Hey, your van, use toothpicks if you want to. Actually from what I know, it could be done with toothpicks, but would take a lonnng time, and not worth the effort. Looks good, I could do similar with 1x2x, but likely will be using 2x2s also, Hadn't planned on making a high top, but a dead dropped on my Jeep Cheokee and smashed the driver's rear door way beyond acceptable repair, so I will have a Jeep Cherokee high top day vehicle. (Day vehicle, no camper, but a recliner for rest and naps, maybe TV, radio for sure, cooler, composting toilet. Not intended for camping, rather a daily driver, and lets you have a toilet available, a recliner when you get tired or want to catch a TV show, cooler for sodas, and then back to the house to eat supper and sleep there). And, if I want to, I'll even put in a 4x4 or two in the build process.
Change in plans. Converting my Jeep Cherokee into a high top day camper, because a dead tree dropped on it and needed to do something. Was planning on using 2x2s, decided that before saw this video. Will still convert it, but recalled a woodworking trick I learned years ago, think first project with is was in early '70s. Know for a fact I did a toy box using that method about 25 years ago, and it is still in use. There will be no metal, only 1X2s, OSB, Titebond II, and topped off with poor man's fiberglass. The strength should be the same as using 2x2s, perhaps a tad more. Sometimes it pays to be an old dude with experience.
how much did it cost to make the van topper? I have the same van and doing a build, I'm terrified to cut the top off! How much was all the fiberglass supplies?
Cutting the roof is committing! I haven't tallied all the receipts yet, but it'd ballpark it around $1000 - $1200. Will be doing a video in the near future on cost and weight.
Certainly. That's how commercial toppers are built & mounted. You would just have to do a lot more measurements to be sure your final product would fit well.
Hello! I just discovered your channel and it think its awesome! I am a new subscriber now. I think you go about your build in a very calculated and pragmatic way. I have been saving for a used Ford transit Connect vehicle and would eventual would like to do a roof raise. I am interested in a small vehicle. My question to you is: How high is your roof raise in inches from the cut out? also, do you have a carpentry and engineering background? Please Advise! I look forward to your van tour! Thank you!
Hi there, thanks for the support! My topper is about 34" from the original roof line, which gives me nearly 6'10" of standing room. I am a mechanical engineer by trade.
AJ, my strategy was 3 fold (maybe 4 if you include the paint): 1. Super strong adhesive between frame and van 2. exterior grade caulking between sheathing and van 3. 3 coats of fiberglass overlapping the wood-steel interface (this is the main sealing agent) 4. 2 coats of bedliner paint over fiberglass (2 part polyurethane bedliner paint) the cool thing about building your own topper is you can fiberglass right over the wood - steel interface making a nearly impenetrable seal! I don't anticipate any water issues for the next few decades, but time will certainly tell.
![เปิดบ้าน นาราเครปกระเทย 1 ไร่ ขายขาดทุนหลัก10ล้าน เอามาใช้หนี้!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jz84VFWVP4/mqdefault.jpg)
![ปฏิเสธไม่ไหว (Crush on you) - LIPTA feat. No One Else [TEASER MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VC689EgdSIw/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey, your van, use toothpicks if you want to. Actually from what I know, it could be done with toothpicks, but would take a lonnng time, and not worth the effort. Looks good, I could do similar with 1x2x, but likely will be using 2x2s also, Hadn't planned on making a high top, but a dead dropped on my Jeep Cheokee and smashed the driver's rear door way beyond acceptable repair, so I will have a Jeep Cherokee high top day vehicle. (Day vehicle, no camper, but a recliner for rest and naps, maybe TV, radio for sure, cooler, composting toilet. Not intended for camping, rather a daily driver, and lets you have a toilet available, a recliner when you get tired or want to catch a TV show, cooler for sodas, and then back to the house to eat supper and sleep there). And, if I want to, I'll even put in a 4x4 or two in the build process.
Change in plans. Converting my Jeep Cherokee into a high top day camper, because a dead tree dropped on it and needed to do something. Was planning on using 2x2s, decided that before saw this video. Will still convert it, but recalled a woodworking trick I learned years ago, think first project with is was in early '70s. Know for a fact I did a toy box using that method about 25 years ago, and it is still in use. There will be no metal, only 1X2s, OSB, Titebond II, and topped off with poor man's fiberglass. The strength should be the same as using 2x2s, perhaps a tad more. Sometimes it pays to be an old dude with experience.
how much did it cost to make the van topper? I have the same van and doing a build, I'm terrified to cut the top off! How much was all the fiberglass supplies?
Cutting the roof is committing! I haven't tallied all the receipts yet, but it'd ballpark it around $1000 - $1200. Will be doing a video in the near future on cost and weight.
Great job!
Do you think one could lay out the bottom frame and do the build before cutting the roof and then attach it after the roof was cut?
Certainly. That's how commercial toppers are built & mounted. You would just have to do a lot more measurements to be sure your final product would fit well.
Hello! I just discovered your channel and it think its awesome! I am a new subscriber now. I think you go about your build in a very calculated and pragmatic way. I have been saving for a used Ford transit Connect vehicle and would eventual would like to do a roof raise. I am interested in a small vehicle.
My question to you is: How high is your roof raise in inches from the cut out?
also, do you have a carpentry and engineering background?
Please Advise! I look forward to your van tour! Thank you!
Hi there, thanks for the support! My topper is about 34" from the original roof line, which gives me nearly 6'10" of standing room. I am a mechanical engineer by trade.
How did you seal the frame from rain on van at bottom
AJ, my strategy was 3 fold (maybe 4 if you include the paint):
1. Super strong adhesive between frame and van
2. exterior grade caulking between sheathing and van
3. 3 coats of fiberglass overlapping the wood-steel interface (this is the main sealing agent)
4. 2 coats of bedliner paint over fiberglass (2 part polyurethane bedliner paint)
the cool thing about building your own topper is you can fiberglass right over the wood - steel interface making a nearly impenetrable seal! I don't anticipate any water issues for the next few decades, but time will certainly tell.
Sounds like "simply man" playing
I like to play guitar a little bit as well 😉
@@SisuVan sounds good. Takes me back to teen years.