Westfalia Material: VWH vs NLA

Discussion in 'Internal' started by Spacecowboyuk, Jul 12, 2018.

  1. Hi

    I'm in the process of looking at a retrim of my front Westy seats as I'm unable to find gen top bunk material. So I've contacted two of the more obvious companies for swatches. Laid against my sagging seat, here is how they fair:

    20180712_171332.jpg

    CONSTRUCTION
    NLA: The fabric is very soft so nice to the touch. It also has a white foam backing material which adds to the luxury. The stitching appears to be slightly wider and in some instances the wrong orientation than the OG material.

    VWH: The material feels firmer and not as soft. The stitching looks spot on to the original. It is not backed.

    Verdict: In my opinion VWH have the edge here. The material feel is almost identical to the OG material. If you want a softer more plush seat go for NLA. If you crave accuracy then VWH.

    COLOUR
    NLA: The colour seems lighter than OG but not by much.

    VWH: The colour reproduction is much closer. Nice and deep tones.

    Verdict: VWH has the edge again. Fortunately I have my untouched and unslept on top bunk material too and I have to say the colour reproduction is right there.

    PATTERN
    NLA: I would say it's 97% accurate. The most glaring departure is the orange thread count which is 7 lines on the NLA fabric but 6 on the OG.

    20180712_173833.jpg

    VWH: Again I would say they have it spot on. I couldn't find any departure points at all.

    Verdict: 3 for 3 for VWH.

    COST:
    NLA: At the time of writing green over orange plaid (C9223) is
    listed on the website for £39.95 per metre with 1.4 in width.

    VWH: At the time of writing green over orange plaid (231000022) is
    listed on the website on offer for £29.36 per metre with 1.4 in width (normally £41.95).

    Verdict: At this precise point in time VWH has it on price, too but when off discount it's a bit more expensive.

    In summary, if you want a more plush finish then NLA fabric is for you. If you want an accurate reproduction then VWH is what you need. Of course any issues with number of stitching lines, for example, could simply be batch issue for NLA so if you're in the market for new material do what I did and get a swatch. Afterall, things could easily change for the worse with VWH supply, too.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
    77 Westy, paradox, rob.e and 2 others like this.
  2. vinnyboy

    vinnyboy Supporter

    Good review :thumbsup:
     
    Spacecowboyuk likes this.
  3. davidoft

    davidoft Sponsor

    The longevity of the colour fastness will be interesting, I know a few people who have bought repro seat colours and they’ve faded relatively quickly, under 2 years
     
    mjones1969, ckandjk and Spacecowboyuk like this.
  4. I have found products from NLA very hit and miss, unfortunately more miss mainly to poor quality. Issues include ill fitting parts, Westfalia door panels that warped within weeks, I have gone through two complete sets of curtains that have faded / discoloured within days of fitment.
    Also had issues with them delivery incorrect quantities.
    So if you can get elsewhere I would recommend you do. Others may say differently but that’s been my experience of them.
    I tend to get my Westfalia parts from Busok-de these days and have had great service.
    :(
     
  5. davidoft

    davidoft Sponsor

  6. As in the green over orange I'm looking for?
     
  7. davidoft

    davidoft Sponsor

    I’ll check
     
    Spacecowboyuk likes this.
  8. great review :)

    suggest you get one seat recovered in nla and one on vwh then give us an update in 12 months time ;)

    FWIW my original westy seats were recovered in repro material (not 100% sure which) but the fabric appeared to sag over time with use.. so when i re-trimmed the mazda seats that replaced them i managed to track down some OG material from thesamba - not cheap and i had to wait quite some time to find the right material in the right condition but overall not much more cost vs. the repro cloth. I managed to buy a full set of upper bed covers in good condition and cut them up.
     
    Spacecowboyuk and davidoft like this.
  9. Finding OG top bunk stuff is for sure the very best way to go :thumbsup:
     
    ckandjk likes this.
  10. Can you spray it with a UV weather proof treatment? type you use for tents and clothes, maybe that would make it last and also make it more stain resistant?
     
    rob.e likes this.
  11. Be worth a shot. I think I have some so will cut the samples in half and spray one half of each up and leave them in the greenhouse. The baking sun and greenhouse should accelerate the effect. I'll keep an eye on during the summer.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
    paradox, mjones1969 and rob.e like this.

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