Jeep XJ Pop Top Camper Build

[scrubber3]

That soft top is awesome. You should probably market that. The folks that take their doors off would throw money at you for one.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Just released a quick vlog style video on the soft top for the youtube crowd.
I'll likely perfect the design down the road and build it into the camper top system.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Wow. Working in a garage is way nicer.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Surface bondo, sanding and prep is (99%) finished.

Flange put together and with a radiused bondo edge for the fiberglass mold of the camper.

Put a lot of time in these end stages, but the precise outcome will be worth it.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

In non-Jeep (but completely Jeep) personal news:

I just finished up my last semester of local college before transfer and completed every accredited lower level /GE provided. I won’t be enrolled into a university until fall of next year...

I’ll have 6 months of a Gap before full-time work season hits.

That means time to crunch out this build to my full vision. The camper concept has been here and there the past two years, but being pulled between stacked classes and several types of work, life hit.

I’ll post much more regularly with Iphone shots as things happen. I’m documenting most everything in actual photos + video to share in a more technical and organized manner through both my website (craftsmancollab.com) and the YouTube channel (Craftsman Collaborative).

Motivated and having the forums to post daily updates will definitely help keep things rolling.

 

[wjeeper]

Been watching from the sidelines for awhile now, I love the build you have going on! So much so that it inspired me to get back into a Cherokee again.

I found a fiberglass top online that I could use to make a Jeepagon 3.0............just gotta get the nerve to chop into a clean XJ!

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Been watching from the sidelines for awhile now, I love the build you have going on! So much so that it inspired me to get back into a Cherokee again.

I found a fiberglass top online that I could use to make a Jeepagon 3.0............just gotta get the nerve to chop into a clean XJ!

The chop is a big step indeed. I wouldn’t do it without a cage (or plan for one in the long term). Although, a properly structured 48x24 “access hole” wouldn’t concern me much if positioned toward the rear.

Let me know if V3 comes about!
Is that top a westfalia, or another brand/ roof to tent to modify?

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Put together my modified spray booth today.
This is to limit dust and wind exposure to the camper plug’s primer stage and the mold/product gelcoat stages.

Thin mil plastic on the top and 3 house/wall facing sides of the garage. The garage door facing side has a thick pvc material that kills the wind, but the bottom is open to allow for fume ventilation. Between the water heater/furnace pilot lights I’m taking some extra precautions to keep the fume concentration to a minimum.

That plexi panel is to film for the YouTube series without overspray on the camera. I have a bathroom-vent fan and box fan to ventilate later in the day, but DONT use these with heavy fumes as they are not sealed motors and can spark = no fun.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Layed down a test coat of primer to cure and confirm it’s good (bought off of someone else that garage stored it a good minute).
Ran to the depot and had them shake it a good while to get it all mixed. Looks good.

High-build urethane two-part primer.
Spraying the full plug if all looks proper in the AM.

 

[jeepdreamer]

Saw this on CL and it made me think of your build. You’re making great progress.... keep on going!

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Saw this on CL and it made me think of your build. You’re making great progress.... keep on going!

How much were they asking?

I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel (for this specific project anyway).

Huge difference to be inside the garage and have 12 hours/day x 5 days a week now to work on the xj.

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

*edit: duplicate post*

 

[jeepdreamer]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Way too much?

4x4 Toyota HiAce pop top Cruising Cabin

Hi this is a 1993 Toyota HiAce camper with 4x4. This vehicle has recently been imported from Japan. It has a sink a stove storage cabinets. It also has a sleeping capacity of 4. It is powered by a...

cosprings.craigslist.org

 

[CraftsmanCollaborative]

Way too much?

4x4 Toyota HiAce pop top Cruising Cabin

Hi this is a 1993 Toyota HiAce camper with 4x4. This vehicle has recently been imported from Japan. It has a sink a stove storage cabinets. It also has a sleeping capacity of 4. It is powered by a...

cosprings.craigslist.org

A solid 25k, but wouldn’t say that’s insane.
4x4, diesel, poptop. Out here a clean 2wd gas vanagon can push close to that price.