Question about Bubble top on Vans

[YUIPME]

Does anyone know:

If the raise roof (Bubble top) portion of a van is screwed down with sealant or a rubber gasket as the waterproofing material in between?  How difficult would it be to detach it from the frame?


The approx weight of a 12" raised top?

 

[Tiny Metal Tube]

Any time you cut a hole in your exterior, you want to waterproof it with Butyl Tape and Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant. This provides two layers of waterproofing. Good high-top installations do this. Unfortunately, there are cases where someone did not do the installation correctly. Therefore you can't always rely on it being waterproof. I would recommend spraying a hose all over the outside of a van and then checking for leaks inside.

Detaching the high top from the van would probably not be very involved, unless they welded it on... But then you'd have a giant hole in your roof. The high top probably can't be reused except on a VERY similar van. Why would you want to do that?

 

[YUIPME]

[font=Helvetica, Arial,]I want to detach the roof from the frame and mount it on sliders, and be able to raise/lower it.  i want to make it into a Pop Top!  Have you seen anyone do this with the raised roof?  (if not i want to try)[/font]

 

[Tiny Metal Tube]

You might have some luck with hydraulic pistons. I've seen some folks use them to lift their bed in that way. But I think you'd have trouble combining that with keeping it waterproof when it's down.

 

[YUIPME]

You are absolutely right, waterproof may be an issue.  I'll try out my experiment and if its not working they way I like, I can reseal it down permanently.  So any clue on the weight of those tops?  
Hydraulic pistons are heavy and will require a compressor.  I'm going to use 4 linear actuators to raise.  It runs off a 12V motor and each unit is rated to raise up to 80 LBS.
thanks for the info

 

[ratfink56]

Weight depends on the inside finish of the top? Bare? Reinforced with wood? Carpet? You could call fiberine.com/.

 

[66788]

Any time you cut a hole in your exterior, you want to waterproof it with Butyl Tape and Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant. This provides two layers of waterproofing. Good high-top installations do this. Unfortunately, there are cases where someone did not do the installation correctly. Therefore you can't always rely on it being waterproof. I would recommend spraying a hose all over the outside of a van and then checking for leaks inside.

Detaching the high top from the van would probably not be very involved, unless they welded it on... But then you'd have a giant hole in your roof. The high top probably can't be reused except on a VERY similar van. Why would you want to do that?

I bought a high top for a VW bus at Pick N Pull once for $60.00 and after taking out the screws that held it on the wrecked van, two of use removed it and installed it on a regular VW in one afternoon.   Used butyl tape and never had a problem with it.   Cheap and easy solution to a low top van.