Can I repair my Maclaren canopy? - pictures included

[darby24]

This would be my second broken canopy for this stroller. Granted I actually bought the stroller with the first broken canopy. Sly seller folded the stroller so fast when showing and failed to mention it and I didn't see it until I drove all the way home and unfolded it. :-(

So I coughed up $85 to get a new canopy. That was more than I paid for the stinking stroller! ($65) Can you say, ouch?!

Well, I let my tall relatives borrow it for a vacation and it not only came back with the top fabric streched from carrying things on top but also with this busted band. Same exact place it broke on the first canopy.

I've used it without a canopy for a year now, but with a winter with tons of rain, I really need to use it with the raincover. Plus I miss that darn convenient pocket on the back!

It's from a 2000 Vogue, with one of those large boxy type canopy's to explain it the best I can!

The little grey rivet cover as pictured at arrow #2 is missing as seen at arrow #1. The band is cracked exactly at the hinge of the canopy (arrow #1 on the inside of hood). Can you rip back the fabric and glue it back together? Or sandwich the broken band between two pieces of plastic and a lot of glue? Or what else?

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37172.jpg http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37173.jpg

Any guidence would be greatly appreciated :-) It's sad to see it sitting in my closet.

[hipmaman]

Why don't you contact Maclaren and ask them to fix it for you? Mac should fix it for free and you just pay the shipping fee to them. If it's your lucky day, Mac might even send you the shipping label to send it to you.

Those rivets are 'special' and need proper tools to do/undo. It's not as easy or straight forward as it looks if you don't want to damage the hood. Plus, the canopy rib needs to be replaced and Mac can do that easier than any of us trying to glue our broken canopies.

Good luck.

[quinnsmom]

I have sent my canopy to them 3 times already - and they have fixed it fir free. I've never even called them - just sent a letter w/the canopy and mailed it to the repair address on their site. It usually gets back to me pretty quickly too - 2 weeks tops.

[darby24]

Well, that would be great news! I was told I had to have the original receipt to get any work done by Maclaren.

I'll guess I'll go look for their contact info now.

Thanks Tam and Michelle. :-)

[hipmaman]

You are in Canada, aren't you? That might be a tad tricker, as they might refer you to Macklem's which is literally in your neighbourhood, isn't it? Then you might have to pay a small fee for older strollers as 2000. But talk to Maclaren first and see how things go.

[darby24]

Yup, I sent my first canopy to Macklem's ($15 postage) only to get back a brand new canopy ($55 + $15 in postage back.) They told me that they could repair it, otherwise I would not have bothered to send the original canopy in the first place. And if they had actually told me how much it would have been in the first place and how s-l-o-w they were, I wouldn't have bothered at all.

Needless to say, I'm not going back to them.

Thanks, I'm looking into Maclaren now.