Has anyone built/modified their own high top?

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DAV!D

Adventurer
I've searched a lot on this subject online and have found very few people who have done this (almost none). No one seems to make a top that I like, either they are too tall or not tall enough, too square or too many curves.. I just can't find what I'm looking for..

I've done a bit of research on one off fiberglass body parts using the foamular style insulation to make a quick and cheap mold. My thoughts are to get a conversion van high top to use as the basic structure so I don't have to go through the trouble of making it fit the van roof. I'd like to then rework it using the the rigid insulation to make the new desired shape.

I'm curious if anyone has built their own top before, using a method similar or even different. I'd love to see what others have done, but google searches bring up very little in this topic.
 
wjeeper

wjeeper

Active member
Honestly none of the high tops I looked at were "attractive" they are all pretty much functionality over form. For what it's worth tops in my area are only $50 if you pull them yourself........hard to buy the supplies for that price.
 
D

DAV!D

Adventurer
wjeeper said:
Honestly none of the high tops I looked at were "attractive" they are all pretty much functionality over form. For what it's worth tops in my area are only $50 if you pull them yourself........hard to buy the supplies for that price.
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Yes, my idea it to buy one from a scrap yard then modify it. The problem is conversion van tops are too low to stand up in and the roofs seem to always be over kill with curves making it hard to mount much solar on the roof as well as a roof vent (I full time vandwell). Then there is the other spectrum, the really high ones used on wheelchair vans or transport vans but they are usually much higher than I need and either the side or rear door is raised into the top.

I'm looking to find a decent top I can use as a base then chop it up a bit and rebuild it to the height/shape I'm wanting. I'm just looking around to see if anyone's done it before to see if I can gain any ideas.
 
kylemathews

kylemathews

New member
Sheeting it with aluminum now need to take a few more progress pictures. image.jpg 6'3 on the inside made storage above the front and back areas.
 
D

DAV!D

Adventurer
drbrown said:
This guy built one from scratch for a Suburban: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/142300-2003-Suburban-1500-Pop-Top-Conversion

I think your idea of modifying a conversion van top is a good start. Would save the trouble of fitting a custom top profile to the roof of the van. Good luck
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Awesome, that's the exact sort of thing I was looking for. I sort of wanted to see someone else doing something similar to kind of reassure myself that it's a doable project. I was a bit skeptical at the beginning photos in his project but it turned out great.

The really crazy thing, is I just left Boulder 2 months ago after being there over a year. I'm really surprised I didn't see him driving this around, I'm betting he probably saw my van many times though.. :sombrero: I wish I would of seen his topic while I was still out there.

It's pretty cool though, because if I didn't need a van for my business, my next build was going to be a diesel 4wd suburban and I wanted to either use a Westy pop top or build one like he did. (I've done a pop top conversion on my vanagon so I'm ok with a swap like that but just never built the actual top before) I was also planning to do my hi top with monster liner so it's sort of funny to see al the things I'm looking for in 1 topic..

Thanks for the link.
 
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D

DAV!D

Adventurer
kylemathews said:
Sheeting it with aluminum now need to take a few more progress pictures. View attachment 380835 6'3 on the inside made storage above the front and back areas.
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Nice, will be interesting to see once it's done. There was a guy over on the samba forum at one point who was going to make pop tops out of aluminum for vanagons but he sort disappeared and never started.
 
D

DAV!D

Adventurer
brian94ht said:
There is also steel. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/136944-New-Build-The-quot-RDV-quot?highlight=Rdv

Either way, it seems like a lot of work for something that already exists....not that I haven't considered it myself.
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Well, many things wouldn't exist if we all just bought bolt on kits for everything. When I built my Syncro I heard countless times you simply couldn't do an engine conversion for under $5k but maybe as high as $10k.. You know because that's what all the parts cost if you buy the kits.. :)

I'm sort of hard headed, so I put a motor no one else used at that time in my van (an Ecotec) and I did it for just under under $2k. Why? because I built all my own parts with exception to the adapter plate and paid someone to do my wiring harness/programing.

When I look at high tops for sale, there is only 1 that fits my needs and that's the 24" bubble top from Fiberline. What I've read from others, it would cost me something close to $3,5k then I have to pay who knows how much to get it from Cali to FL (I'm betting close to $1k). I'm simply not a big budget guy, I build on low budget, so I don't spend endless hours working to pay for my toys.

Why should I spend $4k+/- for a high top, when I can buy a $100 conversion van top from a local scrap yard then modify it to fit my needs for a few hundred and my time? I learn something new and end up with something unique and not the same cookie cutter van, that looks like all the others with the exact same bumpers, bolt on parts ect..ect.

If we all just bought things which were available, there wouldn't be half the awesome builds that are here on this forum and others around the net. Some of the builds I see here are quite awesome and inspiring, but sometimes it's like there is no place for us low budget guys, not when some of us have less money in our entire project than some do in their bolt on wheels and suspension parts.

Not to rant, but some of us build things because we can't spend $30 or 50k on a build.
 
V

villageidiot327

Explorer
If you're on the east coast, check out eBay. There's a couple "blem" high tops in the sub $500 range.

I found by searching "sportsmobile"
 
shenrie

shenrie

^^^ hates cars
Just looked real quick on discount van & truck. Cheapest route I could find, you can get a 24" bubble top for an eb no liner, with a standard flange shipped to your residence for 3800. I know it's still more than $100, but it would save you a lot of messy time working over a used top and allow you to focus your skills on an interior buildout. I'm a hardcore cheapskate as well so I know where you're coming from, but sometimes it's best to weigh your time and use it where it makes the most sense.

There's also a gent on the smb forum making diy tops for some decent prices. Not sure if he's doing bubble tops, but he is offering a few different height tops and last pic I saw had a pretty unique shape I hadnt seen before.
attachment.php
 
D

DAV!D

Adventurer
villageidiot327 said:
If you're on the east coast, check out eBay. There's a couple "blem" high tops in the sub $500 range.

I found by searching "sportsmobile"
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I saw the ones you are talking about. I'm going to contact him. Ty for the tip. Pretty far for me, but maybe if he will hold it short term I can possibly do a road trip.

edit.. I just realized the one I looked at was for the extended van, not the normal size so it won't work for mine. According to the ebay ad they can make the same top new for $1k, which isn't bad TBH. That's a lot more affordable than Fiberline's. I will hold on to his contact info and talk to him when I ready.
 
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