4runner camper
- Thread starter 87 4runner
- Start date
offthebeatenpath
Adventurer
Holy thread revival Batman!
I mean, uh, no- I've never seen the pop top conversion.
I mean, uh, no- I've never seen the pop top conversion.
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
That would be really cool for sure...maybe if you could find a wrecked westfalia or other pop-top and try a transplant. Of course you'd have to hack up the 4runner's roof, there must be a way to reinforce the body after surgery (install a rollbar from a 1st gen 4R?). I'd be willing to bet you'd be the only 4runner out there with a pop top and you'd earn some serious :drool: points among this crowd.
Then again, it could look ridiculous if it wasn't done right, and then you'd have a ruined 2nd gen...I say try it! Maybe it could lead into another sportsmobile franchise! :sombrero:
Then again, it could look ridiculous if it wasn't done right, and then you'd have a ruined 2nd gen...I say try it! Maybe it could lead into another sportsmobile franchise! :sombrero:
ADVbound
New member
:I was thinking of heading to a camper conversion shop and asking, their always cutting the tops out of ford/chev/gmc vans, so how hard could it be? I was thinking of a chinook top from the old toyota 2wd, but I think it be too wide, also the 4runner has a slight curve to the roof, I think... plus the surf has a power sunroof so I can set it up to be powered, that way when I get sloshed I can push a button to go to sleep and not have to figure out hand-cranks, zippers, velcro, tabs, snaps or any other super confusing things that leave me outside and sleeping under the rear bumper.:victory:
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NorthernWoodsman
Adventurer/tinkerer
Don't forget about a Wildernest too. I picked mine up for $400. It wouldn't take too much effort to cut the front out of it, and devise a rubber boot between the camper and body interface. You might loose some structural integerity, but I am sure something can be done to reinforce it.
The lines are a little cleaner looking on the 'Nest too.
I have been thinking of removing the rear window and tail gate, and building a single door entry, like the one found on a Four Wheel Camper, to ease getting in an out of it.
I have a question for you regarding your "nest". How do you keep the dust from getting inside when driving on unpaved roads? I took a trip last fall to southeast oregon with just my regular canopy, which has a tighter seal than my "nest", and everything in the bed was coasted in dust.
i haven't used my 'nest' yet because i've been concerned about having to camp in a dusty bed.
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
not on a 4runner... but look at it anyways, cause its cool.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54375&highlight=brothers
I would imagine it wouldnt be too hard, what you could do, is cut the hole, and then line the rim of the hole with som square tubing tied into the factory body bracing. it would greatly improve the strength. throw in some proper gusseting and you wold be good to go.
another option would be to do something like this...but with a 4runer, and pickup bedsides. not a 'burban/blazer
I have a flippac that I plan on mounting on my 1st gen 4runner. I havent done... any work to it.. but I mean i have most the parts to do it...:sombrero:
ADVbound
New member
was thinking this...
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh192/paulscape/20070608_1152502.jpg
But more like this... bottom of page.
http://www.delica.ca/forum/highroof-pop-top-int-ext-camper-conversions-list-3751-15.html
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh192/paulscape/20070608_1152502.jpg
But more like this... bottom of page.
http://www.delica.ca/forum/highroof-pop-top-int-ext-camper-conversions-list-3751-15.html
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
I forgot to add, put a flip pack on the back of the 4runner after you graft the truck bedrails to where you cut the top... but thats a load of work..
I know cause I'm in the process of doing the latter on a 4runner that already has bedrails...:Wow1:
I know cause I'm in the process of doing the latter on a 4runner that already has bedrails...:Wow1:
4Rescue
Expedition Leader
The first gen certainly has the benefit of having a mounting system already built in to base something off of... BUT, if they can make pop-tops out of Cruisers with full bodies like the 100 above (Love those conversions) then someone can DEFINATLY make something simillar out of the full-bodied 2nd Gen 4Runner.
Glad to see this thread rise from the ashes.
The 1st Gen 4Runner is a great platform for nearly any kind of 4Wheeling I just sleep in the back of mine as it is right now. I've got an old Double bed-sized Futon that I fold in half behind the front seats with the rear seat bottoms removed (basicly my truck is a pick-up with a pass through right now, no rear seats) and it works awesome for the GF and I caue we can get nearly anwhere you'd ever want to camp and once we get there, out come the action packers and the futon flips out to make the bed. I've even made a vestibule that mounts off my Roof-basket to cover the rear... Louie the 125lb Bernese Mt. Dog has his bed on the tailgate and sleeps like a baby untill morning when he climbs up and cuddles with us untill we wake up... As I said in my previous posts, I'm working on replacing the rear most windows with "storage boxes" like you'd find on a service body for all the stuff I don't need in the cab of the truck like recovery gear etc. Next up will be a drawer/sleeping platform build (this is all going slowly as I recover from my 2nd Neck Surgery...)
Personaly I think a stock top could easily be moded to make a flip over ala Flipac (Neat idea going backwards over the tail gate to make a covered area) my biggest concern is I run a basket rack and I don't think I could give it up. SO maybe just making something that could lift UP like a Sportsmobile???
Let's keep this thread alive. I'm still wondering what happened to Rather Diesel's truck. he'd made alot of headway for it to just go to the scrapper...
Cheers
Dave
Glad to see this thread rise from the ashes.
The 1st Gen 4Runner is a great platform for nearly any kind of 4Wheeling I just sleep in the back of mine as it is right now. I've got an old Double bed-sized Futon that I fold in half behind the front seats with the rear seat bottoms removed (basicly my truck is a pick-up with a pass through right now, no rear seats) and it works awesome for the GF and I caue we can get nearly anwhere you'd ever want to camp and once we get there, out come the action packers and the futon flips out to make the bed. I've even made a vestibule that mounts off my Roof-basket to cover the rear... Louie the 125lb Bernese Mt. Dog has his bed on the tailgate and sleeps like a baby untill morning when he climbs up and cuddles with us untill we wake up... As I said in my previous posts, I'm working on replacing the rear most windows with "storage boxes" like you'd find on a service body for all the stuff I don't need in the cab of the truck like recovery gear etc. Next up will be a drawer/sleeping platform build (this is all going slowly as I recover from my 2nd Neck Surgery...)
Personaly I think a stock top could easily be moded to make a flip over ala Flipac (Neat idea going backwards over the tail gate to make a covered area) my biggest concern is I run a basket rack and I don't think I could give it up. SO maybe just making something that could lift UP like a Sportsmobile???
Let's keep this thread alive. I'm still wondering what happened to Rather Diesel's truck. he'd made alot of headway for it to just go to the scrapper...
Cheers
Dave
toyotatruckjunkie
Adventurer
Wow, it was nice to see this thread reborn.
I've moved onto doing an offroad conversion on my Casita trailer, but would love to see something come out of the 1st gen 4runner camper idea.
Another idea I had, what about all canvas top and sides, with aluminum bows like a boat top? My softtop uses these and a quality boat top shop could make something custom. Canvas may give you design flexibility that hard metal or fiberglass sides wouldn't. It may be pretty ugly from the inside in the folded down position.
I will be relocating back to SW FL in the next few months. There are tons of boat top guys down there. One of them may be interested in making some extr money. They are relatively few and far between here in East Texas. I may be able to look into this when I get settled down there.
I've moved onto doing an offroad conversion on my Casita trailer, but would love to see something come out of the 1st gen 4runner camper idea.
Another idea I had, what about all canvas top and sides, with aluminum bows like a boat top? My softtop uses these and a quality boat top shop could make something custom. Canvas may give you design flexibility that hard metal or fiberglass sides wouldn't. It may be pretty ugly from the inside in the folded down position.
I will be relocating back to SW FL in the next few months. There are tons of boat top guys down there. One of them may be interested in making some extr money. They are relatively few and far between here in East Texas. I may be able to look into this when I get settled down there.
TacomaJack09
Observer
I would like to revive this thread again as I am throwing around the same idea now. Has anyone thought of modifying an old FWC camper to fit into the back of the runner? I have seen some old ones for pretty cheap, cheap enough to hack up, though these are the older models made for big trucks. My thought is to knock out the front wall (for the walk through) the bottom, and sides to make it more of a camper shell, utilizing the factory mounting points. Also, after reading Allochris's custom camper thread (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/4811-Allochris-s-ultimate-buildup-thread!!!) , it does not seem too far fetched to build one using the same materials, and copying the structure of an FWC. I'm not sure if the FWC finch would fit, but that's a good starting point.
Anyhow, I wanted to bring my thoughts to the table to hopefully re-spark this amazing idea!
I know its been discussed that the top of the original topper is narrow, but those of you looking for just a little more wiggle room this is a nice thread.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/jeep-gon-build-thread-665127/
(I know its a jeep! sorry!)
Anyhow, I wanted to bring my thoughts to the table to hopefully re-spark this amazing idea!
I know its been discussed that the top of the original topper is narrow, but those of you looking for just a little more wiggle room this is a nice thread.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/jeep-gon-build-thread-665127/
(I know its a jeep! sorry!)
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TacomaJack09
Observer
A visual of what I'm thinking...
Someone has done it to an old blazer here... Wish it showed how it was attached and sealed at the cab.
http://reno.craigslist.org/rvs/4084347279.html
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tanglefoot
ExPoseur
I have a pop up truck camper in an '85 4runner. It's not an FWC, it's a late 80's Four Seasons (built in Colorado) plywood camper. It's an 8-foot camper (goes to the end of the tailgate), so it's nice and roomy. I couldn't imagine going back to the sleeping platform under the shell again.
I was originally planning to cut out the front of a camper to make a pass-through but this camper has the water tank under a bench at the front, so I just left it intact. It has a fairly large, sliding front window though--I can wriggle through it. It's actually nice to be able to close the camper off from the cab at night--the cab doesn't hold warmth nearly as well as the camper.
It works out pretty well. I used expanding foam to seal the gap behind the cab and a few pieces of bubble-wrap foil insulation to block the air coming up the bedsides. I had to trim around the tailgate seam and remove the tailgate strikers for clearance at the back. The camper's anchored with large straps to the front seat belt anchors and to the hitch receiver at the back.
I was originally planning to cut out the front of a camper to make a pass-through but this camper has the water tank under a bench at the front, so I just left it intact. It has a fairly large, sliding front window though--I can wriggle through it. It's actually nice to be able to close the camper off from the cab at night--the cab doesn't hold warmth nearly as well as the camper.
It works out pretty well. I used expanding foam to seal the gap behind the cab and a few pieces of bubble-wrap foil insulation to block the air coming up the bedsides. I had to trim around the tailgate seam and remove the tailgate strikers for clearance at the back. The camper's anchored with large straps to the front seat belt anchors and to the hitch receiver at the back.
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