I want to make a tarp for our 179.  I have seen several posts that show owners sewing the keder welt onto a tarp.  where can I find 14mm keder welt?  I have tried Sailmakers supply and several search engines and cannot find anything large enough.

I need 14mm size.

Thank you

Vann

I have cover and have never used it.  I was told on one of these threads that it causes mildew inside. Good Luck, Let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the information. 

I called Keder Solutions and they had exactly what we need.  they don't sell 14mm, only 13mm and 15mm. so , I ordered 13mm and think it will work in the rail. 13mm keder welt was $5.02 per yard plus shipping.  they placed the order and it will ship today.

Once again, forum members have the answers!!

Thanks

Vann

Curious to see how this works out - can you post finished results once the tarp is done? Also interested to know what you use for fabric (and if it can be sewn with home sewing machine)

Re home sewing machine, if it's early 1970s or older, definitely up the task (metal parts, motor quality, etc.) If it's newer, it depends on the machine. In general though: #14 or #16 needle depending on the fabric, longer stitch and slower stitch. If you run a "not up to the task" machine too fast over thickness (ex seams folded over) it can throw off the timing. Only an industrial machine should be run fast over thick fabrics. You can use a heavier duty thread as well, but for this purpose it doesn't need to be seriously heavy. For a tarp, there are a variety of fabrics that will work nicely and that most reasonable-quality home sewing machines can handle. Another tip is to avoid folding hems twice, to reduce the thickness. You can buy (for reasonable prices) fabric samples from Sailrite.com and from SeattleFabrics.com   I know there are other vendors as well, these are the two I'm most familiar with. Hope that helps! 

When I made my first awning and slide-out cover, I used rope. The problem with it is that putting the awning and slide-out covers in the rail was a two-person job as the rope was not stiff enough to push through the rail. My wife had to pull on the end of the rope while I fed the awning or slide-out cover into the rail.

With the Keder strip, it is completely different. I can set up the 2nd version slide-out cover by myself quite easily as the Keder strip will feed soothly through the slot and is stiff enough so I can push the slide-out cover all the way from one end. It is much nicer now.

I made a tarp that worked , but was a aping . I used sail slugs that were zip tied to a stand 10x12 tarp.  the sail slugs were too much trouble-didn't slide smooth, got jumbled in one place, got stuck on screw heads, etc, etc.  the project overall worked well once installed, but a pain to put up.

i plan on using a standard heavy duty poly tarp and sew the keder welt on one side.  I have 3 poles on the outside edge and a cross pole that I will use as a ridge perpendicular to the pod.  I will try to post pictures after I finish the project.

Vann

That sounds like a good approach! And the HD poly should hold up for a long time. But if it does ever wear out, you could just remove the keder and put it on the next one. That keder welt is seriously tough! You could remove the stitches (especially if they're a little longer) or even just cut it off and stitch it on to the next tarp. What type of sewing machine are you using?