Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[Comanche Scott]

Hi Jeff,

Looks like things are coming along really well. :beer:
I had a VW Eurovan Camper with the pop top that goes up like a wedge(similar to your first design). I found that the tent material stayed pretty dry in the rain.
Having side "windows" on both sides allowed unzipping the top of the inner tent panels for cross ventilation, and the fiberglass top worked like an eve keeping the rain out.
For those reasons, my preference would be for your original wedge design, over the side opening design.

Scott

 

[jscherb]

Hi Jeff,

Looks like things are coming along really well. :beer:

Scott,
Thank you. Yes, so far the reality of the parts is matching up with my design intentions, I'm pleased with how everything is working out. Next I'm building the main roof mold, and once that's done there are only a few relatively simple component molds to do to finish up the basic Safari Cab.

I had a VW Eurovan Camper with the pop top that goes up like a wedge(similar to your first design). I found that the tent material stayed pretty dry in the rain.
Having side "windows" on both sides allowed unzipping the top of the inner tent panels for cross ventilation, and the fiberglass top worked like an eve keeping the rain out.
For those reasons, my preference would be for your original wedge design, over the side opening design.

Scott

I agree with your points on the wedge design. My experience building the tilt-up camper on my Jeep-tub trailer tells me that a Safari Cab version would work just fine - that project taught me what I need to know to successfully build a Safari Cab version. But I'm also intrigued by the Dormobile design for the Defender, I think that would offer a very different kind of space than the wedge. Based on the popularity of the Dormobile, I think it has merit too.

I don't know that I'll actually build a prototype of either camper design, but like I said in an earlier post today I am making sure that as I build the molds for the parts I'm making them so that any of the concepts I've drawn could be built. I'm also making sure that an add-on camper top that would fit on top of the factory hardtop could be built with the parts as well.

The first prototype I plan to build will be a basic JKU Safari Cab with removable side panels swappable for roll-up soft sides; I really like having that configuration with my LJ Safari Cab, it's perfect for my use of the Jeep. As for doing a camper prototype, once I finish the basic Safari Cab I'll see if there's enough interest in one of the camper versions to make it worthwhile to build a prototype. You might have noticed that I've been molding two of some of the parts so I've got extra parts at the ready for making a second prototype if I decide to .

 

[jscherb]

A few more concept drawings...an Overland configuration of the JK Safari Cab - this one has side cargo hatches, and it's using the integrated roof rack support for a cargo basket and off-road lights.

With a roof top tent/awning.

The unedited original photo for comparison:

 

[AngryRedBird]

fantastic merge of the images.. But I was wondering how hard would is be to create a Panel van/ Jeep Wrangler JKU.. totally eliminate the second set of doors.. or simply close off those windows.. Could you mock up and image like this?..

 

[kojackJKU]

please stop teasing! I want one bad!

 

[jscherb]

Sure, it would be fairly easy to do with the Safari Cab parts. I'd mold new longer side panels that extended to fill the rear door window area, and I'd make filler panels for lower half of the rear door openings - they'd be fairly easy to make in fiberglass.

Here's another version, this one's got two cargo compartments in the side:

Or, the entire side panel could be made to swing up (this is drawn on a JK8, so there's no rear door fillers/door gap):

BTW here's what a panel van version of my LJ Safari Cab looks like. This isn't a concept drawing, it's an actual photo of a panel version:

 

[AngryRedBird]

That's it.. have the top affixed, No windows.. allowing the half door to be open or closed to gain access to items in the back seat.

Hum.. Lets suppose I have a couple of air tanks.. can round pockets be placed in this blank area as to allow for these tanks to be securely placed within these pockets.. Not like mounting the the tanks on the side of the panels.. but creating a pocket so the tanks fit flush or semi flush with the body. maybe even a small pocket to allow for fire extinguishers..
Oh that would be cool.. have the small half doors open laying down with a table/work bench etc mounted on them..

 

[jscherb]

That's it.. have the top affixed, No windows.. allowing the half door to be open or closed to gain access to items in the back seat.

Hum.. Lets suppose I have a couple of air tanks.. can round pockets be placed in this blank area as to allow for these tanks to be securely placed within these pockets.. Not like mounting the the tanks on the side of the panels.. but creating a pocket so the tanks fit flush or semi flush with the body. maybe even a small pocket to allow for fire extinguishers..
Oh that would be cool.. have the small half doors open laying down with a table/work bench etc mounted on them..

Pockets like that would be pretty easy to do in fiberglass. It's unlikely they'd be commercially viable, but if you were doing a one-off custom, it wouldn't be much extra work to add them.

 

[jscherb]

For the first prototype Safari Cab, I'll be installing a ZJ Cherokee roof rack. The Safari Cab is designed with tie-ins to the sport bars for the roof rack, so weight on the roof rack is borne by the sport bars, not by the fiberglass hardtop. I needed to check the dimensions for the tie-ins, so I picked up a ZJ rack at the U-Pull junkyard yesterday. Here's the rack setting on the JKU for a quick fit test:

The ZJ rack is just about the right width to clear the Alpine windows, which wrap over onto the roof. These next photos of the roof model show the Alpine windows. The rack will also span any sunroofs that might be installed. The ZJ rack channels are very easily cut to length; I won't decide until I fit the rack on the final Safari Cab roof if I'll leave it stock length or shorten it.

The ZJ rack isn't the only one that could be installed on the Safari Cab and I'm sure some people would want other racks, but I chose it for the prototype hardtop several reasons - it's a factory Jeep rack, so nobody's going to say "Hey isn't that an Explorer rack on your Jeep?". It's a good size for the Safari Cab as I've already described; it's got lots of aftermarket support, so pretty much anything you'd want to mount up there you can get a ready-to-use mounting accessory for it, and finally it's very plentiful and inexpensive since so many ZJ's are at the end of their lives.

With the proper mounting accessories, the ZJ rack is plenty strong enough for anything you'd want to carry up there. I mount my roof top tent on the LJ Safari Cab with no problems (it's got the XJ version of the rack):

On most off-road trips, I carry a rack basket up there with an extra spare, the Hi-Lift, and often extra luggage:

 

[jscherb]

Jeff, You're Amazing.. We Love This Top.

Update:

Welp.. I sent word to Red about this top, via text message and included the image above.. She just has replied back.. Quote: "I Like It!" End Quote.. Could this mean we forgo restitching the Bikini and forgo purchasing the 2 panels freedom top?..

Thank you, glad you like it.

There are several companies that have expressed interest in it, but it's too early for me to decide what company (if any) it should go to, I'll wait to make that decision after I've finished making the complete mold set. I've still got the main roof panel mold and a few roof component molds to make.

 

[akpostal]

That is just plain sexy.

 

[jscherb]

I'm doing a few more measurements in preparation for making the main roof mold - in these photos I've got an Alpine window setting on top of the side panel, its actual location in the roof panel will be about inch higher than shown in these pictures.

This concept drawing is a fairly accurate representation of what the hard top will look like when done, except that the concept is a 2dr and the parts shown are for the JKU version...

 

[tlbeach]

I really like how this is turning out. I hope someone picks this up to sell.

 

[Jorsn]

Really liking all of the different configurations, especially the double sunroofs!

I see your thread got deleted at JKOeepwall:

 

[jscherb]

Really liking all of the different configurations, especially the double sunroofs!

I see your thread got deleted at JKOeepwall:

Thanks.

I probably won't put any sunroofs in the first prototype, but I'm making sure the roof design can support the installation of them just in case people think they're a good thing to have. I will be putting 4 Alpine windows in the first prototype though .

I deleted that thread, it seemed there wasn't very much interest in the project on that board, so rather than maintain multiple threads I decided to eliminate it.