DIY high top?

[DimondColorCloud]

Getting all my questions out in one burst here today. 
I'll start off by saying that I respect that this is somewhat of a hair brained idea.


I see a lot of do it yourself truck campers. One person made the sides out of weight relieved birch ply and then glued insulation and then aluminum sheet over that.

No 2x4s, or aluminum rails, and it ends up being a pretty light weight rig.

Got me to thinking that I could cut a hole in a van roof and build a high top pretty easily (in my mind, that is). 

Did a search and only found this,

(be pretty fun to have that back top hatch open up into a partially outdoor bed)

I don't think this wood one is pretty at all, but it does get an idea across.
Does not seem that it would be much heavier then a fiberglass top, if at all.
I don't see that attaching one would be any more difficult than fiber glass.
This green van above has a nice aluminum frame, but I think a wood frame like the truck camper top above with a layer of insulation and then a skin of aluminum outside of that would work well.

I don't think it would cost much more then $1000.
Maybe I've gone of the reservation again, though.
What do you think?


"It's your van" right?

 

[Suanne]

If you've got the woodworking and auto body skills, I could see a wooden high top working. After all, wooden boats are water tight. And, we had a teardrop trailer made out of plywood that traveled well and was water tight over many years and downpours.

You might want to check out this thread as well: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Solo-women-s-studio-and-home-on-wheels&highlight=wood+high+top

 

[highdesertranger]

I would look around for a used high top. I have seen them on occasion on craigs list for a couple of hundred bucks. check out wrecking yards also. seems to me a little searching and you can find one pretty cheap. highdesertranger

 

[DannyB1954]

I thought about using a boat turned upside down. It would just look from the outside like a sportsman was parked. I suppose you would have to make it look like it was chained down, or people would be trying to steal the boat.
A camper shell for a truck might work as well.