serious maggiolina adaption - thoughts wanted

[eyrewave]

Hi, im new on here and would like to pick peoples brains.
I have 4x4 iveco swb, which as the name suggests is short. I had looked into getting a higher high top put on (u can already stand in it, but want to use the height to mount the bed above the cab) problem is, it means its a bit like sleeping in a coffin, i.e very close to the ceiling.
I have exhausted possibililities, and have bitten the bullet and bought a maggiolina roof tent off ebay. My idea is to cut a rectangle out of the bottom of the roof tent, cut a rectangle out the top of my van (leaving supporting braces in) make a frame to the profile of the roof, around the hole, bolt and glue frame to roof, and then bolt and glue tent to frame - thus giving me the potential of a lot more room. The tent will be totally accessible from inside my van, and i can extend it as much or as little as i like..

It has dawned on me that the mechanism for winding the maggiolina, may run through the middle of it, and if i cut a rectangle into it, i may render the device useless? (im hoping the device runs around the sides - i guess i can test with a pipe detector??)

Any thoughts?

Thanks Tom

 

[Harald Hansen]

I would have tought that an old Westfalia lifting roof would be a better bet, depending on how well the profile fits the Iveco's roof. Find a rusty camper and swap the Maggionlina or sell it for cash.

 

[ColinTheCop]

Regardless of where the mechanism is, surely you'd still have to go outside to stick the winder handle in to wind it up...?

 

[eyrewave]

Regardless of where the mechanism is, surely you'd still have to go outside to stick the winder handle in to wind it up...?

Yes i would have to go outside to wind it up, dont see that as too much of a problem though as it only takes a minute.

I have since found out the mechanisms run around the sides, so cutting out part of the bottom wont affect the mechanism.

 

[desertgirl66]

The chain that runs the screws to wind up the tent, runs along the drivers side of the tent.

 

[Lynn]

Sounds like a great project. May I suggest you start a build thread (with pictures!!) so that we can follow your progress? I'd love to see pix of your vehicle, as well.

Welcome to the board!

 

[ntsqd]

A right angle drive gear box could point the input to the Mag's drive mechanism down into the inside of the living space. Fangle up a waterproof enclosure to cover it all and outside access wouldn't be required.

I'm a big fan of using lug nuts of the same size as used on the vehicle for things like the input to the right angle drive. That way one wrench does multiple chores.

 

[Mike S]

Late to the party...

No particular reason why this would but work... but I would be concerned whether the roof or the vehicle is the same material as the Maggiolina.

If you are trying to bond fiberglass to steel or aluminum, they have different rates of expansion when the ambient temperature warms or cools. So 'gluing' the modified Maggiolina to the vehicle may not work as well as simply fabricating a gasket seal for the area where the two meet and bolting the two together.

I have had a number of people call me to explore this use of our tents, but know of no successful attempts. You will be the first, so please send or post photos, I am curious to know how it works out.

Mike S

 

[CLynn85]

I always wanted to do this on the roof of my old TJ, but just couldn't get it to work out dimensionally. Although if you had an LJ, it'd be spot on...

 

[63tlf8]

I have had a number of people call me to explore this use of our tents, but know of no successful attempts. You will be the first, so please send or post photos, I am curious to know how it works out.
Mike S

Mike,

Sounds like you have access to some information that would be useful to me. I have had a Top Line for some 5 years now and was considering dismantling it to use the lift mechanism in a project. It is on hold at the moment as I have not been able to find out what the safe lift capacity of the standard mechanism is. Do you know?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Mike S]

Mike,

Sounds like you have access to some information that would be useful to me. I have had a Top Line for some 5 years now and was considering dismantling it to use the lift mechanism in a project. It is on hold at the moment as I have not been able to find out what the safe lift capacity of the standard mechanism is. Do you know?

Thanks

Tony

Tony - there are no published specs. If you stayed within about 25 lbs. of the weight of the top, I think you'd be OK.

 

[63tlf8]

Tony - there are no published specs. If you stayed within about 25 lbs. of the weight of the top, I think you'd be OK.

Mike,

Thanks. I was looking more at about 50 Kg minimum. Pity but it was probably too much luck to ask for. I'll look over some light weight hydraulics or acme threaded rods.

Many thanks

Tony

 

[ntsqd]

Re: Acme threads: Keep inmind that they, by design, do not bind or lock up. It is nearly impossible to jam nut them and have the bind hold for very long. If you need the binding action of the threads to hold a position Acme's may not be the best choice.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Iveco

Hi Tom,

We had one in our workshop, so I wanted to look at it before I said anything. I presume this is the same or very similiar to what you have (see the pics below). Have only seen Maggiolina's in pics but I presume they are made from GRP and I'm 99% sure so is your roof, otherwise it's a type of plastic like ABS. You'll know as soon as you see the underside of it and I couldn't do that to our customers. It's definitely not metal.

So the best way to seal this to the roof is going to be to fibreglass up the sides of the box at least 50mm and out over the roof about the same. It's not a difficult job if you have done a littIe glasssing before (otherwise give it to someone in the game). The roof on the Iveco is fairly flat so they should marry OK. If you are prepared to do a little filling, fairing and flowcoating you could make it look pretty tidy. Make sure you grind through the gelcoat before you attempt any glassing.

If for some reason your roof is not GRP the best way to seal it down is to basically do the same thing but before you start, mask up the roof and cover the mask with a release agent. Then when the glass has cured, lift the box off and trim back the new fibreglass to create a 50mm flange around the box that is the same shape as the Iveco roof. The flange should be at least 4 or 5mm thick. Then you should be able to seal it back down on the roof with a non hardening sealer or caulking compound. A few of fasteners would also be required but make sure they are sealed around as well. Blind rivets are ok.

These are a cool truck. This one belongs to a guy from California who comes over to Aus surfing every year for a couple of months. He's left it with us to do some interior mods.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Sorry wrong way up

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