Has anyone built/modified their own high top?

[Bikersmurf]

I've often considered it. For starters, I'd start by molding the roof off the top of your van. It could be an exact match... cut, trim reshape. It you want a pop-top, lift it a bit and fill in the space. For a high top, section a piece out of the length and use wood to fill in the space.

I'd use extra heavy poly to protect the body... likely a bit of material to make wicking and use vacuum to suck it down too the roof.

 

[DAV!D]

I've often considered it. For starters, I'd start by molding the roof off the top of your van. It could be an exact match... cut, trim reshape. It you want a pop-top, lift it a bit and fill in the space. For a high top, section a piece out of the length and use wood to fill in the space.

I'd use extra heavy poly to protect the body... likely a bit of material to make wicking and use vacuum to suck it down too the roof.

If I end up building one myself, my plan was to buy a conversion van top from a scrap yard and cut the excess material off or build on top of it, leaving base intact, I rather not have to do tons of work trying to get it to fit the roof line properly, so having an intact base to start with saves lots of work. I'd then rebuild the top using a mix of wood supports and rigid foam for the ease shaping it.

This is a video of the method I'm looking at..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNZK8-z0ndk

This guy used the same method to build a aero-bike body.

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/wianecki/velomobile/

 

[TsheviVaanHaus]

I signed up for this forum after reading your post. This is exactly what I want to so as well. I bought a 1995 Chevy g20 conversion van around 4 months ago. It did not have a high top but I found one at a junk yard and bought it for 28 dollars! Of course it took me literally 9 hours to get it off the donor van. 8 straight the first day and then an hour the next morning. Since I live in the van, I had no place to store it while I stripped th e ceiling and cut my roof out, so right on top of the van it went, and I spent the next couple weeks cutting the original roof off FROM THE INSIDE with snips at first, then an angle grinder. Wow what a difference it made. I could stand, sorta. I have to crook my neck down but not my back or shoulders.

Still, I wish it were taller. I wish it were much taller to be honest. I wish I could put a loft over the cab with cute shelf/stairs up to it with a window.

I've been thinking, I keep my eyes peeled for the right shape, and I'm planning to take a plaster bandage mold of another vehicle to fiberglass it on top of what I already have, then do what I did with the first layer and just cut it away from the inside (or maybe before, since this is an actual plan and not an "oh wow a high top for 28 bucks, I need to devote myself to it until it's mine".

Looking forward to reading the rest of the thread! I will post my progress as well. Can't take any pics right now because I'm in Utah and it's storming and dark. Headed I think to Reno as soon as I should have left much earlier... on my way to West coast me thinks.

Anyway, glad I found something on the net too cuz I been looking for it.

John

 

[Choff]

I cut the roof off a Old's Vista Cruiser Station Wagon and cut van roof and molded it on in 1986 Chev Van only a year old!!
you could add more material and have a steel roof with real glass !!!

 

[Mxkutch]

Attached are a few pictures of the build and install job of my hightop.

I found a guy who had a mould for an EB econoline, and then I sprayed and rolled the fiberglass and epoxy and put wood strips in the roof and then gel coated it. I found two windows out of a pickup camper top and installed them.

The last pic is a combo of the day I bought the van and the after picture is from our last trip to Alaska.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180720/59b5a4c002ebcfbea92fe376c001219c.jpg

[IMG]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180720/218f001515c764f9f7d8548534bc09e7.jpg

[/IMG]

7.3 E350 Ujoint 4x4

IG: @The_Vanabonds

 

[Mxkutch]

A few more pics of the windows

7.3 E350 Ujoint 4x4

IG: @The_Vanabonds

 

[Vandit]

Attached are a few pictures of the build and install job of my hightop.

I found a guy who had a mould for an EB econoline, and then I sprayed and rolled the fiberglass and epoxy and put wood strips in the roof and then gel coated it. I found two windows out of a pickup camper top and installed them.

The last pic is a combo of the day I bought the van and the after picture is from our last trip to Alaska.

7.3 E350 Ujoint 4x4

IG: @The_Vanabonds

That top came out great! Nice work!

It doesn't look like it had a reverse flange though, so can you give a little info on how you mounted it? The inside pic definitely looks like you used an adhesive of some sort.

 

[kylemathews]

My work in progress. Top is 1/8 aluminium riveted together. No leaks yet. Two years old. 6'1". Inside. Next step is to spray closed cell foam inside.

 

[Mxkutch]

[/QUOTE]

That top came out great! Nice work!

It doesn't look like it had a reverse flange though, so can you give a little info on how you mounted it? The inside pic definitely looks like you used an adhesive of some sort.[/QUOTE]

So it is attached with screws and a metal constricting band. It is then sealed with a silicone caulking/adhesive around the edges.

I’m not sure if there is a better way to do it, but it has held strong with no leaks for 30,000 miles so far.


7.3 E350 Ujoint 4x4

IG: @The_Vanabonds

 

[Vandit]

So it is attached with screws and a metal constricting band. It is then sealed with a silicone caulking/adhesive around the edges.

I’m not sure if there is a better way to do it, but it has held strong with no leaks for 30,000 miles so far.


7.3 E350 Ujoint 4x4

IG: @The_Vanabonds

Thanks for the extra info. I thought that might be the case, but I couldn't quite make out the band after zooming in on the pic so I wasn't sure. Looks great, glad to hear that you're not having any problems.