How to install your tent
Vanagon 1984/1991

1: Important thing to check

Your Vanagon is old. You have to check some littles things before installing your new tent. The pop-top and all mechanism should work perfectly.

The rear hinge should open at the same height and work freely. If the pop-top resist when you try to open it check those hinges. There is little Teflon disc in the mechanism. Don’t hesitate to lubricate them with a silicone type of lubricant. Don’t put to much and wipe the extra lubricant.

The push bar and is mechanism is more often a problem. The part B should be flush with the part A. It should never go out like on the picture. The picture shows an extreme case. If it go out just a little bit it is already too much. 80% of the westfalia have this problem. The friction metal to metal inside the mechanism is breaking the edge of the push bar. The angle between the top support bar and the down support bar change and the pop-top is not opening at the same height. Because of that the fit of your new tent will not be perfect.


You can solve the problem just by turning the push bar completely keeping the curve in the same direction. The left side of the push bar will go on the right side and vice versa. The best time to do that is when you will remove the pop-top. If the push bar is too broken you will have to put a new one.

2: Remove your old tent

The down part of your tent is hold with 4 aluminums rods. Remove the millions of screws. The tent is now free of the vehicle.
Now you have to remove the pop-top from the vehicle.
To do so, you just have to remove the 6 bolts on the rear hinges on the roof of the vehicle and the 4 bolts that hold the support bar to the pop-top. You will need some help to put down the pop-top on the ground.
Now just remove the 4 rods that hold the top part of the tent.
Before starting to install the new tent you have to mark the front and the back center on the pop-top and on the vehicle. Also make sure that you have a mark at the center top and down of your new tent on the front and on the back panels.

3: Put on the new tent

    Put your new tent in the pop-top. Line up the center mark on the pop-top and the tent.  Screw down the front and the back aluminum rod starting by the middle screws. The top of the tent with the roll should be inside the aluminum bar like your old original tent. You screw through the roll. (make sure that the windows screening are facing outside). Turn the rear corner first and screw down the first screw of the side rod. Now turn the front corner and screw down the first screw as well. The tent is pretty tight fitting; so do not hesitate to pull on the side to be able to turn the corner. Screw down the remaining screws.
You are ready now to put the pop-top back on the vehicle.
For the down part start with the front rod and screw it down starting in the middle but do not turn the corner yet. Do the same thing with the back rod. Now it’s time to turn the corner. You have to turn the front corner first. Locate where the tent will turn the corner and cut some rubber to help the tent turning the corner. Make sure you do not cut the thread. Do the same thing with the back corner. Take your time to screw down the corner. It’s the hardiest part of the job. You will need small and curvy screwdriver to do so. Now install the side rod.

That's it

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