roof rack access from inside

southpier

Expedition Leader
anyone, or see anyone, cut a skylight as an access from the inside behind the front seats through the factory hardtop to gain either rack access or roof top tent access? similar to the flip over style tents' access but from a jeep back end.
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
There's less room for that than you might think - the RTT in the photo is mounted about as far back as it can be. The distance between the front of the RTT and where the back of the rear seat headrests are is probably a foot. If you were to make a hatch large enough to climb through it would need to me more than a foot from front to back, so you'd need to lean the front seats forward in order to access the entire opening. Also unless you're a gymnast, I think you'd need some sort of steps/ladder inside to get yourself up and out so you'd need to figure out how to mount them.

RTTFinal1_zpsceg3r7px.jpg


And if you have a longer rack, like this Garvin, the rack reaches all the way to the front seat so an access hatch in the back seat would be useless.

GarvinOnJK4_zpsdviy5xrj.jpg


There is already a hatch in the factory hardtop though... how about just removing the Freedom Panels and standing on the front seat?
 

TripLeader

Explorer
Would it be more practical to purchase an annex, than modify it with an opening to hang over an open door for RTT access with the cab?
 

spagthorpe

Observer
I saw a thread recently where someone bought a James Baroud clamshell, and cut a hole in the bottom. If you could find a way to secure it to the Jeep roof, you could just go up the middle like a J30. Lots of other logistics to work out with that solution. I have been thinking about a rear annex as well, with access to the open back door of the Jeep.
 

southpier

Expedition Leader
There's less room for that than you might think - the RTT in the photo is mounted about as far back as it can be. The distance between the front of the RTT and where the back of the rear seat headrests are is probably a foot. If you were to make a hatch large enough to climb through it would need to me more than a foot from front to back, so you'd need to lean the front seats forward in order to access the entire opening. Also unless you're a gymnast, I think you'd need some sort of steps/ladder inside to get yourself up and out so you'd need to figure out how to mount them.

RTTFinal1_zpsceg3r7px.jpg


And if you have a longer rack, like this Garvin, the rack reaches all the way to the front seat so an access hatch in the back seat would be useless.

GarvinOnJK4_zpsdviy5xrj.jpg


There is already a hatch in the factory hardtop though... how about just removing the Freedom Panels and standing on the front seat?

I was thinking the hatch would be located as far back as possible, but I understand your rational.

Q: when do you think the expedition top will be in full production (!!!) I Really like those windows. is there a build thread for it? thanks
 

southpier

Expedition Leader
I saw a thread recently where someone bought a James Baroud clamshell, and cut a hole in the bottom. If you could find a way to secure it to the Jeep roof, you could just go up the middle like a J30. Lots of other logistics to work out with that solution. I have been thinking about a rear annex as well, with access to the open back door of the Jeep.

I was thinking of an Ursa Minor style tent full mount on the vehicle. but on the same subject, if the vehicle is ever moved, the tent would surely be closed. is there any reason the clamshell style couldn't open forward? like suicide doors on '50s cars .... oohh ... I think I know why now ...
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
I was thinking the hatch would be located as far back as possible, but I understand your rational.

Q: when do you think the expedition top will be in full production (!!!) I Really like those windows. is there a build thread for it? thanks

I licensed the LJ Safari Cab hardtop to Gr8Tops and it has been in production for a few years now: https://gr8tops.com/shop/jeepmodels/wrangler-lj-2/lj-safari-cab-full-hardtop. There are two build threads for it, one that covers the process from design through molding the fiberglass parts, and this one covers the final assembly of the top and outfitting of the Jeep: http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/46300-How-would-you-outfit-this-custom-LJ

At this point I don't have any plans for the JK/JKU Safari Cab hardtop to be a commercial product. There is a build thread, it started out as a thread on the barn door which also works with the factory hardtops: http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/127687-Barn-Door-for-JK-factory-hardtops
 

southpier

Expedition Leader
thanks. the first video is a "more practical" option for me. I could also never afford the ER although there are a number of ideas to be drawn from it.

Q: if a Jeep payload is only 1,000#, how are folks dealing with it? or is it completely ignored, and the parts simply kept going on?
 

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