Sunroof to camper conversion
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Sunroof to camper conversion
Hey gang! I'm kicking around the idea of removing my troublesome sunroof on my '78 and replacing it with one of the small "Rivi" tops (the non-sleeper...for headroom only). Has anyone done this? Is it an easy swap? Any cutting, welding, etc involved? Thanks!
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
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- IAC Addict!
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
study a rivi installation. the bracketry that allows the up and down probably fastens to the bus in pretty specific locations.
1/20/2013 end of an error
never owned a gun. have fired a few.
never owned a gun. have fired a few.
- DjEep
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Nowhere, Fast
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
The early bay westy tops that hinge forward will fit no prob.
"Live life, love life. Enjoy the pleasures and the sorrows. For it is the bleak valleys, the dark corners that make the peaks all the more magnificent. And once you realize that, you begin to see the beauty hidden within those valleys, and learn to love the climb." - Anonymous
Do you want to Survive? Or do you want to LIVE?
Do you want to Survive? Or do you want to LIVE?
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
I like the lines of a hardtop bus.
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it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
Yeah, just kicking it around. The sunroof hasn't been opened in a couple of years. Some weird problem with alignment in front...it has never closed quite right. Colin looked at it the first time I met him in a Safeway lot years ago and he said it looked like someone may have sat on it at some point and very slightly bent it. Maybe I'll mess with it again this year and see if I can fix it....or, just leave it. Thanks for your responses guys. Carry on.
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- vdubzen
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: ABQ, NM 87110
- Status: Offline
Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
the sportsmobile top and the older split window campmobile tops might work well on this. i have seen a few bayswith this top on them. just for head room in the 'kitchen'.
1960 Karmann Ghia
1968 Deluxe Microbus
1973 Super Beetle
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1968 Deluxe Microbus
1973 Super Beetle
1974 Beetle
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- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
Yeah, just for the headroom is what I'm looking for. I'll take a look at those if I decide to make the swap. Thanks!
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- vistacruzer
- IAC Addict!
- Location: portland
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
it would be a eazy install. i have the baby pop top on mine nothing to it. measure the opening and sent it to me i will be working on the bus next weekend and see how a baby pop will fit on your bus.
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70 wide lowered body rag top 2056 type4 DTM nothing stock if I could touch it.
Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
70 wide lowered body rag top 2056 type4 DTM nothing stock if I could touch it.
Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
- JLT
- Old School!
- Location: Sacramento CA
- Status: Offline
Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
That's what I did on my '70 bus. It worked great. I had to cut out the hole, but I remember it being about the same as a sunroof hole ... so much so that when I bought my '71, I saved the pop-top to install on that. But by the time I got around to doing that, I found that the pop-top had disappeared from the place where it was stored.vistacruzer wrote:it would be a eazy install. i have the baby pop top on mine nothing to it. measure the opening and sent it to me i will be working on the bus next weekend and see how a baby pop will fit on your bus.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA
Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"
Sacramento CA
Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"
- drober23
- Addicted!
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
My understanding is that the opening for a '68 - '73 Westfalia is the same as the sunroof opening, so adding the fiberglass top from that year range should be pretty easy.
The reverse is not true, as the Westfalia models do not have the drain setup that the sunroof models do, so the Westfalia models would not be good candidates to slap a sunroof on.
The reverse is not true, as the Westfalia models do not have the drain setup that the sunroof models do, so the Westfalia models would not be good candidates to slap a sunroof on.
DJ
'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe
(plus more busses than sense)
In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe
(plus more busses than sense)
In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
- Contact:
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
Thanks gang! Sounds like it's "easily" doable should I decide to make the switch. No firm plans yet to change, but good to know it's an option. Or, I'll just camp in it more and duck when I'm inside before I flop into my bed
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- JLT
- Old School!
- Location: Sacramento CA
- Status: Offline
Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
One thing I forgot to add: When I took the pop-top off the "donor bus," I noticed that there was a raised lip all around the hole, presumably to keep water out when you're blasting down the road. It was only about 1/2" to 3/4" in height, IIRC. So I duplicated it by (PURISTS WHO WANT TO KEEP THEIR BUSES TOTALLY STOCK: STOP READING RIGHT NOW!) getting some 3/4" aluminum angle stock and pop-riveting it around the perimeter of the opening, using some sort of caulking to seal it. It worked just fine.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA
Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"
Sacramento CA
Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
Ha! I kept reading ... I'm not a purist...I'm a functionalist. I add things to my camper to make it better fit my use. If I find a screamin' deal on a small pop top, I may just pick it up...had one a few years ago on a 73 Rivi I bought....resold it so it's gone..............but, the bed from said Rivi is in my sunroof bus and you'll see the side tent at the RendezVW
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- grandfatherjim
- Addicted!
- Location: near Ottawa Canada
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Re: Sunroof to camper conversion
The Adventurewagen top is a beautiful thing. Headroom - if you're 5'10" or under, you can stand upright.
- Kubelwagen
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