather pack" preparation etc. that a boat-canvas-only person would not necessarily understand. She spends more time making canvasses for boats though and can be extremely delayed, Ive waited over 6 months for her to finish a canvas in the past. I have had a couple "moderate" issues I will call them when working with her.

First, I had her build the canvas for my K5 Blazer FWC. She did not actually make it to the diameter measurements I sent her(I dont know why, never got a clear answer from her) so I had to ship it back to her to add material, which resulted in essentially a 3" wide, full height patch panel in the back of the canvas. Two seams where there should have been one. This was a large enough screw up that she gave me a slight discount and paid for the extra shipping. I consider this the minimum acceptable recourse.

Second, I had her make another canvas for an FWC Im restoring (which I have not had the time to install yet so Im not sure if it fits) and she proactively reached out to me before finishing it to let me know that she accidentally poked a hole in the canvas during construction. ******** happens, I understand, but at least give me a discount or something. She gave me two options, both not great. No refund, eat my 50% deposit and pound sand. Or pay the remaining 50% and get a completed "new" canvas with a patched hole in it. This was incredibly frustrating because I am restoring this FWC with the intention of selling it. I chose to sweep my anger under the rug and pay the remainder to get the canvas finished. Hopefully its the right size when I do get around to finally installing it.

There are very few other options, possibly none, for someone that knows the ins and outs of a pop up camper like Sacha. Plan to spend a minimum of $2500 for anyone to build you a new canvas that is of good quality. Dont be surprised to get a quote for more. If you get a quote for less than ~$2000, heavily scrutinize every detail.

 

[simple]

My cousin named her spaniel puppy jellybean.
Went out pheasant hunting with my uncle on one those club fields where they plant the birds so there are a lot of other hunters around.
Pretty funny to hear him yelling jellybean all morning.

What's the issue with the current canvas? If you post a pic, make sure jelly is in it.

 

[dudeandadog]

My cousin named her spaniel puppy jellybean.
Went out pheasant hunting with my uncle on one those club fields where they plant the birds so there are a lot of other hunters around.
Pretty funny to hear him yelling jellybean all morning.

What's the issue with the current canvas? If you post a pic, make sure jelly is in it.

The canvas itself is in great condition for its age and being in the AZ sun for an unknown time. My issue is the plastic windows are tearing at the zipper seams and have a quite a few cuts in them.

 

[simple]

The canvas itself is in great condition for its age and being in the AZ sun for an unknown time. My issue is the plastic windows are tearing at the zipper seams and have a quite a few cuts in them.

A boat canvas shop can replace the windows without replacing the whole canvas. You would of course have to remove it for the repair.

 

[AbleGuy]

The canvas itself is in great condition for its age and being in the AZ sun for an unknown time. My issue is the plastic windows are tearing at the zipper seams and have a quite a few cuts in them.

There’s an upholstery shop in South Tucson that’ll do that kind of work. I know because I asked them @ year ago about replacing the poptop on a Metris Van.

They told me I’d likely have to be the one to remove the old canvas and then re-install the replacement canvas because they’d have to charge quite a lot for that if they did that grunt work.

Unfortunately, I can’t recall who that was but IIRC i was referred to them by someone working at Camping World in Tucson. You might try following up with someone in the service department at CW there.

 

[dudeandadog]

I found a local shop that is willing to take on the project, Jamison tops and upholstery LLC. I don't think I'll have an issue removing the material from the camper itself, pretty sure I just unscrew the tracks along the top and bottom but what do y'all make of these staples? I guess I just pull em since I'll be replacing the material (and probably the tracks) anyways. It's like that around the whole perimeter.

 

[dudeandadog]

 

[Atl-atl]

I found a local shop that is willing to take on the project, Jamison tops and upholstery LLC. I don't think I'll have an issue removing the material from the camper itself, pretty sure I just unscrew the tracks along the top and bottom but what do y'all make of these staples? I guess I just pull em since I'll be replacing the material (and probably the tracks) anyways. It's like that around the whole perimeter.

Youll have to painstakingly pull every one of those staples and replace them. Invest in a pneumatic stapler now haha. Also, when you reinstall the canvas you want to use this glue to seal it. Its readily available on amazon.

 

[AbleGuy]

Youll have to painstakingly pull every one of those staples and replace them. Invest in a pneumatic stapler now haha.

Hopefully those old staples aren’t the hot glue kind.

Those glue coated numbers are ridiculously difficult to yank out.

Unfortunately you often just wind up either busting the tops off of them, or worse tearing up the wood they’ve been shot into because they are damn near unremovable.