Patrick Bitton wrote:
> I have a tonneau cover that has be stored for many year. I tried to install
> it and found that it is too small. I would imagine that it shrunk. I have
> tried to stretch it but almost ripped the skin on my thumbs. Is there a way
> to stretch the vinyl? Or is there any other trick I can try.
As already suggested, leave it in the sun (um, not in the grass, I had a
tonneau shaped patch of dead grass for 6 months) to warm up. Install
it in the sun. Some fabrics stretch better when damp, and I've heard
of restorers using a humidifier in the car to install old hoods. I'd be
concerned about collateral damage with a humidifier if there's wood
in the interior. For mine, after killing the grass I installed the snaps I
could get and then weighted the tonneau with shop manuals and it
stretched enough to install except for the couple buttons the PO had
admitted he installed in the wrong place.
Although my tonneau is torn in several places now, I don't think it was
the shop manuals -- I have 4 and 5 year old boys who weren't as
careful with the 'car tent' as they should have been.
--
Steven Newell
Littleton, CO
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