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Birdmanhere
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2006
Posts: 1059
Location: CANADA EH
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 Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:25 am Post subject: My Ultimate Camper Build, Dormobile Top Conversion |
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If you read the title you know what to expect!
I have had my bus going on 8 years now, lots of great memories in it, me and the Wife got Engaged in it, We used it in our Wedding, and brought our first born home from the hospital in it.
So before you say I should have sold it and just bought a pop top, it is not an option, and I dont have means for 2 buses, the Beetle takes up the rest of the garage and I have had that since I was 16.
When I got it, it had a homebrew camping kit in it. It was all good for camping when it was just me and my wife.
That was the first thing to go and I put in a SO-42 interior in it, with a early bay sink/icebox.
Longing to be able to stand up to get dressed while camping, I bought a SO-42 pop top kit, but really wanted a Dormy top. Years went by without installing the small pop top, then a couple months ago a local ad popped up for the Dormy top and I pounced as quick as I could. There is 4 of us now so the extra beds are a must, we do pull a single wheel Heilite to make up the the lacking beds the last few years.
I already had the Stock wheels & full bumpers to go back on this year.
Placed a large order from Dormobile.uk for EVERYTHING needed.
Popped a few PMs with pyr0man, Xavi, and Blackdog with some questions before I started, thanks guys!
Let the Hacking Begin!!!
Before Shot
Wheels and bumpers on
Top buffed and new window seals in
Marker hole drilled 1 3/4 inch from grill, (nice pic eh Xavi!)
Used string to get the lines straight, and measrured and marked it out on the tape, measured again. Slept on it went out with fresh eyes and mind and measured everything again.
Once marked, I drilled a few pilot holes, and I used a jigsaw with metal blades to do the cut, the angle grinder was just for the roof support arch, and my trusty wife giving me a hand!
It is a big hole!!
Got the frame up and it fit like a glove, no trimming or adjusting needed.
_________________
66 Bus
71 Bug
Last edited by Birdmanhere on Tue May 27, 2014 6:40 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Birdmanhere
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2006
Posts: 1059
Location: CANADA EH
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:35 am Post subject: |
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I have 10 days off work starting next friday, and ending the following weekend with a camping trip so I gotta get it done!
I was told the top came off a Bay, but I have not run into any of the roof profile fitment issues others have had, the metal frame fit right as did the wood bows. The cut of the top profile fit good too, so who knows what it came off split or bay.
All the metal pieces were sand blasted and painted too.
Future plans include the following:
-12v fridge conversion
-Propex Heater
-and Paint it a stock colour (but that wont be for a while)
-and yes BELLY PANS will go on too
_________________
66 Bus
71 Bug
Last edited by Birdmanhere on Tue May 27, 2014 7:39 am; edited 1 time in total |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12548
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:44 am Post subject: |
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 Just awesome!!!
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3390
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Nice work, that's going to look great.
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RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
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glideking
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2013
Posts: 990
Location: California
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mandraks
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004
Posts: 7117
Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 8:01 am Post subject: |
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great fan of the dormo roof, loved mine. Are you installing the belly pans?
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regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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Birdmanhere
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2006
Posts: 1059
Location: CANADA EH
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 10:35 am Post subject: |
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| mandraks wrote: |
| great fan of the dormo roof, loved mine. Are you installing the belly pans? |
I do plan on it, but probably not this summer.
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66 Bus
71 Bug |
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mandraks
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004
Posts: 7117
Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| Birdmanhere wrote: |
| mandraks wrote: |
| great fan of the dormo roof, loved mine. Are you installing the belly pans? |
I do plan on it, but probably not this summer. |
another thing to consider, i would tint the windows in the top, when i did mine i had them cut me bronze glass, but a simple black tint would do just fine
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regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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demon1018
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2009
Posts: 931
Location: crystal river, fl
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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| thats awesome! i want to do that to mine so bad! |
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brettsvw
Samba Member
Joined: November 22, 2007
Posts: 2158
Location: Florida
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earlywesty
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2004
Posts: 2379
Location: In the woods, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Way to go man! Tom would be proud, the bus is looking awesome and this will be a great addition to a former panel van. |
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Z
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2003
Posts: 2517
Location: galveston, tx
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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| That's gonna be a great camper. Bonus points to the project for your wife being in on the cut! |
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slugbus
Samba Member
Joined: July 25, 2010
Posts: 17
Location: Oil Town, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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Man thats a HUGE HOLE! You give me confidence to cut a hole in my panel camper to install the mint subhatch I picked up from Eric. Like the dormy top, should make it quite functional for the family campouts. I was surprised that you didnt have the drip caps over the windows? Were the holes filled?
http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Drip_Cap_p/vts-515.htm |
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sled
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 6256
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Birdmanhere wrote: |
I do plan on it, but probably not this summer. |
first off I love what you are doing and I'm a tad bit jealous, I've always thought finding a dormy top and grafting it in something would be awesome.
that being said, I honestly think you should consider making the belly pans more of a priority. Yes, I know they are expensive as I have purchased them myself, but belly pans are an INTEGRAL part of a bus when such a large hole is cut into the roof. No, your bus will not fold in half like a taco but it will flex far more and potentially cause damage down the road that would be a nuisance.
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drive your split. |
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brettsvw
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Joined: November 22, 2007
Posts: 2158
Location: Florida
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East Coast Cornerstore
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Joined: April 13, 2012
Posts: 28
Location: East Coast
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velvetgreen
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2004
Posts: 2895
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 5:49 am Post subject: |
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Looks great- I have considered doing that many times myself but have yet to grow the stones required to cut that hole. So kudo's to you. Do you have to replace the striped tent too or is that a non issue.
Take lots of pics and measurements- would like to see how it all turns out! |
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Posty
Samba Member
Joined: March 06, 2007
Posts: 104
Location: Ireland
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 6:06 am Post subject: |
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Nice job so far, I have to agree the best poptop ever to be put on to a split.
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Tony C
http://www.facebook.com/tonys.vw.toys/
78 Westy
64 Split panel
64 Karmann Ghia
72 trekker
70 bug |
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mandraks
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004
Posts: 7117
Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 6:29 am Post subject: |
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one more thing, my dormy top came off a RHD one, took it off myself  when we installed it into my westy we added some angle iron for re-inforcement to mimick what was on the donor.
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regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12548
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| brettsvw wrote: |
| sled wrote: |
| Birdmanhere wrote: |
I do plan on it, but probably not this summer. |
first off I love what you are doing and I'm a tad bit jealous, I've always thought finding a dormy top and grafting it in something would be awesome.
that being said, I honestly think you should consider making the belly pans more of a priority. Yes, I know they are expensive as I have purchased them myself, but belly pans are an INTEGRAL part of a bus when such a large hole is cut into the roof. No, your bus will not fold in half like a taco but it will flex far more and potentially cause damage down the road that would be a nuisance. |
Ditto. What Sled said. |
Threetto!!! 
I actually made my own (check out my pix) within a couple of months of the top install. They stiffened up the bus so much, I'd do belly pans on ANY bus! 
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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