I've made a decision. I'm cutting off my roof!

[One Awesome Inch]

I've made a decision. I'm cutting off my roof!

Can't find a high top van that meets my requirements so I'm going to buy a low top that is everything I want. Then I will buy a junky $500 etc van with a high top and put it onto the good van thus creating my dream van. I think this will save me tons of money and give me what I want.

Two questions. ..

1. I need to find a step by step tutorial of exactly how the high top screws into the van. Links anyone?

2. I plan to buy a van from the 90s.  Does that mean that the donor van has to be the exact same year so the roof will definitely match and fit?

Thanks! ☺

 

[GotSmart]

I've made a decision. I'm cutting off my roof!

Can't find a high top van that meets my requirements so I'm going to buy a low top that is everything I want. Then I will buy a junky $500 etc van with a high top and put it onto the good van thus creating my dream van. I think this will save me tons of money and give me what I want.

Two questions. ..

1. I need to find a step by step tutorial of exactly how the high top screws into the van. Links anyone?

2. I plan to buy a van from the 90s.  Does that mean that the donor van has to be the exact same year so the roof will definitely match and fit?

Thanks! ☺

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/17393479/print/true.cfm

Good luck.  

Another option is to find a wrecking yard that will work with you.

 

[eDJ_]

Here is a Youtube tutorial that may give you some insights on doing it.



Other videos follow it.

Here is a site with some more information.   The link to CRVL is broken and only gets a 404

http://www.camperize.com/hightops.html


Here is a retail source for tops

https://www.discountvantruck.com/vantopsraisedroofs/vantops.htm


My Van has a top installed similar to the one in the Youtube video.   It is calked from the inside with what looks
like loads of clear Silicone RTV.   The inside of the cut portion of the roof is upholstered with fabric with a foam
liner under it such that there is a ledge all around the inside roof edge.

I would imagine that if you could get some help and an 18 volt cordless drill you could pull the screws out of
the  "Donor Top" and using an old knife sharpened well to cut through any sealant you could get the top free
of the old van easily enough.   Then you will need to figure how to invert it to clean and prep the sealing lip
to reinstall it on your own van.  You may want to study how it is mounted to the donor van before you remove it. Take some photos even. 

Once you get the top cut out of your Van you will have to have some rigging figured out to loft the roof
up to the top of the Van to center it and begin to locate it with the first few screws.

If you were doing this under a sturdy tree you may have to use some suction cups and ropes rigged to pulleys to raise it up so you can pull under it.  A couple of guys may need to be in the Van at the front and rear to guide it into place as some guys on the outside lower it to it's final resting point.

My own van had the roof cut just behind the driver & passengers front seat.  So when seated the factory roof
is above my head and doubles as a shelf at the front.  The rest is all cut out with the edges upholstered.

You may be right about buying the donor vehicle cheap opposed to buying and paying to have the top removed at the junk yard.  You may find the Van with the motor/transmission removed, a door or windshield removed etc and get it cheaper just buying it like that.   Don't explain what you want from it just ask how much or if they ask you to make an offer,  offer  a hundred and you'll town it off.  They may want more
and then you may get lucky. (but inspect or have someone else to go there and inspect it a week before you
show up to deal with them.  Thus you'll know it isn't cracked or busted before you buy it

 

[GrantRobertson]

I'm going to buy a low top that is everything I want. Then I will buy a junky $500 etc van with a high top and put it onto the good van thus creating my dream van.

Sounds like an awesome idea.

I've seen videos, and even posts here, about finding a hightop on a van that is in a junkyard. You can take the top off the junk van, tie it on top of your van, and drive it home to complete the installation. This way you don't have to deal with the junk van once you've got the top off.

Hopefully that gives you one more way to find a top that is just right for you.

Good luck and happy high-top hunting.

 

[Mobilesport]

I've made a decision. I'm cutting off my roof!

Can't find a high top van that meets my requirements so I'm going to buy a low top that is everything I want. Then I will buy a junky $500 etc van with a high top and put it onto the good van thus creating my dream van. I think this will save me tons of money and give me what I want.

Two questions. ..

1. I need to find a step by step tutorial of exactly how the high top screws into the van. Links anyone?

2. I plan to buy a van from the 90s.  Does that mean that the donor van has to be the exact same year so the roof will definitely match and fit?

Thanks! ☺

I would keep the van you have , 1/2 ton is better then 3/4 and 1 ton for what your doing , 
3/4 and 1ton is better for contractors that are hauling heavy loads .
Keep all your gear feather light and get better mpg .
The good thing about your van is that its dented up so you dont have to worry about screwing it up , just modify (build the hell out of it).
Like the passenger side slide door , just remove it and junk that big old heavy thing and build it back up with light weight materials , solid or swing door whatever you want.
Build a skeleton on your roof out of lightweight aluminum angle , then go find out what people skin there tear drop trailers or normal trailers with , skin your roof accordingly .
You could probably use pop rivets and geoflex rv adhesive  , dont forget to do a wrightup cause Im doin mine next

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Well after talking to a few skilled tradesmen I've decided to forgo this idea and keep looking for a van with a professionally installed high top. It rains here like crazy. Doing it myself is a big gamble.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

I would keep the van you have , 1/2 ton is better then 3/4 and 1 ton for what your doing , 
3/4 and 1ton is better for contractors that are hauling heavy loads .
Keep all your gear feather light and get better mpg .
The good thing about your van is that its dented up so you dont have to worry about screwing it up , just modify (build the hell out of it).
Like the passenger side slide door , just remove it and junk that big old heavy thing and build it back up with light weight materials , solid or swing door whatever you want.
Build a skeleton on your roof out of lightweight aluminum angle , then go find out what people skin there tear drop trailers or normal trailers with , skin your roof accordingly .
You could probably use pop rivets and geoflex rv adhesive  , dont forget to do a wrightup cause Im doin mine next

Interesting ideas!

 

[GotSmart]

Unless you have months, do not attempt to do a tear drop style top, especially if you are living in your van.  That is a modification that will fill it up with metal shavings and construction dust. 

I helped my brother build a tear, and cleaned up the mess.  It would be far easier to swap on a fiberglass top.  Much less weight and much less cost.  The aluminum alone will cost you several thousand at retail prices.

Doing it on a 1/2 ton frame (1,000 pound capacity for extra weight)  would mean there is no room to spare for carrying food and water.  or ANYTHING!  :s

 

[Patrick46]

1/2 ton is better then 3/4 and 1 ton for what your doing , 
3/4 and 1ton is better for contractors that are hauling heavy loads .

Uuuuummmmmm.....NO.

fiberglass tops weigh quite a bit, and I wouldn't want anything less than a 3/4 ton van! You're stacking a lot of weight up there, so you want a van that can not only handle the overall weight of it, but can handle the top heaviness this will create.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Well after talking to a few skilled tradesmen I've decided to forgo this idea and keep looking for a van with a professionally installed high top. It rains here like crazy. Doing it myself is a big gamble.

IMO this is a good decision, you have the money to buy a high top, not that you couldn't manage to put a high top on your van and make it waterproof I think without a shop to work on it, the hassle of finding a suitable roof and the work involved along with an alternative living space in between would just create a lot of stress that you don't need. I think the right van will come along,,,, patience, you are lucky you are in a position that you don't have to do it tomorrow.

 

[highdesertranger]

I have installed high tops and it's really not hard. it's like anything else you must pay attention to the details. having said that I would never recommend putting a high top on a 1/2 ton. 3/4 ton minimum 1 ton is better. highdesertranger

 

[Mobilesport]

Uuuuummmmmm.....NO.

fiberglass tops weigh quite a bit, and I wouldn't want anything less than a 3/4 ton van! You're stacking a lot of weight up there, so you want a van that can not only handle the overall weight of it, but can handle the top heaviness this will create.

+ Patrick 46 
Go tell that to the GM engineers , they put fiberglass hightops on half tons all the time.
I own a  half ton 1996 Chevrolet Express conversion van high top , I removed all of the heavy seats and then put in my rv gear  , my van with all my rv gear   fridge small cabinets , 2" thick rigid foam partition  Invertor battery charger 50# Honda 2000 propex furnace   20# propane tank  , 2 golf batterys    ,, The van  probably weighs 200 pounds more now then when it came from the factory. 
The only thing heavy I really have are the 2 batterys and battery a box .
I guess I need to go swap my van for a heavy duty model ,, Roll eyes

 

[Mobilesport]

Unless you have months, do not attempt to do a tear drop style top, especially if you are living in your van.  That is a modification that will fill it up with metal shavings and construction dust. 

I helped my brother build a tear, and cleaned up the mess.  It would be far easier to swap on a fiberglass top.  Much less weight and much less cost.  The aluminum alone will cost you several thousand at retail prices.

Doing it on a 1/2 ton frame (1,000 pound capacity for extra weight)  would mean there is no room to spare for carrying food and water.  or ANYTHING!  :s

Sorry I suggested doing the roof in aluminum skeleton and skins , I may have understimated how much the roofs final weight would be doing it that way , I was trying to suggest a light weight roof build  whatever that would be.

 

[Mobilesport]

+Gotsmart
How much you suppose a aluminum roof would weigh?  
Just curious because I was planning to build a roof of somesorts ,  I already have a hightop but I want about a 3rd of it about 5" taller so I can stand up.
I was thinking mayby I could use very light aluminum angle for a skeleton and somewhat thin  panels ( not so thin that they would dent easily)  and then give its it strength buy using spray foam.
I use to spray foam at work an it was like extremely light weight and very Rigid..

 

[SternWake]

Near the beginning of the following video, the van owner builds a raised roof:



I've removed my roof completely, once to treat rust. Wish I did a better job.

Subsequent times I removed the screws and slid some 2x4's inbetween metal and fiberglass to access roof gutter rust.

Wish I did a better job.

If only they did not originally use drywall screws to attach it.

Wish they did a better job.

My fiberglass roof weighs about 200Lbs stripped of all the foo foo velour conversion van crap

 

[BigT]

What's your price range?  I don't know where you're located, but I'm seeing decent looking hi-top vans for sale all over the SF Bay Area right now.  

This one looks interesting.  1996 Dodge hi-top van w/119k for $6250.  
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5376653500.html

 

[One Awesome Inch]

I could spend up to 10k but would rather keep it to 6. I would rather get a high top wheelchair or ht cargo van but can't find one here in Vancouver. All we have is rundown campers from the 80s.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

+ Patrick 46 
Go tell that to the GM engineers , they put fiberglass hightops on half tons all the time.
I own a  half ton 1996 Chevrolet Express conversion van high top.

GM did not put the high top on your van. GM did not build your van's original rear interior. Conversion vans are built by other companies who buy empty cargo vans.

 

[wagoneer]

I went straight away for the 1 ton hightop window van and happy i did. 3600 bucks 195k on the clock (have put an other 7K into it) now at 220K on the 7.3 it is a very stable platform, It's always a tossup mechanically challenged or ugly It's hard to get both on the cheap.
Lost in the world is right The one I have was done by Braun and they did a ****** job it has leaks which I just found after the long drought ended in Cali. I can figure this out

 

[Mobilesport]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Near the beginning of the following video, the van owner builds a raised roof "[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Anybody know what he skinned his roof with?
[/font]