Gluing velcro to canvas.

Sewing will be the best in the long run. Glues will deteriorate, crack and fail.

I tried this not long ago with different glues. None worked. Sewing is a better option.

Press studs might be another option worth considering (??)


:)

Thanks for the advice so far. I had another thought, if I was to sew canvas to the back of the velcro & then glue canvas to canvas would this work? The reason behind this is I could do this at home using the sewing machine but to sew the velcro strait to the awning would be more difficult & I would need to take it to a professional. I'm trying to save costs. Or am I going to be adding to my costs in the long run? The side covers are only planned to be used when the weather turns bad & I was looking for a quick way to add some protection.

Hi Michael,

You only want to use your awning in wet windy conditions - those are the type of conditions that would put maximum stress on the velcro/canvas join. I doubt that even if you could get a decent bond that it would last very long. I think sewing is the way to go.

I do a bit of canvas sewing for our set-up, and when I started out I went out and bought an old style Singer sewing machine for about $20 and use that in preference to my newer sewing machine, mainly because the distance between the foot and the plate is greater allowing thicker material to be sewn. You can pick up old machines at recyclers, opp shops etc or have a look on eBay. Oh and make sure you use heavy duty thread too.

Cheers,

Val.

Agreed re the above - in the end, you'll have to sew the edges to keep the velcro on - been there. If you haven't got heaps of velcro in mind, hand sewing is practical.

A few years ago I used a heavy duty velcro that was glued on the back for the tarpaulin on the truck to make it into a fully enclosed vehicle, it worked fine for the first year and a half, then the glue gave way and I wound up having to have them sewn on, the tarp was canvas, I tried various glues to rectify the problem first but in the end they had to be sewn on, it was the only way out.
Broodie H3

Hi Michael, As already stated sewing is the best option.
On our previous camper trailer we also only had an awning and the few times you need a wind break we used a simple silver tarp from Bunnings, supercheap etc and tied it to awning and pegged the bottom worked a treat for us. cheap,light and does the job.
Good luck with it.
Barry

Get a quote from a canvas joint. You might be surprised.
As an idea, I got a ten footer canvas made up to attach to the front of my camper as an extra long awning/verandah. Fully stitched, reinforced where eylets go, eyelets, and a zipper tp attach it.
$300.00

Sewing a few velco things on should be pretty resonable

As said by many others, sewing would be best. But rather than machine stitch, this hand stitcher is the way to go IMHO.

Hand Speedy Stitcher

It's a tool that for only ~$22 has many, many uses :)

Cheers

Captain

Hi Michael,

Well lots of advice from the above but almost all is ill informed. I used to make canvas annexes for caravans and this is what you do. You can glue velco to canvas using Sikaflex 303 from Bunnings. You did not say if the canvas was green or grey but the glue comes in black, white and concrete grey.

Buy a roll of "50mm wide sew on black velcro hook" and a roll of "50mm wide black sew on velcron loop" from UDA (google them they are in most caspital cities or they will freight it if you buy on credit card). You can also buy the canvas there as well. You can get this by the metre and if you call into the cash sales counter at their warehouse you can pick the colour. Billabong canvas is the type that you need. Not to heavy and not too light. Heavier and it will be hard to put up and lighter, it will blow and make noise in the wind. (do not get white velcro as it fades in the sun)

While there get a SP4 eyelet tool and an SP4 eyelet punch and a box of SP4 eyelets in brass not stainless steel or nickle plated. Also get about 10 "fabric to fabric stayputs" in black . The guys there will know all of these things.

Measure and cut the canvas, fold a hen and glue the velcro loop over the hem to make it look professional. Then the opposite that being the hook to your camper trailer. At each corner put and eyelet through both the velco and the canvas. Velcro the new screen in place and mark the positions for the stay puts. Punch a hole and screw in the stay puts. This will hold the edges firm and stop the velcro coming off in the wind.

I'd be surprised if any glue lasted. I haven't tried every glue on the market but like most upholsterers, I would always sew. Glues dry out and lose their adhesion.