Raising the roof... hmm, I wonder.

[AlleyCat67]

Sounds like you better not waste any time then..... recruit some burly friends and git'er done!

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

YEah, I've always thought farm jacks looked like expensive overkill. Sure- one or two are handy to have around, though.

I have some straps already, I'll buy more and make sure they're big enough. Mine are for hauling mowers and mopeds.

Idk if I'll be able to pull of "telescoping" uprights, but I'm thinking of going witht he all-thread and nuts method.
I'll have a decent concrete pad to do all this on, as long as I'm able to move it in three days. My access to the concrete driveway is very limited.

When I did mine it was Super Bowl Sunday, Before the game started I pulled it onto the street leveled it & blocked it then cut all the ribs except for 4 then watched the game. 7am Monday morning cut the last 4 & up it went, spent 2 days welding. Probably spent 5 hr explain to people driving by what I was doing.

[Motrukdriver]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

And... those farm jacks were overkill. No numbers, but the roof was surprisingly light. A handful buddies is all it takes.

I wonder if you could do this with load locks, the type we use in semi trailers.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by Motrukdriver

I wonder if you could do this with load locks, the type we use in semi trailers.

You would need to mount them so they couldn't move fwd/ aft, front / rear otherwise your roof will end up on the ground, also with all thread & nuts you can make minuet adjustments.

[Elliot Naess]

Trouble with load locks is that you have to release it in order to catch the next tooth. You could do it with two load locks at each locations, but it would be a slow and awkward process.

Allthread and nuts will do fine.

But for Dog's sake... you must have something to keep the roof from slipping away from you.

And there is absolutely no magic to building sturdy guides. Frankly, if you cannot do that... maybe you shouldn't undertake to raise the roof at all.

And I say that in kindness and friendship -- absolutely no offense intended.
I don't want anybody hurt, and I don't want you to wreck your bus without even starting the engine.

EDIT to add photos:






The red parts of the jack move upward, EXCEPT the foot.
The black part is stationary, with the red foot.
The white tube is bolted to the bus wall.
The green part is welded to the white and keeps the jack upright.
The bare steel is the ram that slides upward thru the white part.
The yellow part is welded to the ram and bolted to the roof.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Most important thing is to build four sturdy telescoping guides, so the roof cannot go anywhere but straight up.

Hadn't thought of that. How about welding the square tubing in the bottom half of the C-channel windows? 6 or 8 ought to do it.Then once the top is up and level, finish the weld above the cut.

[milkmania]

I had an idea a while back.... Very much like Elliott Naess' design

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/br...ing-11021.html

[EastCoastCB]

I like the idea of square tubing instead of all-thread. I get square tubing for free usually.
basically- weld something at the top and have a collar/guide below the cut. A few cheapo screw type jacks would give good fine tuning for height. Like Elliot, but without the farm jacks.
If I have hat channel made, will the difference in height where it overlaps the existing hat channel be a problem when skinning over it?

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by milkmania

I had an idea a while back.... Very much like Elliott Naess' design

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/br...ing-11021.html

Look, if we aren't mowing down street signs, I don't want any part of it. Final resting place of the roof is going to be exactly dead center between two of those holes. Murphy won't allow it to be any other way.

What's with the nesting of posts?


I hadn't seen Reprobate's build, I'll have to check that out. So long as you aren't going higher than the distance from your cut to the top, just weld a piece of flat iron across the face of the C-channel with the new piece inside. It should slide without being able to fall out.

[EastCoastCB]

I was thinking the same thing. About that damned law of Murphy's.

[Brewerbob]

Has anyone here made a convertible bus? If so, how do you get it to close and not leak?

[Stu & Filo. T]

Here, starting on pg 16 Mr bailey does a excellent job of teaching all of us how to make the mechanism for raising the roof, you don't need all the tools he used but it gives excellent pic's & explanation, also like I said before you don't need floor jacks or high lifts.


http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/th...r-8598-16.html

[dalez]

That must be a bus from a very nice climate area :P

[ol trunt]

Folks must have been tougher back in the day. My bus has a translucent roof and it dumps heat like it wasn't even there. So much so that I had a down comforter sewn up to insulate the thing when it is really cold outside. Ducks must know what they are doing. The comforter made a 10-12 degree F difference in the interior temp with no change in heat settings.
Jack
.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Folks must have been tougher back in the day. My bus has a translucent roof and it dumps heat like it wasn't even there. So much so that I had a down comforter sewn up to insulate the thing when it is really cold outside. Ducks must know what they are doing. The comforter made a 10-12 degree F difference in the interior temp with no change in heat settings.
Jack
.

That's way too much light getting thru. I want it closed when it's closed and open when it's open. Not open to the air tho that might not be a bad idea either. It also needs to be road worthy.

[cadillackid]

I wish I had a convertible top!! I dont get enough air in with all the windows down when im enjoying the outside air.. sure i want my A/C on the really hot days.. but on those nice florida drives by the water i wish i could have all the windows and the roof open.

I just dont have the skills to make a sliding roof thats road worthy and wont leak

-Christopher

[ol trunt]

Bb. Plenty road worthy when closed what with its steel frame and wing nut tie downs. It seals just like all the new hard top convertibles--not a drop of water even in a traffic stopping rain storm. The double layer of translucent polycarbonate will support my weight without damage.

As to being closed when it's closed and open when it's open--you've got me there. How about sunglasses?
Jack

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Bb. Plenty road worthy when closed what with its steel frame and wing nut tie downs. It seals just like all the new hard top convertibles--not a drop of water even in a traffic stopping rain storm. The double layer of translucent polycarbonate will support my weight without damage.

More pics then please.

As to being closed when it's closed and open when it's open--you've got me there. How about sunglasses?

I'm thinking about 5:30 am when the sun comes up.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Look, if we aren't mowing down street signs, I don't want any part of it. Final resting place of the roof is going to be exactly dead center between two of those holes. Murphy won't allow it to be any other way.

What's with the nesting of posts?


I hadn't seen Reprobate's build, I'll have to check that out. So long as you aren't going higher than the distance from your cut to the top, just weld a piece of flat iron across the face of the C-channel with the new piece inside. It should slide without being able to fall out.

The nesting was basically showing how they'd fit in and pin

[charles_m]

Its me! I do this for a living...
Roof raises from.our shop run between $8k and $10k depending on size and options. We use hat channel custom formed to match the factory stuff, 14ga galvanized sheet for the new skin, and use hand-bucked rivets (not blind rivets) like they do in the factory.

I also do complete builds, and rough ins. We do it all, including the installation of complete, off grid solar and propane systems...the whole shebang