Tacoma aluminum Pop-up
- Thread starter miniorf
- Start date
Hughbetcha
New member
Or check out your old lazy boy! Looks similar 
Reardensteel
New member
I am a toolmaker/fabricator by trade and have been looking for months at ways to convert my series IIa rover to pop top. This is gold, the missing piece I needed. I am going to start building this hinge this week and start laying it all out. I will probably ly make a cap for my 2500hd first to try it all out while I get the rover working. Here's a pic I found what I want.
Attachments
MI Adventure
New member
can't take credit for the hinges or the canvas work, my moms got a nack for that type of stuff. The hinges were drawn up in solid works to meet my exact specs by a good friend. Idono if this will help any of you guys out there but here are the tec drawings... these type of hinges are super finicky.
Thanks for posting the hinge plans! I have been searching on-line for months trying to find something along these lines. Are all arms and brackets steel with zinc plating or aluminum? If aluminum did you use 6061-t6 for the arms and a softer grade for the "U" shaped brackets? Did they get assembled with bronze or bushings in the pivot points? What did you use for spacers so the links didn't move side to side inside the "U" shaped bracket? Any additional information would be appreciated! Thank you!
woodslanding
Member
All these compliments, and nobody's buying it???
Thought I'd give it a bump here....
Thought I'd give it a bump here....
AeroNautiCal
Explorer
This is an exceptional and intriguing build, utilizing an off the shelf product and reworking it to one's own specifications!
The addition of fabricated structures and components to existing or reworked standard items opens up a realm of possibilities for camper construction and modification!
Whilst inspired by owner fabricated builds, I'd think that they have skills and equipment I don't have so I can't do those things!
Buying camper plans, but unable to aluminium fabricate or pay someone to, I finally decided to get myself some equipment and to learn how to use it!
At some point I'll work to a reasonably good standard to make things sufficient for my purposes.
I say this as I see posters saying they don't have the skills to build what they want, so perhaps think about actually learning how to do these things?
The Internet, websites, forums, podcasts, blogs/vlogs and YouTube are all free resources, as are libraries. Books are great too, and inexpensive pre-owned!
There are Engineering/Technology/Build Centres in many US cities where one can learn under guidance and hire tools, equipment and machinery to do a multitude of things (vacuum forming, 3D printing-including metal printing, machining, welding, fabrication, etc).
Instead of just thinking how great it would be to be able to make or adapt something, actually start by learning how to do it!
The addition of fabricated structures and components to existing or reworked standard items opens up a realm of possibilities for camper construction and modification!
Whilst inspired by owner fabricated builds, I'd think that they have skills and equipment I don't have so I can't do those things!
Buying camper plans, but unable to aluminium fabricate or pay someone to, I finally decided to get myself some equipment and to learn how to use it!
At some point I'll work to a reasonably good standard to make things sufficient for my purposes.
I say this as I see posters saying they don't have the skills to build what they want, so perhaps think about actually learning how to do these things?
The Internet, websites, forums, podcasts, blogs/vlogs and YouTube are all free resources, as are libraries. Books are great too, and inexpensive pre-owned!
There are Engineering/Technology/Build Centres in many US cities where one can learn under guidance and hire tools, equipment and machinery to do a multitude of things (vacuum forming, 3D printing-including metal printing, machining, welding, fabrication, etc).
Instead of just thinking how great it would be to be able to make or adapt something, actually start by learning how to do it!
Roaddude
Long time off-grid vanlife adventurist
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@miniorf 's lifting hinges are very much like those used on Westfalias, which came in at least two different styles, both of which lift an end when the other end is raised.
I scored a new pair of stainless lift hinges recently, made by an outfit in the UK. Often hard to find in the US, though come up sometimes used in pick-n-pull yards or online, though often in rough shape or bent.
I may be selling the new pair I have, depending on direction I go for my own pop-top. Though not as large perhaps (at 19" long) as the custom made ones in this build, are plenty large and stout enough to lift a wedge-style pop top.
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