pop-top (raised roof) vehicle conversion?

octo0072000 · Jun 1, 2015

julianf said:
...i think that is spot on how the truck below (and above) is done -

The yellow one earlier in the thread was, i suspect, done by the same person. The design is almost the same, but i cant work out the gas struts on either of them -

I am also tempted by the idea of a small, fixed, section. Its only in the planning stages at the moment though. I think that #1 task will be the side door, then the extension at the rear, and then ill know much better exactly where i want the roof raised.

I know its possible to do it all on paper, but there is a real value to having something in front of you and working out where youre going to bang your head!

the sides fold in the gas struts hold up the front and back pieces that are also connected to the roof

what you need is a old camper van with a solid pop top type roof but now is not the time of year to buy wait till sept oct loads of campers spares or repair then

julianf · Jun 1, 2015

Yeah, every joker wants their camper sorted for summer.... me being one of them!

I agree with you though - if im not in a hurry (which im not) now would be a bad time to buy.

MrFluffy · Jun 1, 2015

The VW straight up poptops have X spring loaded struts front and rear, and you lock them in the up or down position. Its been awhile since I saw it in use, but I have a old vw type2 campervan with a devon pop top on it done like this thats missing its interior trim so the mechanism is exposed (it needs new "fabric" too, pretty common failing for a old pop top). If you could find a mech they would be easy to adapt I would guess, apart from the roof curvature on a vw. I think the struts are available seperately anyway, no idea on what some would cost. The top itself is relatively thin grp layup with hardwood stifferners glassed in.
A while because its been parked at the other house for ummmm 14 years now while I tried to make space for the resto to finish.

Keep talking myself out of trading my 90td on and going 101 hunting... Too many projects already! But please keep us updated so we can watch.

CRB · Jun 1, 2015

?Does the yellow 101 work on a parallelogram system? The whole lot rising to the front and lowering to the rear. The sides may hinge up into the roof, so they drop down to hold it steady.

stormin · Jun 1, 2015

I always liked the Carawagon pop up roofs on older 109's.

http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/Carawagons.htm

julianthegypsy · Jun 1, 2015

The best one I've ever seen, the whole thing moved up and back. That is the front, back and top were all hinged and moved up and back together, then the sides pushed up and locked everything in place. That also had the effect of giving you a small canopy over the rear doors. Really quick and simple both to put up and to drop down.

wookie · Jun 1, 2015

CRB said:
?Does the yellow 101 work on a parallelogram system? The whole lot rising to the front and lowering to the rear. The sides may hinge up into the roof, so they drop down to hold it steady.

That's how I see it working, I'd say it's an easier system than the other one since you only have pivots to worry about, the green one looks like sections must slide, ugh !!!

The green spots are the pivot points and the red arrows shows how it folds flat. Personally I'd make the sides fold down as it would be easier to make it weather tight that way and also the inside would look more consistent when it is collapsed than having yellow sides showing.

winchman · Jun 2, 2015

Have a look for a scrap Bedford CF camper as they used a couple of different roofs, one Dormobile and one like the plastic crate shown above

julianf · Jun 10, 2015

Ive been thinking about this further -

Given that im a fan of the look of the Soviet Ural 4320 command centre, i thought id get 'Photoshop' out and see what it would look like on a 101.

Here is the Ural, for reference -

So, then i got a diagram of the stock abulance, extended the rear (as per the numerous examples above) and then extended the roof, in the same sort of style as the Ural. This is the result -

I like the way the rear of the truck looks, but i dont like how it integrates with the cab. It looks a bit too much like a graft for my liking.

Someone suggested that i extended the roof over the cab, sloping it down. I got this (which i dont like even more!) -

This is actually very similar to CRB's friends truck -

...but im afraid the look is just not to my taste. And, of course, looks are everything... : /

Im wondering if some sort of roof rack above the cab might integrate the front with the rear better, but without getting the sloped top above the cab, which, i think, is the reason (to me) that the last two photos / images dont look right (and, again, i realise this is a taste thing)

Wendelspanswick · Jun 10, 2015

Stick a couple of Jerry cans and a spare wheel up there?

julianf · Jun 10, 2015

This truck has a fixed roof extension, but maintains the look of the original well, i think -

Incidentally, whilst i was looking at that one, i spotted he has an air compressor receiver mounted on the roof -

CRB · Jun 10, 2015

Not a friend of mine by the way, but the roofrack thing happens on the LT Bariban conversions, and on the Dakar racers and support vehicles.

I agree the red one looks wrong, but your first sketch looks good. It is all taste of course, and it is pointless listening to me, LTs, MZs and Guzzis :laughing: