New Hightop Option

[HeftySmurf]

[Keith Kiernicki]

I am looking at working on building this cabinet system for my van. I have the weekender interior and as others have discussed I think that I will pull out the jump seat behind the passenger and install this unit during camping times.

BTW - I had the best time at the Bus Brrr and I am looking forward to the spring camp-out.

[HeftySmurf]

[shepherdsond]

I am realy interested in this hightop option. I am looking for a replacement for my Sycnro Westy and purchasing a regular syncro passenger van (for $4k- $6k) and converting to a camper with a high top would appear to be much cheaper and the custom camper conversion would be fun to do.

But, in this thread (and the Maple Leaf web site) it is suggested that all is needed is 4 hours of work cutting away (part of?) the roof. On the other threads that I have read about converting passenger vans to high tops and Westy's the work is much more involved than that and often requires welding etc. and over 100 hours of work.

What is it about preparing a van for these tops that makes it so much less work or am I missing something? Maybe it is 4 hours work if you start with a weekender or Westy with poptop opening in it already? Anyone know more about the process?
Thanks...

[crazyvwvanman]

In Europe Westfalia sold kits to put new Westy roofs on passenger vans. The process could be done in a day or so with no welding or painting. If you follow that method you can swap one from a Westy donor to a passenger van in a weekend. Some people want to make it more complicated than that and there are reasons why it could make sense for them to do so. Most people don't have the time, space, skills, or inclination to make a huge project out of it.


Mark

[DAIZEE]

J Charlton who is involved in this is away on Cdn Spring Break but should be back next week. There may be others here tho who also know.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[zacamil7525]

From what I can tell those of us converting passenger vans to hightops will be cutting a hole in the roof between the b and c pillars. I had some questions regarding the attachment process. I contacted Dave and Margaret at Timber Technicians about this and they responded with the following.......

"The process is quite simple really
1. Cut your hole( not with an angle grinder because of the sparks it will mark the laminations in the window screen) 2. Put a couple of 3x2 timber battens across the van on the roof.
3. Put hightop onto battens it is now in an elevated position
4. One person go in van one person outside
5. The person inside the van lifts the roof ( not heavy )at one end then the person on the outside removes batten and the hightop is dropped down into gutter
6. Repeat at the other end.
7. Check its fit and that you are happy, trim if required but its not normally needed.
8. Put hightop back on battens doing the reverse 5 and 6
9. Clean gutters and joining surfaces front and rear, sand lightly to form a key to bond to, then wipe down with panelwipe or cheap thinners
10. Put a good bead of adhesive( we use tigerseal or sikaflex, google it because it might be different over the pond.) down both sides of the van on the edge parallel to the gutter slightly above the top of the gutter viewed from the side don't put in gutter. you will need a tube for this maybe just into your second tube.
11. Drop roof down as before you may need to position front to rear but it will slide.
12. Push the sides into the adhesive some adhesive will have gone into gutters best advise I can give you is to leave it there for now.
13. Climb onto old roof of the van inside the new top and with adhesive put a very generous bead between the hightop and the metal roof, with no gaps pay particular attention to the corners do this both front and rear.
14. You can at this point also put some extra down the sides of the new top and metal roof from the inside
15. clean up front and back only on the outside.
16. Now walk away and leave for at least 12 hrs.
17. check over the adhesive make sure you cant see daylight if you can fill it with adhesive, the adhesive will not be fully cured but it will be stuck on and wont move.
18. Now put a nice bead front and rear on the outside just to tidy it up and ensure a good seal.
19. once this bead is cured you can now drive the van
20. Remember the excess in the gutters ??? a month has now past so trim this off with a sharp blade to give you clear gutters, don't do this before its a really messy job if you do.

Hope that helps it sounds more complicated than it is when you write it down. Its a few hours work. I don't think i've forgotten anything but its like trying to write down how to make a cup of tea,or coffee over there."


.......They have been doing this conversion in Europe for awhile now without any problems. I think it will be a relatively easy process.

[jeremysmithatshawdotca]

Most of the other conversion threads involve cutting the roof off of one van and grafting it to another, this is completely different, and much simpler.

[J Charlton]

The steps posted above pretty well say it all - they are from the timbertech folks who have been installing the tops for over 10 years.
My understanding is that when VW made vans for conversions, especially for the Westfalia people, they made a factory run of altered roofs with a different structural member across roof between the "c" columns to allow for a flatter roof to seat the bed on and a flatter surface for the "roof or headliner" over the rear section of the interior. Cutting off a van top and grafting on a westy top mimics this. However, its a long and labourious process.
Cutting an access hole between the B and C columns of the roof- the "rib" on the roof line between them is cosmetic only - provides the only "standup room" in the van that is useful - i.e. between the back of the front seats and the edge of the back seat/bed. There is certainly still work to be done in terms of tidying up the headliner etc, but essentially removing this section of the roof does not alter the structural integrity of the van and does provide access to the high top areas fore and aft.

Probably the term "glued on" isnt quite descriptive - better to say it is "cemented" on - it is a permanent bond -
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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

[Microbusdeluxe]

Somehow I'm envisioning a sharp ragged metal edge inside the van waiting to slice open my arm or neck as I prepare dinner in my new hightop. What am I missing?
_________________
'69 Squareback RIP
'65 21 window deluxe sold before the price spike, damn it.
'70 rhd bay now a taxi in South Sudan
'81 Westy sold
'89 hightop Westy Joker syncro 16" now with Bostig!

[jeremysmithatshawdotca]

You cut it with care and attention, and cover the edge with something, there are all sorts of trims that one could use. This is exactly what Riviera did when they made campers, due to a surplus of passenger buses, and a shortage of westies available. The Riviera tops are taller when closed because the bed is on top of the roof, rather than set into it like a westie.

[pmangasarian]

Hi all -

I'm new to posting here, hope this works. I just signed up for one of John Charlton's high tops that are headed for flagstaff, and am getting super stoked planning out my dream camper. Will post in the future with ideas and questions. But before I go, a big public thanks to John for spearheading this operation!

-paul

[JED THE SPREAD]

Scroll down this page and you will see when i fitted the same roofto my old van by timbertec dave at the secret hideout aka the pig farm where his yard is a few years ago. Loads of us have them in the UK as they are the best looking roofs with the most room around.

http://www.freewebs.com/ababyonboard/thevanitsself.htm

jed
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[J Charlton]

Paul posted above before I got to making the Arizona availability known to everybody. Basically, I'm going to take some tops for folks who have bought or who are going to buy them down to Andrew Libby's in Flagstaff Arizona - hey - I need a good road trip anyway and its going to cut down on shipping costs for people in the South West- Andrew and I will be installing a few tops at his place for a couple of days near the end of May. Email me for more details if you're interested. I'll get some details up on the web site in the next couple of days.
Andrew is a well respected member of this community and a regular contributor. He has a great deal of expertise re our vans and diesels in particular and I'm looking forward to working with him.
_________________
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]

Some new content with respect to availability details has been posted on the website. http://canadianhightops.ca
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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

[?Waldo?]

I want to say that I'm excited to be working with John Charlton on this and am looking forward to meeting more vanagon folks.

[J Charlton]

The tops are crated, at the dockside and ready to be loaded on board - about 2 - 3 weeks 'till they're here.
_________________
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

[Orbitald]

Q: The $250 installation fee - what does this include? Is this the same for pop-tops and hard tops?

Thx,

David R.
Oakland CA
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'87 Syncro Westfakia, 1.9TD ADE (AAZish), 068 Injection Pump, K03 turbo, 2.5" exhaust, Mercedes nozzles, SAAB Blackstone charge-cooler w/ 800cfm fan, Micro-1000 EGT sensor pre-turbo, boost at about 13psi, 235/70/16 with stock gearing

[J Charlton]

We're only installing the hightops - check http://canadianhightops.ca to see details of them. The fee includes - and the website spells out the expectation that the purchaser work with us for the installation - installing the two windows and the roof vent, cutting the hole in the van roof (if necessary) prepping the van roof for the adhesives, attaching the high top with the adhesives. The purchaser has to bring 4 to 6 web ratchet straps as per the website for the initial drive home. In addition, if there are disposal fees for a removed pop top, the purchaser will be responsible for them or take the poptop with them.

PM me or better contact me through the website canadianhightops.ca for further details.
_________________
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

[faretheewell]

Nice! thanks for making these tops available to us over on the other side of the pond. As far as availability goes, do you plan to continue business after this initial delivery in may? starting to put arizona into the summer trip...
_________________
'84 2.3L Wolfsburg Westy - "Brown Sugar"
'72 1700 cc Baywindow 'Tatonka'