Penthouse resurrection

[regis101]

Good gawd that sux.
I have , we all have , been there in one way or another.. I feel your pain
It might pay fir you to step aside from it fir awhile. Let the dust settle. Maybe contact the seller for some type of compromise.

[BenJJ]

Originally Posted by michal740

I am on the crossroads with this. Got the fiberglass fixed for most part and pretty much ready to Raptor line it,but looking at the rest of the stuff,I just want to quit and call it a huge loss. One of the resting rails is bent and show signs of other damage. Lifting arms are complete trash. I may be able to have canvas redone by a upholstery shop,but it is gonna add another $$$$
I feel totally burned by the dude who misinterpreted the condition and sold it. I feel kinda stupid just for paying for this.
Should I go ahead or just toss it? Any input,or possible confidence inspiring toughts would be appreciated.

Here is my album for the pop top restoration I did.

Sportsmobile Forum - BenJJ's Album: Pop Top Restoration

If you are confident with the integrity of the fiberglass shell, I would say go for it. The lift mechanism is very simple and could be recreated. The two U-bars would be easy enough to make yourself, and I think Boywonder did that to make them out of stronger material. you could check out his build thread. The bent side rails, depending on the severity, may not matter too much. Could you post a picture of those? All the springs and other hardware could be replaced easily.

The canvas will be the hardest part. I contacted SMBW, who referred me to SMBN, who said they do not make replacement canvas. I ended up getting one made custom by a third party using the old one as a template which cost $1200. Kicker is the guy who made it said it was a huge PIA and wouldn't be making another one.

My thinking would be to put the project on hold until you can find someone to make you a replacement canvas. If you can get that at a reasonable price then it is probably worth pursuing.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by BenJJ

The two U-bars would be easy enough to make yourself, and I think Boywonder did that to make them out of stronger material. you could check out his build thread.

I sleeved mine with cro-mo tubing...but it should be very straightforward to make a new set from cro-mo to start with.....that's how I would approach this...and powdercoat...perhaps some color other than black ..or maybe black...so many choices...


You would need to find someone with a 1" tube bender.....I now know a couple of folks in So Cal with tubing benders after completing my bumper project.


And as BenJJ mentioned above, sourcing canvas might be the toughest part.....


As a side note...there are many many many ways to improve upon the SMB design of the top...so another way to look at the project would be to end up with a vastly improved penthouse design compared to what you can buy.


A few design improvements that are obvious....and reasonably straightforward:


New Cro-mo crossbars..powdercoated.....perhaps go up a smidge in diameter and wall thickness if the rail/channels will allow...


Improved joint designs for both ends and the pivots of the crossbars..shoulder screws/bearings/bushings


Low Friction material (LDPE sheet) on the lifting block where the crossbar slides (these are easy to make...and make way better than SMB)


Incorporate LED lighting into the lifting blocks


Fasten canvas to top with plywood strips to make servicing easier (when you want to add wires above headliner)


Fabricate much improved headliner (one seam under one lift bock, nice headliner material)


Use gas springs in lieu of helper springs (or score some linak actuators from ebay-advanced design here)


Find someone to make insulated canvas (good luck with that one!!)....or source new canvas from SMB North.

[Pntyrmvr]

At some point in the past I was able to get Derek from CCV to post the name of the insulated material he uses for his tops.

Some day when I am not so busy I’ll grind my way through a million posts and find it.

[michal740]

Thanks guys for you taughts and inputs. This is what I needed.I'll try to keep going with this. Definitely going to improve the design. There is lot to be improved on the existing one. (Not downgrading SMB designers here)
I may be able to use tops of the U lift bars and insert them into square tubing. I already have a headliner material and led lights,but that's a long way down he road.
Upholstery shop may be working with me on the choice of canvas material,possibly let me cut pieces myself and they will sew it together. I think the design does not need to be exactly same,so I may end up with same shape,but different windows style.
Cutting the roof off of my van is likely why I feel so unsure about this project.

[86Scotty]

All kinds of great advice above. I'm inspired and I'm not even involved! Whatever you decide, Michal, it won't be a total loss. Education can be expensive but very rewarding.

[Orv]

I do want to say I appreciate the pictures you posted of the damaged corner, because I now can visualize much more clearly how the top is actually assembled, and where its strong and weak points are in terms of attaching things.

If you feel like a spring-counterbalanced scissor lift like SMB uses is too complex a fab job, you could think about doing an angled Westfalia style lift. I had a Westfalia conversion for a while and found it really practical, and the mechanism is very simple and self-locking in the upright position (the "knee" joint in the support pipes goes over-center when it's fully lifted.)

[1der]

Wow, this so upsets me. The seller who posted this top for sale here way back when needs to be banished. There is no place for this type of misrepresentation in this community.

michal740. - hang in there, evaluate very carefully. DO NOT cut the roof on your van until you have a proven working lifting mechanism, sound fiberglass pop top, and new canvas in hand. This type of project + ego + emotions can lead to either very satisfying outcomes or more frustration/disappointment. You are the only “decision maker” on which path to pursue.

Lots to be said for the “handyman job / part time gig” approach to moving through this situation. 100 hrs of work + $1500 in parts and outside services to get this usable (in good acceptable shape worthy of resale?). If you have the skill set to resurrect this, you definitely have higher end handyman skills worthy of at least $30/hr. ($60 if you are in most metro areas). The handyman side gig may be more emotionally satisfying than the alternative. There are almost always multiple ways to the end goal. (Or freelance what you do for a living)

Used SMB Pop tops in very good condition with very good canvas are between $2k and $3.5k. Check with CCV to find out if any SMB rigs are coming in for top replacement.

You are tapped into a great group of people here. Lots of opinions, lots of support, and a heck of a lot of experiences that are very similar to where you are now.

Post up some pics of your rig, I am sure we would all like to see what you are starting with.

Thxs for posting your scenario. It is very helpful. It is more common than many think since most never post the not so glamorous side of van building!!

[michal740]

Thank you gyus again for a good advise and motivation.I am definitely going to make sure that everything is good and in working order before starting to cut anything on my van. Hopefully I will have the shell finished by the end of the weekend. Thinking of cutting a hole for the fan and reinforcing the edges of the opening,so the flex wont crack the top,especially in the corners of the opening.

I should be able to reuse some of the lifting bars. At least the tops and the original bends. For the resting rails,I am thinking maybe aluminum I beams that can be modified to fit,so hopefully take some weight off the original design too.
I snapped a qick picture of the repaired corner. There are few spots I need to take care of,but not structural,so that should be fairly easy.
Ray,contacting CCV is a great idea,I wish I thought of that before.
I will post more pictures and info on my progress this weeked. Thanks guys so much for your support!

[JVan]

I’m sorry you ended up with this top.
I probably should have posted more about why I passed on it. At the time I didn’t want to create an argument with another member by posting about my negative interaction with him. I tend to worry about how people will react to online comments anymore. We live in a crazy age now. Looking back I should have at least made it more clear that this top was in very bad shape. He was quick to post negative comments about me when I posted that I had passed. I’d be surprised if he’s been on here since though.

I spoke with the guys at CCV a couple months ago about used SMB tops.
MSD told me they had one that was in semi decent shape but the canvas was damaged. They told me they would send me some more info on it but I haven’t heard back from them yet. I’ve been busy and haven’t asked them about it since.
They may still have that one. I’ve dropped hints with some other members here when they talk about changing to a CCV top. Told them I would buy their old SMB top if they switched. I haven’t heard back from anyone though.
These things are hard to find used. I’ve been searching all over the country for the past year. This was the only that I was able to see and have an option on purchasing.

The fiberglass shell was what I was most concerned with on this top. You seem to know what you’re doing with the fiberglass repairs though. There are many great threads here about refurbishing these tops. I’ve learned a lot by reading them. They have some great ideas on how to make these work.

Again, sorry to hear about your troubles and good luck with the refurbishment.