"Safari Cab" modular hardtop project
- Thread starter jscherb
- Start date
Jeff,
Great work!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us. I sincerely hope this goes into production... I'd definitely put one on our TJ. Is it wrong that I really, REALLY like the black w/ white roof combo for a black TJ? Too FJ? Oh well...
I love the idea of the barn door, "van sides," and the possibility of roll bar tie-ins.
Of course, I've been thinking of making my own external roof rack anyway, so strength might not be a big deal for me.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for the regular updates.
Los
Great work!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us. I sincerely hope this goes into production... I'd definitely put one on our TJ. Is it wrong that I really, REALLY like the black w/ white roof combo for a black TJ? Too FJ? Oh well...
I love the idea of the barn door, "van sides," and the possibility of roll bar tie-ins.
Of course, I've been thinking of making my own external roof rack anyway, so strength might not be a big deal for me.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for the regular updates.
Los
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Thanks! The combos with the white roof seem to be popular, maybe the Toyota FJ Cruiser guys are onto something
.Just one comment on your external rack... if you make your own external rack and you'd like it to work with the Safari Cab, it would need to be about 3" higher than would be required for a factory hardtop to make sure it will clear the higher Safari Cab.
I know you reworked your World Cab top considerably, but I think it's a night and day difference. The LJ's door blows shut on me on it's own all the time and not only that, if you park on any kind of incline where the Jeep slants down to the driver's side, it won't stay open. With adding weight to it, that will only be that much worse.
Just something to get you thinking as you move forward, doesn't have to be an offering, but maybe an option. Never seen one of the Rugged Ridge units in person, maybe it could work on the lower hinge?
When I get one, it's because it will be easier to put on and take down than dealing with the stock hard top. I would wager that a small minority would be getting it to leave on permanently, just my opinion.
Perhaps Congo Cage will take note and raise their design in the rear. A step up aft of the bend and longer rear tubes would seem to be an easy mod. If they don't, I hope someone does. I will need a roof rack for a canoe minimum, possibly a bike or two as well. It depends on what sort of trailer I end up with.
Flyn G
jscherb
Expedition Leader
The head room should be roughly the same as the Jeep factory World Cab, for which longitudinal "troop seating" was offered as an option on export models... the question is whether you can mount the seats at the same height in a Wrangler as they are in the Scrambler - I'd have to measure to see if the Scrambler inner wheel wells are any higher than the Wrangler inner fenders.
I believe the issue with troop seats is that you'd have to remove the stock rollbar. Are you assuming that was done?
Without removing the rollbar, the roof height does nothing to make troop seats possible. It's one of the things I have against the idea of the stepped-up roof in the rear, it's not useful space as the rollbar is what limits headroom/access in the back.
This is assuming we're talking TJ/LJ.
Troop seats work in a Scrambler because the only bar overhead is so far forward.
Without removing the rollbar, the roof height does nothing to make troop seats possible. It's one of the things I have against the idea of the stepped-up roof in the rear, it's not useful space as the rollbar is what limits headroom/access in the back.
This is assuming we're talking TJ/LJ.
Troop seats work in a Scrambler because the only bar overhead is so far forward.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
Here's a look at the mold master for the inside of the rear door and the "stakes" that attach the door to the tailgate. The stakes are made from 1/2" x 1 1/2" steel tubing. The upper right photo shows how the stakes will be bolted to the door upper, and the photo on the left shows how it would look with a trim panel installed. The bottom photo shows the side profile; you can see the bottom of the upper is fairly thick (actually only 2"), this is to allow installation of a wiper motor and a cab vent and speakers if desired. The bottom of the door doesn't stick out as far as the latch mechanism cover on the inside of the Wrangler tailgate BTW. The black things at the edge of the window glass are short pieces of the window gasket, just checking to make sure everything fits properly.
BTW, in the photo immediately above there's a thick frame on the outside of the door upper, that's only part of the mold master, it won't be part of the finished door. The finished door will only be a 3/16" thick skin of fiberglass at that point.
I've got several potential designs for attaching the stakes to the tailgate. The drawing below shows what I'll probably do for my top - I'll probably put nutserts in the tailgate and use bolts or thumbscrews to secure the stakes to the tailgate. I've drawn these with thumscrews but they may stick out too far, so perhaps round-head Torx screws like the ones that hold the factory hardtop on would be a better choice.
I'm not sure installing nutserts is easy enough for everyone to do though, so there are a few other options for the production top. These include "stake pockets" attached to the tailgate with self-tapping screws, or just attaching the stakes themselves to the tailgate with self-tapping screws. I'd like to hear any views you guys have on the attachment methods.
---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
---------------------
BTW, in the photo immediately above there's a thick frame on the outside of the door upper, that's only part of the mold master, it won't be part of the finished door. The finished door will only be a 3/16" thick skin of fiberglass at that point.
I've got several potential designs for attaching the stakes to the tailgate. The drawing below shows what I'll probably do for my top - I'll probably put nutserts in the tailgate and use bolts or thumbscrews to secure the stakes to the tailgate. I've drawn these with thumscrews but they may stick out too far, so perhaps round-head Torx screws like the ones that hold the factory hardtop on would be a better choice.
I'm not sure installing nutserts is easy enough for everyone to do though, so there are a few other options for the production top. These include "stake pockets" attached to the tailgate with self-tapping screws, or just attaching the stakes themselves to the tailgate with self-tapping screws. I'd like to hear any views you guys have on the attachment methods.
---------------------
Questions about the Safari Cab? Try here first: Safari Cab FAQ
---------------------
jesusgatos
Explorer
If you use nutserts for any type of production parts, the 'The Company' is going to get a lot of customer service calls.
jscherb
Expedition Leader
I agree, that's why I said it probably wasn't for everyone in my original post - most likely the best option for the production top would be stake pockets secured to the tailgate with self-tapping screws.