Pop-up top modifications?

[Pskhaat]

You know how the VW van's (why am I forgetting their names now?) have that pop-up campter atop their roof? Is it even called a pop-up top? My post here http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10568#post10568 got me thinking, are there companies that do this on a custom basis?

Is there somewhere I could go and get the top cut off a wagon and a matched pop-up installed? Am I going to do this to any of my vehicles with my current salary? no , but I'm curious to know.

 

[Scott Brady]

Westfalia (sp?)

You could do it yourself. Build the form and lay the fiberglass. You only cut a portion of the roof off anyways (like aft of the b pilar). I bet you could do it...

 

[Scott Brady]

Here is a Syncro Westfalia conversion. 4wd, diff locks and SWEET accomodations

He lives in Prescott and BajaTaco knows him.

 

[hoser]

That is all these guys do. Get some ideas. Too bad they are in Germany.
http://www.innovation-campers.com/d_main.html

This would be nice:

 

[njtaco]

winnebago

Winnebago made/makes the Westfalia (Sp?) conversions for Volkswagen, here and abroad, I believe. Also the Rialta line starts out as a VW Van, considered a "Class C" conversion. This is because they are technically a "cut-away" of the origional, as opposed to a Class B van conversion. On the same lines, has anyone driven the OEM 4x4 VW bus? I saw one the other day on the road, and it got me thinkin'... Nah!

(***edit*** LeSharo wasn't a VW, it was a Renault)

 

[BMAN]

Scotty,

We need to spend more time together chatting at the Sonic meets. I've had this idea kicking around in the back of my head for a couple of months now. I've tracked down a couple of used Westies around own for decent prices too. Before getting into wheeling and Cruisers I built VW's for about 15years. I've got a couple of friends who are still very active in the VW scene looking for a CHEAP Westy for me with a good roof. There are about 4 companies that repro all of the canvas and weatherstripping for the tops so really all you would need "used" is the glass top itself.

 

[CLynn85]

This is a very interesting topic to me, simply for the fact that I've been working on a similar idea for my Jeep. I've been looking more along the lines of the innovation campers setups though.

I figured the way I can get the most usability out of my jeep for expedition usage, without making permanent mods to the vehicle itself, is to make a drop-in camper unit. I've had several ideas, from enclosing the cab and putting a tray on the back, to a longer wheelbase and a roof tent, to building up a trailer, but this however seems to be the most feasible, usable, and non-permanent modification.

The idea is to make the rear part of the cage removable, come in, take off the top, take off the tailgate, and drop in the camper box. Much of my thoughts are derived from the hmmwv shelters I was working with this summer.

Here's the only quick-e-sketch I have on my comp:

Unfortunately being here at school I don't have the convenience to go out to the garage and start mocking up ideas out of scrap and taking measurements, so that'll wait til spring break I suppose.

I'll have to get a few screen shots of my solid models and post sometime.

 

[durango_60]

You know how the VW van's (why am I forgetting their names now?) have that pop-up campter atop their roof? Is it even called a pop-up top? My post here http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10568#post10568 got me thinking, are there companies that do this on a custom basis?

Is there somewhere I could go and get the top cut off a wagon and a matched pop-up installed? Am I going to do this to any of my vehicles with my current salary? no , but I'm curious to know.

Scott, I know where you are going with this, and you may as well give up, your wife is not going to become a camper...:camping:

 

[Pskhaat]

I know I must eventually concede, but not quite yet! When she was young her parents used to take her out camping constantly. She figures very close to 60 days+ per summer they were camping.

In our eyes that seems AWESOME, but in a young girl's eyes that was hell and she vowed never again. But with me knocking her up with boys she'll have to give in!

 

[BMAN]

Carl,

How about a rig similar to the one here. Can't remember the guys name, but it's a Clamshell tent that opens up over the cab of his Taco. Totally sweet deal.

Truck on right in this pic http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/daktaried/detail?.dir=6fbf&.dnm=4297.jpg&.src=ph

 

[BMAN]

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mcvickoffroad/detail?.dir=/c656&.dnm=bbc4.jpg&.src=ph


Here she is!

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Scott, I know where you are going with this, and you may as well give up, your wife is not going to become a camper...:camping:

If a woman I may be interested in tells me she is not a camper.............I just simply say.......NEXT!~~~>:suning:


Carl.........I like your drawing. I've often wondered if something like that could be made for my 1st gen. 4Runner. But I would feel bad about losing my sunroof.
.
.

 

[BMAN]

If a woman I may be interested in tells me she is not a camper.............I just simply say.......NEXT!~~~>:suning:


Carl.........I like your drawing. I've often wondered if something like that could be made for my 1st gen. 4Runner. But I would feel bad about losing my sunroof.
.
.

Just put one in the new top.

I once told a colleague that there was no way in hell I wanted to go spend a day out in the desert driving around looking at cactus. Hell I can see that crap in my front yard. All it took was once. Sometimes people just need a little work.

 

[CLynn85]

BMAN, the foward opening setup is kind of cool, I'll take that into consideration. It may take a bit more work from my seamstress though to get a whole tent rather than a piece to just fill a gap. The other thing I liked about the innovation campers setup is that you can pop the top for headroom to standup without setting up your sleeping quarters.

SWR, I know, it'll be hard giving up the open-top feeling, but it'll only be on for long trips, the whole point being it'll be a 4th option I have for "tops" :ylsmoke:

 

[CLynn85]

Here's an "artist's rendering" lol of my design, this is what happens when I start procrastinating on hw...