Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 14:09:31 -0700
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Installing a pop-top on a non-pop top EASY ??? IN ONE
WEEDEND ??
In-Reply-To: <000401c4b7a9$2a5b5080$e1d2ea42@ttower17>
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Doug, I have done a few of these now. I put the first one in my 87
Syncro 10 years ago. Your concerns about the rear hinges are over blown.
My wife and I have camped hundreds of nights with the top up, dozens of
those in howling Baja winds. No problems or bending of the roof.
It is possible to add the full upper bed with cushions without using any
of the roof metal from a donor and without turning it into a more than a
few day project. I did so on a friend's Syncro 6 years ago. No problems
with hinges on his either. I don't have time to cover the details right
now but it just is not that hard. Yes, some tools and a little know-how
are needed. A strong helper will come in handy too.
To get a functional and good looking result is not difficult. If you are
trying to make something you can later sell as a true Westy then more
work will be needed. I do it for best function, not to pass it off later.
Mark
MarkDoug in Calif wrote:
>Having done this job to my 87 syncro GL (non-westy) as part of my westy
>conversion, I can tell everyone, that to do it RIGHT its a BIG job indeed.
>You better be handy with metal and have a good assortment of tools, lots of
>know-how and lots of time, and I mean weeks.
>
>...............
>There are 3 main areas that become issues on this conversion.
>
>The rear pop top support hinges on the westy bolt to a "flat" area molded
>into the roof skin. The non-westy van has a curved roofline where the hinges
>are going to go.
>There is also a structural support under the roof skin in this area on the
>westy, to transfer the load on the hinges down to the structurally sound
>roof frame rails.
>(very strong 1/8 th inch thick steel support rail that runs around the
>perimeter of the vanagon at the level of the rain gutter)
>The HACKED method of just screwing down the rear support hinges through the
>curved roof metal to whatever you can grab or an inserted plate under the
>skin is SLAMMIN IMHO.
>There is a fair amount of weight resting on the rear hinges if all you have
>to support that weight under the rear hinge is the roof skin itself you are
>asking for trouble. Any movement of the top, raising and lowering, wind /
>snow loads, racks, canoes, etc will eventually flex the thin sheet metal of
>the roof skin and fatigue the metal there. You will also still have the
>issue of trying to bolt down the hinge which has a flat bottom to a curved
>roofline. This will kick your hinges out at an angle rather attaching
>vertically.
>
>Another issue is the "bed rail" this is a very thin piece of metal that
>forms a "ledge" that supports the rear plywood bed and front fold out
>section for the upper bunk. This "ledge" is only on the westy. It is very
>securely welded in almost a hundred places to the main roof support rail.
>You either need to custom fab your own bed rail or remove the rail
>carefully from the donor van and attach to the other van. (big job)..
>
>
......
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