Westfalia pop top roof for VW Vanagon (1 Viewer)

[happy dog]

Hello Forks,

I am a newbie here to this forum (please excuse my Japaglish since I am not native English speaker).

I have owned '97 FZJ80 since 2015. My 80 is totally stock,and salvage title (not-straight frame. but it is not a major issue for LandCruiser, right? ).

I recently found the used Westfalia pop top roof (OK condition...) at the local Vanagon shop and bought it. I thought it might fit on my 80's roof with small modification and I can find the replacement parts (for example: tent) easily.
However, it is much bigger than 80's roof (I thougtht).

Have anyone tried it before? I know CampTeq or AluCab offers the perfect pop top roof for TLC. But I am cheap... cannot afford it.

Any comments are much appreciated!

 

[enox]

Buy a used VW - it'll fit perfect

 

[nothovi]

Buy a used VW - it'll fit perfect

No kidding. I've seen a ton of wannabe van dwellers dumping these VW vans already and they are going pretty cheap. I'm guessing if you wait a year they'll be liquidating those things left and right.

 

[bob82pigdog]

Oh man! I don't have much to offer but I'm super interested in this idea if you move forward! I have a Westfalia EuroVan that doesn't run and if I can't get it running, I have thoughts to do something similar!

I do know that if you search hard enough you will find people who have done projects like this in the deep nooks and crannies of the internet. Somebody did this with a Chevy Astrovan, something similar with a Ford van, CaveVan does top swaps, GoWesty has some descriptions that can help. I don't have the exact links but Googling some of those could get you started.

For the most part, I imagine you'd cut sections out of the middle of fiberglass top's length and width, and 'glass them back together. Then you'd trace the top outline on the roof, then cut the hole in the roof of the Cruiser inside of the marks a bit. It might help if you had a donor section of roof from the van to get all the mounting points for the latch and the lifting mechanisms. Then, you seal the bottom lip of the fiberglass top with a shortened VW rubber seal, and modify a tent to fit! Should be easy! Haha!

 

[retrofive]

For the most part, I imagine you'd cut sections out of the middle of fiberglass top's length and width, and 'glass them back together. Then you'd trace the top outline on the roof, then cut the hole in the roof of the Cruiser inside of the marks a bit. It might help if you had a donor section of roof from the van to get all the mounting points for the latch and the lifting mechanisms. Then, you seal the bottom lip of the fiberglass top with a shortened VW rubber seal, and modify a tent to fit! Should be easy! Haha!

This would be my first thought, but NO thank you.

 

[tlc1995]

Biggest and dumbest mistake you'll ever make is going through with this inbred roof top bed. Don't disgrace an 80 series and the global community with this Inbred bed thinking. Ok,? Otherwise I'm going to have to ask you to back away from the cruiser and take you into inbred bed custody. I mean seriously had Covid made you this way or was you inbred this way?

 

[tlc1995]

Oh man! I don't have much to offer but I'm super interested in this idea if you move forward! I have a Westfalia EuroVan that doesn't run and if I can't get it running, I have thoughts to do something similar!

I do know that if you search hard enough you will find people who have done projects like this in the deep nooks and crannies of the internet. Somebody did this with a Chevy Astrovan, something similar with a Ford van, CaveVan does top swaps, GoWesty has some descriptions that can help. I don't have the exact links but Googling some of those could get you started.

For the most part, I imagine you'd cut sections out of the middle of fiberglass top's length and width, and 'glass them back together. Then you'd trace the top outline on the roof, then cut the hole in the roof of the Cruiser inside of the marks a bit. It might help if you had a donor section of roof from the van to get all the mounting points for the latch and the lifting mechanisms. Then, you seal the bottom lip of the fiberglass top with a shortened VW rubber seal, and modify a tent to fit! Should be easy! Haha!

Don't encourage him. We might need to start doing background checks on future noobs.

 

[Lumpskie]

I think creating the "shell" for a new roof will likely be the easiest step in your proposed design. Given that... I would consider just designing something from the ground up, to ensure proper fit and quality. Or, maybe even better, take a look at Campteq.

 

[clx16]

@happy dog have you considered getting a cheap Chinese roof top tent hard shell and cutting the bottom part of it off and installing that in your roof the way you are thinking with that Westfalia top? Most of the Chinese tops seem to use the same canvas sides so those would be replaceable and fairly cheap. Just an idea.

 

[happy dog]

Wow Thank you guys for your comments!

@enox , @nothovi I picked up the roof from the local Vanagon shop. They do convert the original engine to Subaru modern engine. It is really cool. However, price of Vanagon is increasing recently... Actually all classic cars (including TLC80) are now getting expensive.

@bob82pigdog ,@retrofive You have EuroVan? Do not cut the roof! It is valuable car.

@tlc1995 , @Lumpskie ,@clx16 Ah~ it is too late. I already cut the roof without thinking today (I cannot wait ).

 

[mudgudgeon]

But I am cheap... cannot afford it.

A poor man pays twice. Sometimes 'cheap' is gonna be expensive.

Might be easier to start fresh and get a better outcome rather than butchering that one every which way.

20 + years ago, my brother and his buddy built an offroad camping trailer with a fibreglass lid. (Before they were a plague)
They spent some time and money making a mold for the sides (1 mold did all sides), made sides, mitred them together, then added a top and glassed the joints and top in all at once.

Spending time to learn how to work with fibreglass would pay off. It's not something you want to screw up and have to repeat. It's horrid stuff to work with

 

[happy dog]

@mudgudgeon Thanks for your comment. We (Japanese) have similar expression The sentence shows up in my brain during I cut the roof.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/安物買いの銭失い

You are right. FRP is kind of horrid stuff. Cutting the FRP is so messy (of course I wore a respirator). And not sure how I can glue them back.

Anyway I put the pieces of the roof I cut on my 80's roof to check the size. Edge of the roof pieces on the 80's gutters.

Seems I have to cut 3 inches on the both side.