95 GMC K2500 Suburban Westfalia Pop Top Conversion

[Beasty]

Last March I was looking to find a good vehicle platform for exploring the South West United States after moving here from close to 12 years overseas. After an unsuccessful attempt to purchase an old Wagoneer, I found a 95 GMC Suburban with a big block under the hood. Soon after paying the second owner I discovered two problems: the steering was very sloppy and the roof was full of rust, Bondo, and sealant. The steering components from the shaft through the tierod ends were an easy and fun project at home, but when I removed the interior ceiling I found a swiss cheese roof that needed to be replaced. Thanks to a couple of posts on this site I was inspired to convert "The Beast" into a pop-top. A listing in Yuma provided the ~85 pop-top (thanks, John) and also identified a problem with the transmission. After limping home with the new top cargo strapped to the top of the Beast, I had to get the transmission inspected. Luckily it was only dry-rotted cooler lines, but we went ahead and had the transmission rebuilt anyhow. I found a great body shop that that was willing to help me out with the project that included fiberglass and metal fabrication. After a couple of months in the shop, the Beast is ready to move on to the next step of the journey.

I just ordered a new skylight for the top from Go Westy and will be working to design the new bed to go inside. After that, I will be prioritizing the needs and wants. I'm thinking about noise and heat abatement on the inside. I have a lot of ideas and plenty of time to work on them. Glad I found this forum to share and collaborate.

First shot of the glass mod. The top was initially too wide for this body style, but we took a couple of inches out of the centerline to make it fit.


Here's the final product after leaving the body shop. Used bed liner on the top and roof underneath.


Not much left of the original luggage rack portion of the top. It also needed some extra fiberglass on the front.


The metal support bars also required a couple of inches removed from the center. Here you can see the seam from where the two pieces were put back together.


Work in progress.


Beginning of the luggage rack work.


I'll add some more pictures as I progress with the project. I'd love to hear thoughts and suggestions on the project.

 

[WVI]

Thats going to be outstanding!

 

[Climber Rob]

Awesome.

 

[Beasty]

Looking at starting the bed project.

Problem statement: There's a huge hole in the roof and I want to be able to have a bed up there that is strong enough to support the weight of two adults.

Here's an overall shot of the truck with the top up.

Length of the hole from back to front: 87.5" roughly. That's the outside of the tubing on both measurement points. The hook is a safety latch to keep the top closed while the truck is moving. There is one on either side of the support poles.


About 44.5" for the width of the hole.


Right about 84" from the inside of the hole. Both measuring points were taken on the inside of the frame, taken back to front.


About 40" for the inside width.


There are support beams going across the width of the hole. From the rear, the first one is about 12" in.


The second one is about 31" from the rear of the hole.


The last one is right about 53" from the rear. This beam is not welded in. It pivots out and is secured with a cotter pin. The idea here is that this may be the point where you access the bed.


Overall shot of the inside of the top. I may put bedliner on the inside as well. Still open to other options like a headliner or something similar. The skylight is on order and I hope to install it next weekend.


Here you can see the latch that holds the top in place, the eyebolts on the top and bottom of the support poles, and the bedliner application on the roof.



I'll probably use wood as the building material and plan to stain it once it's complete. Once the bed is built and the tent is installed, the next project will most likely be to insulate the interior. Right now there is just metal between the seats and the engine/transmission so lots of heat transfer and noise.

Question: Does anyone have an opinion or experience with cotton vs acrylic material for a Westy pop-top tent? The cotton is about $350 and the acrylic is 1-2 hundred more depending on where you buy it.

Again, any comments or suggestions are welcome.

 

[nitro_rat]

I have read that most bedliner materials outgas toxic fumes for a long time after application. Not ideal for interior applications. It is also usually abrasive so again, not ideal for areas where you might be touching or rubbing against...

 

[Old Griz]

I have read that most bedliner materials outgas toxic fumes for a long time after application. Not ideal for interior applications. It is also usually abrasive so again, not ideal for areas where you might be touching or rubbing against...

That and it adds a lot of weight. I scrapped a truck a while back and they deducted #150 because it had a sprayed in liner. (Rhinoliner)

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[chilliwak]

Wow! That looks way cool Mr Beasty! Nice job. Keeep us updated with your progress. Cheers, Chilli... ?

 

[pigsammy]

I think this is a great project!
I would love to mod one of my yukons this way in time. I'll be watching for updates.

 

[86scotty]

That and it adds a lot of weight. I scrapped a truck a while back and they deducted #150 because it had a sprayed in liner. (Rhinoliner)

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I'm not sure where people get this stuff. It doesn't add any noticeable weight. A Raptor Liner kit in a box (enough to do most of an entire car) is about a pound or two. It doesn't get heavier when you spray it.

OP, what's the stand up height?

 

[jskondin]

This is awesome!!! I recently picked up a 99 gmc suburban for a camping rig also. I found your build through the other suburban with a westy top. I would love to also steal this idea. Very curious how they framed out the hole in the roof. I see they used round tube but it it just welded to the roof structure and that's it? Or are there small side supports that travel down to the side pillars? Also have you finished with the new top. I can handle the fab work and fiberglass work just curious if what I see in my head is similar. Thanks in advance and thanks for the inspiration.

 

[dbreid]

Beasty,
I am biased (my rig here: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...ed-into-it-also-dual-360-swivel-seats.128696/) but I have to say I LOVE the build. When I did this to my truck, I made some different choices, and it is neat to see how you did it.

For example, for mine, I decided I only wanted a "hole" over the second row, not full length. I did that because I wanted a bed up there, and I have third row AC I wanted to keep. I also wanted to keep it quiet for road trips, and wanted to stay warm without the top popped. But your full length is awesome, because it would allow more of a "van" build. Stand up kitchen, etc. I like it.

As for the tent (maybe you have finished this already?) I used a factory Westfalia Van tent. I figured with all the work, I would keep my truck forever, so I was likely to have to buy another tent at some point, so I wanted off the shelf tent options. The factory tent (With the front and side windows, etc) fit well, and I messed with a bit and sealed it to the roof with (sounds bad, but it has worked AWESOME) industrial rubber garden hose. I basically screwed straight through and "Squished" the hose in to a seal. That gave me a little play in tensioning the tent.

As for bed, mine is just 3/4 inch plywood carpeted. I would up having to do a three piece folding design, because with the carpet, a single hinge wouldn't work because of the thickness.

My kids love it up there.

I look forward to finished pictures!