New Hightop Option

[Steve M.]

[mikemtnbike]

You'd better take that off some sweet jumps, tjet.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[MayorMcCheese]

[jimf909]

[J Charlton]

[/quote]

How do you get up there to load anything? It's hard enough to load kayaks on my westy with a step ladder.[/quote]

I'm planning on solar panels on the top and attaching SUPs or a kayak to the side.

As for the dude with the kayak way up top, he mentions a few ways of getting the kayak or canoe up to the top. each appeared to require anti-gravity-judo effects of some sort.[/quote]

Pretty sure that the fellow with the kayak on top uses a "loading bar" or "loading arm" Its a removable bar that would extend outward from the top of the rack about 3 feet. You attach it, then put the front of the kayak/canoe on the bar - then standing on whatever, lift the rear of the kayak up and onto the rack at the rear - slide the front across the bar and onto the rack at the front and its done. You are never lifting more than 50% of the weight of the kayak.
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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]

In about 24 hours, Terry - our hightop fabricator, and I will be leaving to pull my trailer with 12 NAHT hightops on board to Staunton Va. I would ordinarily post a picture here with the tops on the trailer ready to go - but the picture Terry sent me was of the tops on the trailer after a 12" snowfall at his location - white tops covered with white snow on a trailer covered with snow against a totally white background - ie. nothing to see
In any case we'll be leaving tomorrow (March 1) and will be dropping the tops at Complete Auto in Staunton with Keith MacDonald Monday morning - a couple of folks have availed themselves of the "production run discount" for both Staunton Va distribution and Bradenton Florida distribution (Gulf Coast Van Werks https://gulfcoastvanwerks.com/ ). Anyone else who has expressed an interest in the tops on the Eastern Seaboard has been contacted a number of times by email so I feel that there has been ample opportunity to avoid the inevitable price increase of the tops in 2020.
Terry will, over the next 18 months, be taking a larger role in the entire NAHT hightop endeavour. He will be involved in the distribution and installation sides of the hightop scene as well as manufacturing.
We are well into the production of the numbers of tops required for distribution to the West and PNW with the "production run discount" for those areas ending on March 31 and the delivery run scheduled for early April
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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

[campism]

[Steve M.]

[J Charlton]

I don't have a "snow top" on the front lawn - but I do have two hightopped vans with an igloo like snow cap on each in my driveway
Sorry about the Gulf Coast misinformation - It should be Gulf Coast Van Werks https://gulfcoastvanwerks.com/ - I'll make that correction
J.C.
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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]

John, wave my direction (West 20 minutes) if you are on 95 south of Baltimore.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[jimf909]

[J Charlton]

Our fabricator Terry and I drove from Toronto to Staunton Va on March 1 to drop tops off for the Staunton area and Florida.

12 tops 11 window sets (discovered 1 set was damaged - I'll have to ship a replacement) in total 6 are allocated for install or DIY pickup from Complete Auto in Staunton and a further 6 will be picked up and taken to Bradenton Fl for Gulf Coast Van Werks for installs or DIY pickup there
Now - on to completing the run of tops for Colorado, Salt lake City, California and Washington. Delivery to take place mid April
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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]

Here is my post on finishing a portion of my NAHT for my euro bus project.

Now on to finishing up the inside of the NAHT, at least the bottom portion.

I wanted to have a bed platform that could slide out from under the rear portion without having to unload the rear platform portion. I also wanted to have an option to make a longer than normal bed and also have a way to keep stuff from sliding forward when driving, these two came together well.

I started by using a level to determine how tall I needed to have the side framing to allow the lower bed pull out to clear the tin top by about 1/4".

Then I glued and screwed together sets of 3 1x4 pieces of clear pine to create the side frame and lower bed runner recess.

These were then cut on a table saw to match the angle based on the curved tin top portion. The angle came out to about 10 degrees for my application. (I did cut the first piece backwards regarding the angle and had to buy some more wood. D'Oh.)

Next I needed to create recesses in the frames to clear the ribs in the tin top. I used a skill saw to make cuts that could easily be knocked out by a wood chisel.

Of course these frames had to be done in two pieces per side since there is not full length access. I used a small piece of leftover pine to splice the frames on the outside.

Now the frames could be glued in place using the same two part panel adhesive I used to adhere the NAHT. (No pics of the actual process but clamps and weights were involved.)

These pics are prior to gluing.

Now I used clear 2x4 squared pine to make a frame around the opening. By holding the pine against the curve of the tin top for the front and back I could trace the outline on the wood and use a jig saw with a fine blade to follow the curve. I could then use the panel adhesive and clamps to bond the frame to the tin top. The sides were done with just a bottom piece.

The front storage area bottom section has to be installed in two pieces since there is not enough room to get one big piece up thru the opening and turned to fit the bottom. I added a center rib. The wiring is for future power outlets and lighting.

For the rear bed I wanted to be able to accommodate a 6' 8" bed (we are tall folks). That was going to be too long to fully pull out and have enough of a hole for access to the top. So I decided to hinge the last 6 inches. This solves three issues. The lower bed platform to make 6' 8" would be too big to fit up there in one piece but would be OK if I cut 6" off it. Now the pull out bed could be folded back 6" to allow access, still be able to install it, AND that 6" hinged section could be folded up at 90 degrees to stop stuff up top from sliding forward. The pics show it better.

The rear bed pull out platform was made from 3/4 high grade plywood so it would not bend at all under load.

The fixed rear bed platform was made with 1/2" plywood cut in two sections, one rear, and one forward. One piece would be too big to fit through the opening.

All the bed pieces and the forward storage base were finished in the same gray marine carpeting used on the inside of the NAHT.

Front storage portion.

Rear pull out in place before fixed portion installed.

Fixed two pieces test fitted.

All bed pieces covered.

Note that the access frame has been finished off by clear pine 1x4 sealed with polyurethane trimmed to width and glued in place to give a clean look.

The lower bed portion partially pulled out and the hinged section up. (I need to make some stops/wedges to hold it in the position for travel.)

The bed pulled out. It can be pulled out to whatever length is needed. If you want the full 6' 8" version you fold back the hinged portion to get up top and then fold it down for the full length bed....

The view from below.

One of the nice side benefits of this setup is the ability to completely close off the upper portion of the high top from below (not while you are up top of course). This allows me to completely keep prying eyes away from whatever may be up there... or keep whatever is up there from being able to hit me in the back of the head in the event of an accident.

Next for the high top is to finish the vent, add a front bulkhead with tambour door, and add lighting and power outlets.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[4Gears4Tires]

That looks great!
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[jimf909]

^^^Brilliant! I've been waiting for this post.
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- Jim

[J Charlton]

Great job David. One of the most rewarding things about this entire hightop endeavour has been seeing how folks have individualized their install to fit their needs.
Another variation of a bed was done by David S. of Vancouver Wa. a number of years ago. His featured a bed extension that extended lengthwise over the entire opening but over only half of the width. He used it this way when he was soloing
Perhaps if he reads this he could post some pics of his adaptation.
EDIT I found David's old post - a fair bit of the install process has been updated since then but his treatment of the upstairs bed is interesting

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=0.

Again - great job David O.
_________________
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

[jamin307]

Dropped my van off with the guys at Urabus over the weekend, pumped!

Full disclosure - no conversations took place, we unfortunately we all had to settle for a wave through the shop windows. I wiped down the interior of the van and the exterior door handles with bleach wipes before leaving.

Can't wait to pick it up, although I admit I'm a little nervous to see it looking so different.

[joetiger]

Congrats! The first time you see it, it's a mind bender... Takes a bit to get used to it.
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present

www.josephtrussell.com

[jimf909]

^^^ You're going to love it! consider putting the fan (if you have one) on the rear deck similar to syncro jael and dobryan.
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- Jim

[joetiger]