Popular Mechanics DIY Roof top tent

[ozarkroozer]

Hey guys I was at a local thrift store this past weekend and ran across a set of "Do it yourself Popular Mechanics Encyclopedias" from 1957 for a couple of bucks. While browsing at home I ran across this intriguing set of instructions for a version of a roof top tent. How do you like that? Here are the scanned images. Due to the size constraints they are small but for you industrious fellows i can send larger scans. pm me if your interested. I've got to say the set is an amazing wealth of stuff to build. lots of camping type things, maybe I'll throw up a few more. enjoy.

 

[Sean VHA #60013]

Wow, that is just cool, and goes to show that what is thought of as "new" was here long ago :coffeedrink:

Eccesiastes 1:10 "Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us."

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Very cool... seems right in line with the history of the RTT as I've come to know it.

I wrote a RTT buying article last year and did some digging on the history, there were some threads here on ExPo and I recall finding some references to this Popular Mechanics tent too. I summed it up with: "As best as anyone can decipher, the first units were likely home built or low production units built in the late 40's and early 50's when auto 'touring' started to gain in popularity in both the US and overseas. Though it would have been more common at the time to see them on a family station wagon than a 4x4".

I would be very interested in some hi-res scans. Shall I PM you my email addy?

 

[David_in_TX]

I dont want to hijack you, but almost all issues of Popular Mechanics and Popular Science can be found online on Google books.

Here is the article you posted:

http://books.google.com/books?id=yNwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA187&dq=bed+tent+car&hl=en&ei=meSYTOmRLYO8lQf0o9GSAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bed%20tent%20car&f=false

 

[David_in_TX]

Here's another RTT:

http://books.google.com/books?id=StQDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA154&dq=camper%20van&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q=camper%20van&f=false

 

[ozarkroozer]

Here's another RTT:

http://books.google.com/books?id=StQDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA154&dq=camper%20van&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q=camper%20van&f=false

there you go, the internet does it again. I didnt know about the google books. Now go forth and build!

 

[ryguy]

Cool find

 

[David_in_TX]

Another RTT:

http://books.google.com/books?id=uSADAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA125&dq=econoline&pg=PA138#v=onepage&q=econoline&f=true

 

[crusader]

:Wow1:

Here's another RTT:

http://books.google.com/books?id=StQDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA154&dq=camper%20van&pg=PA154#v=onepage&q=camper%20van&f=false

That pic of the 5th wheel trailer attached to the roof of the Datsun B210 is awesome! :Wow1:


EDIT: OOPS! That was the RV camping article before the roof tent article..

 

[compactcamping]

Here is an interesting folding hardsided one.

You can find the plans under Car Top Camper

 

[rodtermaat]

hardside folding

I have rolling around the idea of making a unit like this, but rather then on the roof build it as a tonneau cover. You could retain the storage underneath, or eliminate the floor and add 2 feet of height. Sort of a new style of poptop truck camper without any aerodynamic hit. I have a hard side truck camper now and it is overkill for the type of camping I do.

more drawing and planning

 

[Antichrist]

A friend in Vermont had a Series IIA 109 that had been sort of converted to have a RTT. The entire roof just bolts on so he removed it, added a spacer of maybe a couple of inches (I can't remember for sure as it's been close to 20 years since I've seen it) all around, installed a floor in it, then put the roof back on. He hinged the roof at the front across the top of the windscreen, added cloth and screen panels along the sides and back and added locking clamps on the rear.
In normal use it looked like a normal 109 at first glance. When he was camping he'd release the clamps at the rear, raise the rear end of the roof and support it on it's struts and climb in, feet towards the front.
In sleeping mode it looked somewhat like the one in the van article, only it was the whole roof raised at an angle.
It did decrease the interior head room some since the plywood floor was in place, but he was about 6' 2" and managed ok. That could be alleviated by making the body-to-roof spacer a little taller.