New Hightop Option

[Zeitgeist 13]

[nemobuscaptain]

[J Charlton]

For sure it is the work of Dai at Colorado Camper Vans
http://www.coloradocampervan.com/

Adrian and I dropped of an AW top for him in Loveland Colorado on our recent delivery trip - I was able to squeeze another top out of our fabricator Terry at the last minute. Once the windows are installed (another last minute addition to a filled order book) the install will be complete.

We were really impressed with the variety and quality of the work that we saw at Colorado Camper Vans. Sprinters, Promasters, Fords .... all looked great. All looked relatively huge in comparison to our tidy little VW's though.

This is the sort of innovative application and use of our tops that i have been anticipating. There are several other terrific installations underway currently, mostly related to maximizing useful interior space. Pictures as I get them.

JC
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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[nemobuscaptain]

Wow, that is a spectacular option for your already spectacular tops. I presume they could poptop your bigger top just as easily.

[J Charlton]

some of the very nice white pine woodwork that Adrian does with his installs

front bulkhead to storage area

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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[Birdcage]

[J Charlton]

Joel Lane does some outstanding installs of hightops in ColoradoSprings. His customer wanted some beetlekill pine accents.
Not great lighting has made everything seem darker than it really is

Bulkhead

Pine ceiling

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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[J Charlton]

Another on the road. A very nice DIY in the Santa Cruz area.

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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[Type17]

My phone is from Santa Cruz, the van is in Berkeley/Walnut Creek, but yeah. Pleasure working with you and Kevin on this, I love it!

I'll post some more interior pictures once I make some progress. It's going to be... different.
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[J Charlton]

another nice DIY on the road

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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[dobryan]

^^^^ Love the lines on that one. Well done.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[Red Beard]

I got my NAHT top on and platforms built front and rear. Still trying to decide on a bulkhead design for the front.

I had hoped that the top would provide a suitable upstairs bed for my wife and I, however, at 6'4" and 6', and the bed platform being only a little over 4 feet wide, we are just too much knees and elbows to really use it comfortably.

So I think we are going to just use the upstairs rear for storage. With that in mind, I need to figure out some kind of convenient barrier for the rear compartment to prevent things from flying if we slam on the breaks or get in an accident.

I don't really want a bulkhead there, maybe some sort of cargo net? (How to anchor it?)

I was wondering if anyone could share their solutions to this problem?

[noelleon]

This is what I did. Cargo net to panels adhered to the shell. I used T-nuts and eye hooks here as well as elsewhere on the top. It's worked very well on some sketchy downhill descents and quick stops.

Just for fun is the front. I opted to forgo a bulkhead here, as what I really need was storage for soft bulky things. Sleeping bags fit in snuggly and I like the extra space.

[J Charlton]

If you're going to use the "upstairs" for storage then there are a couple of things that folks have done to limit the movement of "stuff" up there.
1. make the surface non slidey - use rubbery stuff that you can stick down - lots of folks use "tupperware" bins to keep clothes, bedding etc etc organized - if so, fastening some rubbery stuff to the bottom of them really limits their sliding around, especially on another rubbery surface.
2. Having said that (1) I suspect that folks still want something to secure their upper storage. I suggest putting a series of eye screws into the perimeter of the rear platform - all 4 sides - then a cargo net - if left unhooled at the front and maybe part way down each side - can be used to slide stuff uinder, it'll "expand" as you put more stuff under it - when you're through, hook the cargo net down to the eye bolts.
I'm sure that Harbor Freight has nets similar to those we Canuks can get from Princess Auto.
http://www.princessauto.com/en/search?Dy=1&Nty=1&Ntt=cargo+net
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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
Bend Oregon - for Oregon, California- (7 tot , 3 available), Kennewick Wa (6 tot, 1 available), Small Car Performance Fife Wa. (7 tot 4 avail ), Fairbanks Alaska (1 tot 0 avail)
Future availability TBD : Springfield Mass. Staunton Va, Florida, Colorado, Grand Junction Co., SLC probably late 2024

[Red Beard]

Thanks for the tips. This is what I did for now, will see how it works out. Might actually do the same thing in the front because I like the idea of not having the bulkhead...might make it feel more roomy when standing there.

You can see my wiring hanging down, in the center will be an LED dome light. The two wires on the sides are attached to these really cool velcro backed dimmable LED strips. They stick right onto the flexform, no modification required! They will get power from the front, and you can plug multiple sets together if you want. The other cool thing is I stuck them right along my flexform seems, and it totally hides them. Not that my seems look too bad.

https://www.maxmysafe.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=White-LED-Strip-48

[TequilaSunSet]

[Vilas69]

Is there anyone in Europe selling this roofs, or is there any chance to ship them? I really like both, more them Reimo and other european roofs...

[Team WorldTour]

I like the Weinsberg that Tiger Bus has.....


Also, X2 on European Market E/
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[nemobuscaptain]

[Red Beard]

Done.

Well, almost....need to wire up my interior lights.