New Hightop Option

[4Gears4Tires]

[dobryan]

[MsTaboo]

[Chan3421]

Hello, saw some rust appearing on the meeting of the adhesive and raw metal.
Should I be concerned? How do I go about stopping/preventing this?

[rotaecho]

I'm glad the NAHT is still around! I got one installed, and I have a future Westy to do another on.

I had so much room when I Van Life'd in it for 7yrs.

Thanks for still continuing the molds/builds!

[the_benjamin_effect]

[jimf909]

Woweeee!!!

Nice work on the van and documenting the process.
_________________
- Jim

[4Gears4Tires]

Amazing amount of work! That looks awesome.
_________________
'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[dobryan]

Good work!

(I thought that bed platform looked familiar. )
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) 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

[Chan3421]

To continue the previous post, I returned after a few weeks of letting the hightop glue cure. I want to address that not only did I put the squiggly bead of glue to adhere the top, I also filled the crack from the inside with 3m 5200. ONLY THE SIDES. Not that that was necessary but i decided to use Sikaflex 252 in black for filling the front and back. Also note that I did not apply any adhesive to the front or back (only to the sides) when i lowed the top on. it would have been too difficult to deal with glue on all sides when setting the NAHT down.

I then worked to build the framing of the hole. I just used cardboard to trace the curve and transfer it to a 2 by 4. I then measured how much height i wanted on it so that the slide out bed would clear the frame and made the cut using a jig saw. LOTS of sanding followed to make sure it fit just right.

I used Sikaflex 252 to adhere the center support for the sliding bed. Sikaflex 252 was also used to attach the runners in addition to some self tapping metal screws from underneath (I had to remove these screws when I glued and screwed the underside framework in this location. (hopefully this makes sense lol)

Jumping ahead here quite a bit... I cut out of 1/2 inch plywood(all one piece), for the front bulkhead platform which sits in the slider grove. I then cut the actual 3/4 inch thick sliding platform that sits in the rear sliding grove (this is 3/4 inch because it supports a lot of weight when its slid out and when underneath. You have to measure exactly the right size necessary to fit through the hole. I cut mine just right for the main slider piece to exist with the additional hinging piece all underneath the top board. Cutting off the hinging piece (6 inches) of the slider made it so that it fit through the hole.

The rear top board had to be cut in two pieces because it was so large that it wouldn't fit through the hole. of the van. the width is also tricky because you cant rotate a board inside the top. you'll need to cut them JUST wide enough to squeeze through the hole.. AND I MEAN SQEEEEEZE. I had to slip a piece of cardboard in between the framework to make sure the pressure doesn't scuff the wood.

installing the puck lights in their places wasn't too hard. I had to cut through the carpet which is painful but it all worked out. the wiring is a very tight squeeze and my arms were cramping from being held up for so long.

I just used splicing connectors to add in the lights

As I was running short on time and worked the next day, I wired in just the front four lights and fan and left for San Diego where I live. all the work and prep was conducted at my parents house so that I had access to their tools and garage.
my house wiring setup looks a little wild but it has been great for me. This whole project included installing a fuse box for the lights and fan. Running 66Ah using three 22Ah SLA Scooter batteries.

Im not completely finished with the design but I plan to clean up the look of the hole a but better and enhance the wiring in the near future.

Enjoy a few pics of me making food for friends and scanning netflix in my new setup! Also featuring the flip edge and slider that I stole from Dobryan design! Couldnt have done it without the help of the samba and everyone who had completed this project before me. Hopefully this helps another achieve a DIY NAHT on their own van

Cheers to being able to stand!

[Chan3421]

Hi! first time posting but I've used this platform a lot so i figured i should contribute. in february of 2024, I purchased an 87 syncro tin top vanagon with the interest of living in it. Ive done a lot of work to it but the biggest accomplishment has to be installing a NAHT that I picked up when I bought the van. I figured some current pictures of its install process might help others looking to do the project DIY.

offloaded the top

Van when i purchased it

First time on the van. Spent several hours with a floppy grinding disk shaving the edges until it fit just right and flat in the gutters while also positioned correctly in the front and back. I worked to the the back just hovering 1/16 in off the metal and the back corners as low as possible.

then i popped it off and scrubbed the whole top with soap and water thoroughly so that adhesives stick.

used painters tape and cardboard to make a blueprint for the windows

used the cardboard template to make correct size wooden backers 1/2 inch plywood. the cardboard was also used to draw the line on the outside of the top in order to cut out the windows. I measured many times and double checked placement to make sure everything was correct. MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE.

i used some screws that i had laying around to secure the wood to the fiberglass. i noticed a lot of areas where the wood was not pulled close to the fiberglass so I used the short bordes on the outside to pull the cavities closed.
Liquid Nails adhesive from home depot was used on the wood to adhere it to the fiberglass. stuff is strong!

3/4inch plywood for the fan spot. it needs to be thicker for the fans gappage.

These disks/pucks were cut using a massive hole saw from harbor freight to provide packing for the amazon puck lights i purchased. (lights were flush mounting lights)

I layed separate sets of positive and negative wiring for the four middle lights, two rear lights, and fan.

Then came laying the insulation. i used the prodex single layer insulation that was suggested by pretty much everyone. stuff is Amazing! I had to order a whole roll but Im sure ill find uses for the extra. I measured Measured MEASURED and cut. a long strip on each side and then two strip in the middle. Then some small pieces to fill gaps.

I used several cans of 3m spray adhesive to lay the insulation. Yes you can use roll cement but it just didnt seem worth the hassle to me. the spray is Very controlled (no drips or waiting to set. I know its kind of expensive but if im already dropping thousands on the top, $100 is not gonna kill me i figured. i think i used maybe 5 cans? Maybe.. cant remember well enough

Labed my wiring using a marker and painters tape

cover the seems with aluminium tape to avoid condensation!

next was the carpeting that i ordered. I think it was 6 yards of flexform carpet. I decided to Lay the entire Carpet in one piece! it took two people and a lot of time. I was EXTREMELY careful considering that once it was laid, there was no pulling it back up (the 3m stuff is STICKY!!!).

I tried using this fold and place technique since i thought it would help me place in the middle better but i ended up switching to the second shown technique of placing a bar across and slowing giving it a little more carpet as I moved down. It takes 2 people and is backbreaking work as you are leaned over it for a long time slowing pressing your hand along the back of the carpet to advance it evenly along the NAHT.
Used the 3m Spray again. another 5 can... I think..

Finished! It looks great in my opinion

Next! on to cutting the windows and fan! I used a jigsaw and oh boy does the fiberglass eat through blades. Go slow and use a long but fine blade.

Window placement after the cutting. I drilled the holes for the screws in the window for the aluminium backing that came with them before glueing. That way it was just press in and then screw. I used 3m 5200 for the windows and now I am scared. i doubt i will ever be able to replace them if i need to so i suggest using the grade below it that cures in 24 hours so that they aren't permanent permanent. the 5200 also takes 7 days to cure so i had to wait a long time (days!) for it to get kinda firm enough to move the top onto the van. You will need to use a HUGE bead for the windows. I wanted it to squeeze out so that i knew that it was sealed GOOD. i mean a big ol bead of the stuff.

I used a bunch of small wrenches as wedges to pull the window to the fiberglass fully since the 1/2inch plywood was not quite enough. (i still wouldn't do thicker though since it would protrude oddly i think)
Also i thoroughly sanded about half a foot of the edge of the fiberglass to make sure the glue would stick well. I wore a mask and washed the surface after to remove fiberglass dust.

then to the van Prep! i used a rotational vibrating sander to remove the paint down to a shiny metal along the edges of the van roof. sides, front and back where the top would lay.

next was cutting the hole. not as hard as i thought. used a grinding wheel after i measured. I did an inch from all the raised roof edges in order to leave metal to apply a frame too.

While i was trimming, my dad helped make the runners for the platform to sit on. I put these up top before gluing the top on since they were so long, i would never be able to get them through the whole after the top was attached. The runners were made out of several 1 by 4's, 10 feet long. it took some offsetting since you can only buy 8 ft ones. they were glued together using regular store wood glue and i also placed several long deck screws to ensure it stayed together.

we cut the base at a 10 degree to account for the roof slant and also I used the the 1 by 4's so that i could make an offset ledge for a retractable bed. picture further down will make this make more sense. I stole the ideal from a previous member whole posted several years ago. It's Brilliant!

Next is gluing the top! it took four people to lift it on and I made sure to do a trial run of the placement before actually applying glue. Very important for making sure the process goes smoothly. also, I used the applying masking tape to the top going across both the van metal and the fiberglass. then cutting it so that I had an accurate line up tool for placement.

A THICK squiggle of 3m 5200 was applied. we ended up using two scissor jacks on top of cinder blocks out of our cars to lower the top onto its final position. two people were inside: one pressing outward on the walls of the top in order to prevent it from scraping the glue down and the second person to slowly lower the scissor jacks in a controlled manor. (the pics don't show the scissor jacks but they are what i switched two since the pictured ones didn't work

after lowering, we made sure all the tape was aligned and edges were where we wanted them. then strapped it down using ratchets and some spare two by fours and scrap wood.

from here i let the top sit for two weeks under a shade cover with a bucket of water inside the van to help provide some humidity for the 3m 5200 to cure.

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[tates1882]

[Pcforno]

[i

I love mine![/img]

[Synergy Solutions]

Let me see if Ralf can get you measurements of the stock sunroof model, to start.

Ill do some digging and see what numbers i can find

Unless someone else has the NAHT hole measurements?

Or maybe its just up to preference?
_________________
Im a Mobile Aircooled VW mechanic, and work on old and new cars alike. Specialty in Camper busses/Vans, TDI, and FI diagnosis and repair.

(206) 841 7324

[Peterbiltguy]

[Synergy Solutions]

[Peterbiltguy]

Hello, I purchased a used original Adventurewagon top to put on my tin top. After reading this thread and several others I still can't come up with a definitive answer as to where exactly do I cut the hole. In everybody's install pictures and discussions they all say they cut the hole and they measured carefully but nobody ever gives any measurements. If someone could provide some that would be great.
Thanks

[jimf909]

Ah. I get it. I didn't track that very well. Thanks for clarifying that for me.
_________________
- Jim

[J Charlton]

Hi Jim - the NAHT top that you have is a hand laid top. All the NAHT tops that we have produced have been hand laid. When we. at one time, made a few tops from the AdventureWagen mold, we made one chopper gunned top. The weight of the chopper gunned top was enough to convince us to stick to the more time consuming labour intensive hand laying process. It yields a stronger, lighter product.
_________________
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

[jimf909]