Who makes very tall roof for Extended Ford campers?

[daveb]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I was thinking of that one too. It's an AdventureWagen isn't it? I don't know who makes/made it though.

It's the same as Buffett's I think but don't know where SMB got those from.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by jage

Are you thinking of this?



http://sportsmobileforum.com/gallery/al ... lbum_id=51

http://sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=12100

It doesn't appear I took a picture of the van as I had hoped, but it did look similar if not the same. The front seemed to overhang but I'm not sure. What I recall most is that the Class B was as tall as the rental Class C I was driving. It really looked top heavy (although I know it can be an optical illusion). I also found same roof on this site.

[Chance]

By the way, I was curious to research how these extra tall roofs do in crosswinds, and how they affect MPG. My van has factory roof and isn't affected by crosswinds much unless they are very strong and/or I'm driving fast, but if the van is nearly 10-ft tall instead of 7-ft tall I expect crosswind stability and also MPG could be quite different.

While searching the WEB for van roof I ran across this extreme hi-top. I'd have to guess they don't take it out on the highway or it could get blown over. This beast is crazy tall. So much so I can't figure out why anyone would need so much height in a van.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by Chance

This beast is crazy tall. So much so I can't figure out why anyone would need so much height in a van.

That's where they hide the aerial surveillance pod.

[JWA]

Another possible source for your top would be Sampson Fiberglass located in Indiana: http://www.sampsonfiberglass.com/

They seem to be willing to work with the customer and have great products---quality is more consistent than Fiberine. Their website is a bit sparse and it doesn't do justice to what they produce. They're more than happy to send photos of items already built and waiting for delivery.

HTH

[Chance]

Any feedback on crosswinds and fuel-economy changes after installing fiberglass roof from those who upgraded their vans for added headroom?


I'm not sure I'd want this upgrade on my existing van anyway because it already has about 130,000 miles, but it would be required if I decide to keep it a few more years until modern tall vans from RAM and Ford prove themselves. Kind of on the fence on whether to make some upgrades to get another 3 to 5 years out of it, or replace it with new one in near future.

[carringb]

Originally Posted by Chance

Any feedback on crosswinds and fuel-economy changes after installing fiberglass roof from those who upgraded their vans for added headroom?


I'm not sure I'd want this upgrade on my existing van anyway because it already has about 130,000 miles, but it would be required if I decide to keep it a few more years until modern tall vans from RAM and Ford prove themselves. Kind of on the fence on whether to make some upgrades to get another 3 to 5 years out of it, or replace it with new one in near future.

Well it's $1500-$3000 for a tall roof added to your van, vs $40-70,000 for a new van.... I've even thought about doing a high-roof mine. I have 370,000 miles and have no doubts it'll keep going for a long time still. The fuel economy will go down (not sure by how much). Handling may get worse but there's also lots of suspension upgrades available for the Ford vans to restore the handling after adding more roof.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by carringb

Well it's $1500-$3000 for a tall roof added to your van, vs $40-70,000 for a new van.... I've even thought about doing a high-roof mine. I have 370,000 miles and have no doubts it'll keep going for a long time still. The fuel economy will go down (not sure by how much). Handling may get worse but there's also lots of suspension upgrades available for the Ford vans to restore the handling after adding more roof.

Is that on original engine and transmission? That's a lot of miles no matter how you look at it. By comparison 130,000 miles doesn't sound that high, although reliability is very important to me. I don't like risking a breakdown since we sometimes drive 1000s of miles from home. It's concern over sudden electrical failures that I worry most about in old vehicles due more to age than mileage. Granted it can happen to new vehicles also.

By the way, the estimate I got to add a high roof with headliner and typical front, side, and rear cabinets was about $4000, and that was years ago. Compared to a new van that's a deal, but I'd have to be committed to keeping the van a long time because I expect I would get very little of that back if I sold it. And there is also the fact that as much as I like my van I also like the idea of a new one too. Even the low-roof Pro-Master is tall enough for my wife to stand straight up. But it can't tow as much as my V10 Ford. It's a tough choice because there are so many good options.

[carringb]

You would lose more than $4000 in depreciation just signing the dotted line on a new van.

Yeah, my powertrain is all original except for the breathing upgrades, radiator, heater hose and few starter relays. I did replace my coils and fuel injectors for peace of mind when I did my last tune-up in december.

[Teeth]

Check the post "they might be giants" under the classifieds section. Highest I've seen I think, but this particular one appears to be on a standard wheel base. Or just look here: http://888karplus.com/Vehicle_Details/d ... eID/334155