wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Yeah the more I look at it the smarter part of my brain says get a 4r100 and t-case from a truck and get it rebuilt with upgraded parts..that way Im not stranded somewhere in 2 years because I was in a hurry and stupid...LOL
YOLANDA...My Turbine Princess build 03 7.3 E350 pop top 4x4
- Thread starter wanderer-rrorc
- Start date
Yeah the more I look at it the smarter part of my brain says get a 4r100 and t-case from a truck and get it rebuilt with upgraded parts..that way Im not stranded somewhere in 2 years because I was in a hurry and stupid...LOL
Corneilius
Adventurer
Story of my life....keep trucking!
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Well the man forced me to work the next several normal work days even though there holidays so I took advantage of the man.
Brought all the materials in I knew what my measurements were going to be. The hole and the roof is going to be 52 in wide 9 ft 6 long.
The roofing piece is going to be 5 foot by 10 foot so that I'll give me about 3 in of overhang all the way around.
I made the lower boxed in assembly, the short vertical rise is where the fabrics going to get connected with velcro . The flat section that's about 2 inches wide that's going to be drilled bolted after epoxy is laid down, It will be glued and screwed to the top all the way around 100% waterproof!!
The next vertical drop is for the lifting mechanism wherever I'm going to end up bolting that on.... then the next horizontal plane is the bed platform support/slide..
surprisingly enough having the lower brackets made ended up being less than $100, look better, cheaper, and are much stronger than if I took three pieces of angle iron and made the W shape out of them!!
I think I figured out the trick to popping the tops for vans!! that frame box is now structural not merely just the tracks for the top in the bed to rest in!!!!
I also made a mirrored (2in smaller in each dimension) a section for the roof that will be a stiffener and gives a backing plate to the roof rack running rails sandwiching the 20 gauge steel making it much more rigid and be where fabric is mounted...the whole roof fabric section will be velcroed in place and be one length of material that velcros where it overlaps its own tail end.
I'm looking to have the top cut probably later this weekend or early next week definitely before New Year's.
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
Brought all the materials in I knew what my measurements were going to be. The hole and the roof is going to be 52 in wide 9 ft 6 long.
The roofing piece is going to be 5 foot by 10 foot so that I'll give me about 3 in of overhang all the way around.
I made the lower boxed in assembly, the short vertical rise is where the fabrics going to get connected with velcro . The flat section that's about 2 inches wide that's going to be drilled bolted after epoxy is laid down, It will be glued and screwed to the top all the way around 100% waterproof!!
The next vertical drop is for the lifting mechanism wherever I'm going to end up bolting that on.... then the next horizontal plane is the bed platform support/slide..
surprisingly enough having the lower brackets made ended up being less than $100, look better, cheaper, and are much stronger than if I took three pieces of angle iron and made the W shape out of them!!
I think I figured out the trick to popping the tops for vans!! that frame box is now structural not merely just the tracks for the top in the bed to rest in!!!!
I also made a mirrored (2in smaller in each dimension) a section for the roof that will be a stiffener and gives a backing plate to the roof rack running rails sandwiching the 20 gauge steel making it much more rigid and be where fabric is mounted...the whole roof fabric section will be velcroed in place and be one length of material that velcros where it overlaps its own tail end.
I'm looking to have the top cut probably later this weekend or early next week definitely before New Year's.
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Since I got the frames done and didn't have 400 miles to drive today.....I did some mock up real quick...
4'6×9'6
Just gotta pick up the sheet of steel...latches ordered already..and Santa brought me my 360* rooftop lights!!!
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
4'6×9'6
Just gotta pick up the sheet of steel...latches ordered already..and Santa brought me my 360* rooftop lights!!!
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Oh!!! I forgot!! Scored new bolt pattern aluminum ford 16x7 rims!! $100 and he met me halfway!!!
They look good..and will let me run my FAVORITE combo BFG COMMERCIAL TRACTION T/A in a 33...
Even found a pic of them mounted to those rims!!!
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
They look good..and will let me run my FAVORITE combo BFG COMMERCIAL TRACTION T/A in a 33...
Even found a pic of them mounted to those rims!!!
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Well it's officially winter it got too cold and I pulled my solar setup out of the trailer so that my battery doesn't freeze even though it was being charged every day.
This is the setup that's going to the van once the top is on..
My setup is 200 watt renogy panels that are hinged together on a 15 foot long cable so that if the trailer is parked in the shade I can still take the panels and move them and put them in the Sun. when the battery is being used with the inverter or it's been drawn down while the kids are using the lights or have the fan plugged in in the night I'll see it charging the next day in full sun anywhere from 140 to 160 Watts with them laying flat I was pretty impressed the panels were covered in snow today and still charging at the rate shown in the meter sensor.. the hundred amp hour battery has gone over 2 years without a lick of trouble I bring it in every winter this year should have brought it in about a month earlier cuz it got too cold but we're looking at negative temperatures next week I definitely wanted to get it unmounted and brought that they will also stay warm and prolong their life!!
Love my setup..maintenance free!!
]
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
This is the setup that's going to the van once the top is on..
My setup is 200 watt renogy panels that are hinged together on a 15 foot long cable so that if the trailer is parked in the shade I can still take the panels and move them and put them in the Sun. when the battery is being used with the inverter or it's been drawn down while the kids are using the lights or have the fan plugged in in the night I'll see it charging the next day in full sun anywhere from 140 to 160 Watts with them laying flat I was pretty impressed the panels were covered in snow today and still charging at the rate shown in the meter sensor.. the hundred amp hour battery has gone over 2 years without a lick of trouble I bring it in every winter this year should have brought it in about a month earlier cuz it got too cold but we're looking at negative temperatures next week I definitely wanted to get it unmounted and brought that they will also stay warm and prolong their life!!
Love my setup..maintenance free!!
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
el-cid
Observer
Crazy, I have an '03 7.3 E350 EB and have been planning pretty much this same build (when I can finally get to it), even down to the solar setup! I can't wait to see how the top turns out (then bug you to sell me plans), I've been looking for a high top without much luck and would prefer a pop-top anyway.
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
el-cid
Observer
.
89s rule
Adventurer
Just read through the build, looking good! My interior seating setup is going to very similar to what you are working towards. I picked up a dinette from an RV to use for my rear bench/bed. Even came with seatbelts. I am looking forward to my interior sound deadening. Finally got mine back on the road 2 weeks ago and had to work on the top side dog house clips. Once I got those repaired and secured correctly it was amazing at the sound difference. I'm still an empty EB cargo in the rear, cannot wait to see what some insulation, homemade lizard skin and quality sound deadening will do for it.
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Sorry for the delays folks!! Work has been exciting the last few weeks!! Holidays and students turning heat off in dorms as the Midwest experienced weeks of sub freezing temps...
And a non heated garage....
Parts came in...new dash lights installed..seatbelts came in but one was broken and eBay seller was shady..just waiting on temps to warm up so I can paint roof tins...
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
And a non heated garage....
Parts came in...new dash lights installed..seatbelts came in but one was broken and eBay seller was shady..just waiting on temps to warm up so I can paint roof tins...
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
EDIT!!!!
THESE FAILED IN LESS THAN A YEAR.....ORDERING JDM ONES.
Here's the ones that I bought I used 6 of them so I have for extras and I do need to get there are two smaller peanuts style bulbs for the very top of the speedometer but I don't think it makes much difference that they're not LED at the moment
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/253058563741
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
THESE FAILED IN LESS THAN A YEAR.....ORDERING JDM ONES.
Here's the ones that I bought I used 6 of them so I have for extras and I do need to get there are two smaller peanuts style bulbs for the very top of the speedometer but I don't think it makes much difference that they're not LED at the moment
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/253058563741
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
Last edited: