Frame Tension on a Top

[regalman190]

Hi all. Looking for some help on this. I know about tensioning frames on the usual enclosure and camper top frames. However, I'm making and enclosure on a Sea Ray 380 with a radar arch and converting the aft curtain to a camper enclosure.
My question is this; There is a short frame off the radar arch and then the frame at the stern for the camper back. Which direction would you tension the short frame from the radar arch?
Tension towards the frame or away from it. I believe it should be tensioned towards the frame.

Thanks for the help in advance.

Joe

[Mike]

Well if the short rest top will be selerste from the camper top with a zipper i tentio. It to the  arch as originsl thrn the. Smpser top msy be unzipped and booted.  Ive also made s complete ine piece top from the arch sll the way to the rear csmper frame.  The. I treat the ofiginal frame off the arch as a seconday. Ow as normal with no tention.  Just tention cram the rear frame to the arch is how i do it. 

[Peppy]

I'm with Mike. I'd tension the short one to the arch and the camper to the short top. I'm doing the same boat next week. We got rid of the short top and made a semipermanent shwang out camper. I'll get pictures.

[Mike]

So joe is it going to be 2 piece top or 1
This was one added a rear camper frame but the owner wanted to elinate the zipper break
So there was no tention on the frame off the arch.
http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy102/Mike8560/Express%20cruiser%20enclosures/StbAft.jpg
This one zipped apart so there was tention frame to arch the the rear top tention from rear frame to zipper at arch frame.
http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy102/Mike8560/Express%20cruiser%20enclosures/100_0902.jpg

[regalman190]

Thanks guys....that's what I thought. It'll be a two piece. He wants unzip the camper back and fold it back. I like what you did at the radar arch Mike. Extending a strip out past the curve of the arch so the zipper doesn't have to follow around the radar pad. How did you pattern that?

[Mike]

I patterned the top to the sr h and mark  the location of the track
There is a kedar eith zipper ss oem but the ca vas snaps to the arch taking tention off the zipper and protecting the zipper and track sealant  from the sun.