| Author |
Message |
tim_ha
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2012
Posts: 192
Location: Estes Park, CO
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 1:55 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
 Wow, that is looking great. I am really enjoying watching your build!
I'm sure you will love the finished product as much as I love my custom elevating roof.
_________________
1986 Syncro Sunroof EJ22
www.subagonsouth.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| tim_ha wrote: |
my custom elevating roof. |
That's interesting, Tim. Is there a thread here somewhere about your roof?
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tim_ha
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2012
Posts: 192
Location: Estes Park, CO
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for those links, Tim. Your design admirably suits your own desired specification - particularly with respect to 'reversibility' to the facvtory sunroof. If you were planning a long road trip without camping you could remove the racks and pop-top and run as a sleek tin-top.
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
With weather delays and other priorities over the weekend, progress was slow. However, I did manage to re-shape the head lining boards and to re-trim & install them. Also laid in the 'sub-rail' for the rubber cushion trim which will line the aperture in the roof.
In the gap you can make out the red oxide paint on the cut edge of the roof, the ply stiffener below that and the grey trim material of the head lining.
My son & I also completed the drilling & 'self-tapping' of the fixing holes for the canvas clamping strips all around the bottom of the canvas.
(Why do photos revert to their original orientation when they are inserted?)
This morning I moved on to actually clamping the canvas to the van roof. I used double-sided tape to initially position the canvas bafore placing the strip, spiking screw holes through the canvas and then fitting the screws. While doing this, I clamped a block of 2x2 timber between the two parts of the H frames so that they did not fully erect. The roof sat maybe 1/4" below normal height. This meant that, in use, I would get a bit of extra tension in the canvas without having to struggle while fixing it. With that all done, I did struggle to fit the rubber trim over the sub-rail (should have warmed it up a bit first!)
Some photos of the inside:-
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice two things in the photo above. Firstly, the cab headlining is a different colour. This has still to be re-covered in the new grey fabric but is delayed until I decide whether or not to install the sunroof there. Secondly, the lengths of masking tape stuck to the pop-top headlining. These are marked to indicate where the steel tubes are positioned which are to take the hold down straps to keep the roof closed.
This is my 'whilst camping' storage area. I have placed a piece of chequer-plate vinyl flooring (an off-cut from doing the main van floor) on the van roof.
And some of the outside:-
The project is virtually complete now. All I have to do is install hold down straps. My original thinking was to install staples in each corner of the aperture and matching ones above in the pop-top and use cam-buckle straps between them. However, having got this far, I realise that there is very little room in that location so I am currently looking for an alternative. Maybe some 'over-centre' catches? Research required!
I am very pleased with the way it has come together after all these months of thinking, designing, fabricating and buying in parts and components.
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16496
Location: Brookeville, MD
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
svenakela
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2006
Posts: 776
Location: Ekerö
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Can't more than agree. Nice pop top, syncro, double slider, mint condition in and out. Going straight into the porn library. 
_________________
Vanagon mirror end caps |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
newfisher
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2012
Posts: 1764
Location: The wet spot--Oregon
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Very niiiiice!
I want one. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gnarlodious 
Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2013
Posts: 2318
Location: Adobe Jungle USA
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nice looking poptop project, professional! Could even be sold as an add-on.
| vw4wd wrote: |
(Why do photos revert to their original orientation when they are inserted?)
|
The photos contain an EXIF tag written by the camera that describes the camera’s orientation, landscape or portrait. This website’s image rendering software reads that tag and renders the photo accordingly. This means there is no reason to rotate the picture file on your computer, in fact any modern image software is smart enough to know what orientation to render the picture in (but some software is not that smart). If you are rotating the picture in software, it may not be updating the EXIF tag after the file is digitally rotated, causing the picture to be rendered in the tag’s format even though the picture was rotated. Thus it may be 90º off. Some image software has a separate function to "Reset orientation tags”, which would solve the problem. Hope that makes sense.
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 9:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the kind words, guys and for the photo explanation Gnarlodious. Yes it does make sense.
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
Tie down straps - had a look into over-centre catches and didn't find anything that I felt suited the use and location. My thoughts returned to staples and straps and I decided that by fitting the lower staple into the ceiling instead of the edge of the aperture, I would gain two benefits. Firstly, there is a more solid timber substrate behind the headlining into which to screw the staple (there is a small 'triangular' infill piece at each corner to form the radius). Secondly, it gives me a longer loop of strap, thus making threading the cam buckle easier. So, there is currently one of these in each corner of the aperture.
I have left the straps long at present so that they can stay threaded through the cam-buckle even when the roof is fully raised.
I may still change the buckle to the type I have seen on the shoulder straps of back-packs. (something like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-X-25mm-Black-Plastic-W...9f48ba437) These enable the strap to be released by lifting the end of the buckle. Couple that with a flat hook to enable easy disengagement from the lower staple and it should be more convenient to use.
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6816
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| You Brits are an impressive lot...nice job! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vw4wd
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2011
Posts: 161
Location: Somerset, UK
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, my new roof has been tested. Six nights away and the first one was horrendous. All night it was blowing a gale with extreme gusts of wind and heavy rain. We survived even though there wasn't much sleeping done! Other people lost tents and suffered damage but even my awning took it all though I was out at 5am re-tensioning guys and checking pegs!
The only 'weak' point identified was the velcro around the internal covers for the mesh side windows in the roof canvas. We had literally a few drops of water dribble through at either end of the windward window - and that was it!
In case you're wondering where we were, here is a view of the other side of the event with many hundreds of families camping. The event is RIVERcamp, our annual church camp at Evesham in Worcestershire.
To put it in perspective the stripey blue tent in the background is a big top capable of seating around 1500 people although we only had a maximum of 1200 at any one time. What you can't see are the five other marquees for all the different age groups of children!
A fantastic time although very tiring!
_________________
Garyd
1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Christopher Schimke
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2005
Posts: 5390
Location: PNW
|
| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
This is one of my favorite threads on the Samba in a long, long time! Thanks for sharing it all with us. Nice job!
_________________
"Sometimes you have to build a box to think outside of." - Bruce (not Springsteen)
*Custom wheel hardware for Audi/VW, Porsche and Mercedes wheels - Urethane Suspension Bushings*
T3Technique.com or contact me at [email protected] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
