theglobb
SILVER Star
Thank you! Figured the answer was somewhere within these 36 pages but didn’t feel like spending an hour trying to find it
[CLOSED] Alu-Innovations Troopy Pop Top Group Buy Interest
- Thread starter prwillard2
- Start date
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I bought 12, used 8. I would have used all 12 or close to that if it had not started setting up quicker than I expected. Definitely get a battery powered caulk gun, and caulking helper if you can. And LOTS of tape. I have a bat powered caulk gun you can use if you want. I can mail it either to the mountains or the beach, or you can pick it up if installing after your visit to the OBX.
LCMoneyPit
SILVER Star
What's the recommended caulk to use?
prwillard2
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #724
I used Sikaflex 221
prwillard2
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #726
It doesn't take that much to adhere/seal the pop top, but to completely encase the overlap takes a lot. I think this is important so it keeps condensation and moisture from settling into areas where you don't want it. There is a tremendous amount of squeeze out, but I wish I had squeeze out top and bottom all the way around. Hard to explain, but obvious once you see the pop top/roof interface.
theglobb
SILVER Star
My potop was damaged in shipping when Estes picked it up from the port. Annoying, but it's been a year and a half now and has been dealt with.
Spent a long time on the front and ended up getting things looking pretty well.
Fast forward to today and I just test fitted it!
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I was wondering if others could share photos of the front of their troopy's with poptops installed? I'm trying to see what an average gap is in the front and how much I should bang it in with a deadblow. I'm assuming this is a bit of an excessive gap due to the damage during shipping in combination with me banging it out to what looked straight to my naked eye.
Any photos from whoever will be greatly appreciated!
Spent a long time on the front and ended up getting things looking pretty well.
Fast forward to today and I just test fitted it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I was wondering if others could share photos of the front of their troopy's with poptops installed? I'm trying to see what an average gap is in the front and how much I should bang it in with a deadblow. I'm assuming this is a bit of an excessive gap due to the damage during shipping in combination with me banging it out to what looked straight to my naked eye.
Any photos from whoever will be greatly appreciated!
Looking great @theglobb! I have a ton of photos from when I installed mine- I think I'll post more of them over in the red rocket thread. But here are a few. I had a fairly large gap on the LHS front ~17mm, RHS was about 8 mm. I was able to form the LHS to down to about 7-8 mm and the RHS to 6 mm, I probably could have done more. Initially I could get my pointer finger in the gap to the second knuckle, when I was done I could barely get the tip of my finger in.
One issue I had was trying to make sure the top sat square on the truck, and I had to play with positioning it for the best fit front to back and side to side to minimize gaps in various places. Minimizing gaps caused the top to not be exactly square but I preferred less gaps to it sitting square. It looks like you could shove the top back a little, but I know this puts it close to overhanging the rear drip rail. Hopefully that makes sense.
I would spend a lot of time beating the metal in stages, moving back and forth to different areas to minimize the gaps, and use HEAPS of sikaflex (and tape) so you get good squeeze out. You can smooth the sikaflex with gloved finger dipped in mineral spirits (lots of little pieces of paper towel are helpful), or let it cure completely and trim squeeze out with a sharp razor knife. You will probably need more than 12 tubes of sikaflex. Also, put a few witness marks on the top and body once you get everything lined up how you want it to help with re-positioning after you get everything caulked.
After "forming" and sealing
One issue I had was trying to make sure the top sat square on the truck, and I had to play with positioning it for the best fit front to back and side to side to minimize gaps in various places. Minimizing gaps caused the top to not be exactly square but I preferred less gaps to it sitting square. It looks like you could shove the top back a little, but I know this puts it close to overhanging the rear drip rail. Hopefully that makes sense.
I would spend a lot of time beating the metal in stages, moving back and forth to different areas to minimize the gaps, and use HEAPS of sikaflex (and tape) so you get good squeeze out. You can smooth the sikaflex with gloved finger dipped in mineral spirits (lots of little pieces of paper towel are helpful), or let it cure completely and trim squeeze out with a sharp razor knife. You will probably need more than 12 tubes of sikaflex. Also, put a few witness marks on the top and body once you get everything lined up how you want it to help with re-positioning after you get everything caulked.
After "forming" and sealing
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Here's the only pic. I have of one of the front corners. You may need to clamp it in place before using the dead-blow, as when you start beating on it, it'll move the whole thing around. As you are aware already, it doesn't take much beating to form it.
For those of you who have installed solar, how did you run your solar wiring through the roof? I'm thinking of drilling just inside of the airline track on the roof towards the front of the top (on the sloped part),which looks like it would be just outside the tent canvas.
There was already a hole cut in my B pillar area on the left side for some cut-out switch when I got the truck. I repurposed it for my solar wires. I added a plug, so I can remove the panel if necessary, and cap the plug.
VHB backed cable tie mounts for the wires. Not the most elegant solution, but it gets the electrons where they need to go...
I plan to do something similar, but thinking about doing it on the vertical side of top that hinges, then down through the horizontal flange that is inside the top body/bulb seal and outside of the tent canvas. But, I may do the pass through on the side that does not hinge, like in the photos below.
Photos are from another mud member. He did not use a cable clamp/pass through seal, which I would highly recommend using, but says it never had any leaks there. It was sealed with epoxy and some flexible sealant.
For the cable pass through/seal I plan on using something from Scanstrut Marine- they make really nice products (available from Defender.com):
And/or I may incorporate one of these:
My experience with cables through vehicles roof is that if you do it on a vertical surface (where water does not pool), a correctly sized grommet is perfectly fine to seal. Maybe avoiding the front also.
theglobb
SILVER Star
Hey all, quick question.
I have finally got around to wiring up all my lights and the charger up top. However my very upper light in the sleeping area doesn’t work.
My charger up there works
Along with my rear lower light, and my front map light.
I’ve dug around and searched and searched for any missing wires and I can’t find anything. Was just wondering if someone had a similar experience or if the location of the top lights wires stood out to anyone.
Chances are I just wired it wrong… but it’s really simple stuff. And I’ve doubled checked all the wiring. Or my pop top is cursed and this light is just faulty
I have finally got around to wiring up all my lights and the charger up top. However my very upper light in the sleeping area doesn’t work.
My charger up there works
Along with my rear lower light, and my front map light.
I’ve dug around and searched and searched for any missing wires and I can’t find anything. Was just wondering if someone had a similar experience or if the location of the top lights wires stood out to anyone.
Chances are I just wired it wrong… but it’s really simple stuff. And I’ve doubled checked all the wiring. Or my pop top is cursed and this light is just faulty
I'd say its the light. I don't remember wiring anything separately, I think I tied power to the top in one spot and that fed power to all of it.
On this note though, has anyone determined if the third brake light can take 24v? I didn't want to risk blowing it and got no reply from the vendor when I asked, so I wired it to my trailer light 24v-12v converter box.
On this note though, has anyone determined if the third brake light can take 24v? I didn't want to risk blowing it and got no reply from the vendor when I asked, so I wired it to my trailer light 24v-12v converter box.
I had no confirmation on 24v from them either, and since my rear bumper led lights can’t handle 24v I’m unwilling to try it for the brake light.