Piggy Westphalia?

[OregonCruzer]

I had this flash of inspiration in the shower this morning as I was thinking about the pig and my fear of the roof being FUBAR. Has anyone done a westphalia stye pop-up camper top on a 55? If I were to do it, I'd think it would be in the "weekender" style (normal van with seats and the bed in the pop up). How cool would that be? Not at all? Anyone done it?

 

[rsbcruiser]

I have seen it done on an fj60. Looked real nice. You might get a better response if you post this same question in the expedition section.

 

[nuclearlemon]

for some reason, i want to say there was one for sale about 8 mos ago that was like that...pablocruise would know about it, if there was...or maybe i'm just drinking too much....nah

 

[OregonCruzer]

well it is both exciting and humbling that my shower induced inspiration was not unique. I'll have to mull it over. This is all, of course, hypothetical.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...Do it, and post up lots and lots of pics. I think it would be cool. You'll gain a little roof height>higher COG. How about a full on camper conversion! Your shower must be plumbed off the same tap as mine- and my toilet, too!

 

[OregonCruzer]

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...Do it, and post up lots and lots of pics. I think it would be cool. You'll gain a little roof height>higher COG. How about a full on camper conversion! Your shower must be plumbed off the same tap as mine- and my toilet, too!

yeah, I just might. couldn't be any worse than an expedition rack up der.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

MUST be the shower- this idea keeps creeping up on me, too. So, would just weld the top half of an old bus to the top of your cruiser, or what! Are you thinking of fabbing the pop top from scratch, like, or modifying an exsisting popup to work on the pig?

 

[PabloCruise]

for some reason, i want to say there was one for sale about 8 mos ago that was like that...pablocruise would know about it, if there was...or maybe i'm just drinking too much....nah

Ige, you are dead on. Search through the Classifieds - I got pictures from the guy who listed it on CL...

 

[nuclearlemon]

found em

 

[OregonCruzer]

Huh-that's pretty cool!

My idear would be more like an actual westy top-I think one would have to hand craft it. Adapting a VW one would be gnarly at best.

 

[jfz80]

That looks like a flip-pac camper shell custom fitted to the porker. I saw several in CO on toyota p/u.

http://www.flippac.com/THE_FLIP_PAC/index.html

 

[B.C. Hoshall]

I have actually done the measurments and it would be close. One of the major issues would be mating the top section of the windshield frame of the VW Westi to the 55. The curve radius is not quite the same. If you are willing to cut and paste ALL of he 55's factory support steel from the A to B pillars and the A to A span, it is possible to drop the extracted VW top assy. onto the scalped 55. A little.. rather, I mean a lot of fiberglass work will cover the stitching.

It would be pretty sweet to climb from the back seat into your pop tent....

I wonder what the weight difference would be.?.

I have been dreaming of this mod for quite a while. Glad to see other people often fall in the shower and hit their head too. If someone comes across a finished version, please let us know!

Ben

 

[RHINO]

i have had many an idea,,,, the flip pak type pictured above is my ideal, but i want to be almost invisible when folded and i dont thing thats an option with the width of the smallest flip pak being a little too wide,, like in the pic above.

a westy has crossed my mind a few times,but it would have to be real tall to stand,,, and i figured i actually have plenty of headroom in the pig now to "live" in the back, and if i'm going to have to unfold a sleeping platform might as well keep it simple. i am thinking about "countertops" running down each side of the pig with a platform to bridge the middle when its time to sleep.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

There is a company in Fresno, I think, called ?sportsmobile? They do full size van build ups. They put pop ups on ALOT of the vans of theirs that I have seen. I'd imagine that they either have a popper that will be pretty close, or could contract one. I'd also imagine that they are PRICEY. What about one of those autohomes- like the columbus or maggiolinas w/ the base of it bonded to the roof rail of the piggy. Cut a hatch out of the bottom of the camper over the cargo area? Still in it for a couple geez and alot of hacking. I like the idea. How can it be done well?

 

[OregonCruzer]

The platform idea sounds pretty keen, too. I would mine to still be a 5-6 pax vehicle. I'd like a pop top like on the last Westies, the Eurovan version before they went to winnebago. Real streamlined jobs and full roof to boot.