Author |
Message |
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:14 am Post subject: CHC pop top take two- |
|
|
I have finally found a way to fix the sloppy lift arms/sliders/springs/rollers/turnbuckle assembly of the Country Homes Campers pop top. Some of you may have seen this at Transporterfest last weekend.
Please do not ask about pricing here in this thread!! It is not an advertisement, just showing something new in the Vanagon world. If you already have a CHC roof, feel free to copy if you want. The fiberglass base and roof are the same, all other parts are changed, I used a Westy canvas. The results are great, very smooth feeling, just like a Westy roof. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 4:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
Very clever |
|
Back to top |
|
|
DLJ Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2008 Posts: 555 Location: North California
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:57 am Post subject: pop top |
|
|
I have installed and maintain many CC tops. I myself have one. Never did really like the open-close system. Your is very-very nice. I really like it and now (after just replacing my canvas) I may just have to modify mine to operate like yours.
Thanks for the post. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks Dylan and DLJ-
There were many many failed attempts to improve the straight up lift. I finally decided to imitate the proven Westy lift.
I spent a lot of time looking at the Westfalia Mosaic kits. I prefer the look as well although I know some will disagree with me. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
?Waldo? Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006 Posts: 9752 Location: Where?
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice. Looks good. It almost looks like the top is still hitting the van at the very back when the top is up - optical illusion? The lift bar design looks excellent. Combined with the shocks, that's better than the Westy design. You ought to add a link to further information...
like pricing... |
|
Back to top |
|
|
shadetreetim Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2011 Posts: 1994 Location: Riverside, California
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice work. Looks very good. _________________ Tim Potts
Doing my best every time I drive it to dispel the myth these Vanagons have to be slow!
'89 Vanagon Bluestar/Country Homes 1.8T & .77 4th
'74 Jeep CJ5 |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Syncroincity Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2007 Posts: 1557 Location: New York City
|
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
Awesome work! Much less fiddley than the original scissors... and sturdier to boot. Beefy hinges, are those repros of Westy equipment? Great stuff all around. I'll be considering this for sure.
Sorry I didn't make it up for Transporterfest, looks like a nice meet... I was having oil control issues, still working out some kinks here and there. _________________ '86 Syncro CHC Top AAZ Turbodiesel
'04 Passat Variant 4Mo 5MT
Vanagon Build: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=466866&highlight= |
|
Back to top |
|
|
DLJ Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2008 Posts: 555 Location: North California
|
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:57 am Post subject: pop top |
|
|
What rear hinges did you use and why not stock westy? Also, after removing springs, do you think a stock westy lift bar would work ?
Love this mod. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
thanks for the comments guys.
Libby- only the bulb of the seal is touching when the roof is lifted. I am working on producing these, finding time between other work can be tough. Once ready I'll post an ad.
Jerry- Yep, its nice to be rid of the scissors.
DLJ- We made all new parts, I did not want to have to rely on finding used parts in order to produce these kits.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
DLJ- here is the finished hinge. I also am using a piece of angle iron under the Vanagon roof skin to tie the hinge to the vertical piece below it so its not flexing the sheet metal.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 5:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks Jackbombay, believe it or not, I had a set of your shocks on the prototype. Without the spring loaded liftbar that the Westys have, they were not strong enough. After trying a ton more, we ended up using much longer ones and reversed the angle at wich they lift the roof. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
DLJ Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2008 Posts: 555 Location: North California
|
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:13 pm Post subject: pop top |
|
|
Gotta say again, this is one of the best mods I've seen in a long time. It really hits home with me because I've installed many CC tops, and I regularly repair them for customers. Nice simple and functional. Could you have used the westy lift bar ? If not why ? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
jackbombay- I only had a set of your standard shocks, I did not try your stronger ones..
DLJ- Thanks, I really appreciate that. I just took a look at a Westy lift bar, I think it could be adapted but you would probably need to shorten and narrow it along with change the way the bottom of it attaches. I think in the end it would be quicker to copy the picture of the one I made if you have something to bend tubing with. You will find any small change in dimension on the lift bar affects every thing, the height it lifts to, the location of the push up bar when roof is down, the amount of "latch" it makes when roof is up and push bar is pushed forward to lock it.
If I can make myself do it, I may show a picture of the pile of all the failed lift assemblys I have been working on before I was happy with this.
milling the hinge brackets....
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Westy hinge to the left, Flint hinge to the right.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 4:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Link
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
CdnVWJunkie Samba Member
Joined: February 01, 2004 Posts: 1110 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
Cool vid. Dig the hanging art |
|
Back to top |
|
|
insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
|
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 6:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
Nice job Andrew |
|
Back to top |
|
|
xoo00oox Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010 Posts: 2672 Location: East Nassau, NY
|
Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 3:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
New video showing how to install a kit. We still need to edit a few spots.
Link
This roof was then pulled back off and sent to NM, it is also the same bus that is getting the backward engine.
Andrew- |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|