roof top tent - dummy idea

[iamdonquixote]

indulge my goofiness on this one.

could you permanently attach this to say a full size cargo van and cut the roof so you would have a pop top ?.

i'm thinking something like this.

https://www.campingworld.com/venture-forward-hard-...lsrc=aw.ds

and make the floor of the pop top fold back or somesuch so you can have a bed.

I'm thinking biggest problem is leaks? and perhaps attaching it to the roof.

whip out the naysayers

[mukluk]

Seems to me like it would work.
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[CanStan]

I’m sure anything is possible. My first thoughts would be:

1) Most vans have some sort of curve to the roof, so mounting / sealing could be a challenge.

2) The fibreglass shell of the tent might lose its structural integrity if you cut out a chunk of the base big enough to crawl through.

I’m sure theses issues can be overcome, but I don’t see it being an easy job. It would be interesting to see what you come up with. For whatever it’s worth, personally I would just mount the tent on racks like it is designed, and use an exterior ladder (you’ll probably need to climb up the exterior anyway to unlatch the tent case even if you had an interior access). It means you won’t have any mounting or leakage issues, and your van and tent won’t both be permanently altered if you ever wanted to sell or changed your mind on the mod. But if the modification makes your van more functional and enjoyable for you, then go for it!

[iamdonquixote]

[TDCTDI]

Uhh, with a full size van, why would you want to cut a hole in the roof to graft some barely temporary roof top tent into it?


Do some research, those rooftop tents are known to have leak issues, canvass failure, & other frame/structure issues. Sounds like a great way to piss away lots of money.
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[iamdonquixote]

hmm, doing my research here.

these alleged roof top tent leaks, to they occur with it open or closed?

I was thinking the roof top tents would be pretty firmly attached to roof structure ,
curve is roof would be a real problem. have to go check flatness of roof now.

still seems cheaper than having someone put a real pop top on.

[oprn]

Another thing you might want to consider is that with the value of VW Busses high and on the rise an unmolested tin top just might hold a better future value than one with a great hole whacked in the roof and a makeshift tent that you can no longer get repairs for on top.
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[CanStan]

[calvinater]

Wouldn’t you be degrading the structural integrity of the van?
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[mukluk]

[ach60]

I'd Build a rack, so the tent would have a porch, and a ladder to make climbing up easier.
I wouldn't cut up any van, for this project, it's not required, climbing trough degrades the space in the van, and in the tent.
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Good Luck
Al

[busdaddy]

I'd build a rack with a storage box on it (possibly with folding sides for aerodynamics when not in use), then I'd shovel all the crap that's inside the van into the roof box and sleep in the van.

For similar money to the roof tent you could buy a roof clip from a later Westfalia, graft that into the van roof and enjoy a well made, non leaking upstairs sleep if you wish.
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[TrulyVintage]

Where would you park this thing ?

I think you would be asked to move.
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