Raising the roof

[pengyou]

Thank you for your posts and pictures. So it seems that skoolies are made with a steel frame covered by sheet metal on the outside and inside of the frame. If you want to make them taller you just cut the top off and insert more frame and sheet metal? I have noticed that most people just cut near the top off. I would like to keep the windows up high...has anyone ever made the incision about a foot below the windows and, using floor jacks raised the top and inserted frame there? That would make it possible to not have to remove all of the windows...though i would like to replace some at a later date. I would probably leave the front 3 or 4 feet intact so that i dont have to mess around with the door or windshield.

[Roadrunner]

That has been done before. Do some searches on here. There are some pics too. If I can find any info I will forward it to you. Another advantage is that if you raise it below the windows they will end up at a decent height to see out of and they will be above counter height. Let me see what I can find.

[pengyou]

Thanks. A plasma cutter would make quick work of cutting the sheet metal...then what would be used to cut the frame? The plasma cutter? A sawsall would distort the sheet metal.

[Tango]

A thin cutting disk on a 4-1/2" grinder works great. For the long, straight cuts I needed to remove the old sheet metal, I tack welded a piece of angle directly onto the body as a guide, then used a circular saw with a metal cutting blade set so that it cut the sheet metal but not the ribs. It could also be set to cut them both. I also have a 7" angle grinder for bigger work such as all the 3/8" and 1/2" plate I have had to fab into various components.

[family wagon]

Depending upon your plans for the exterior sheet metal, you might consider not cutting the ribs, and instead disconnect them from the chair rail at the floor and raise the sides and roof intact. This is what I've done with mine. The top of the extension laps/splices together with the original ribs, and the bottom connects directly to the chair rail.

[pengyou]

Originally Posted by family wagon

Depending upon your plans for the exterior sheet metal, you might consider not cutting the ribs, and instead disconnect them from the chair rail at the floor and raise the sides and roof intact. This is what I've done with mine. The top of the extension laps/splices together with the original ribs, and the bottom connects directly to the chair rail.

This method sounds like it is the neatest bcuz alll of the windows are fully supported, although it is heavier to lift.

[pengyou]

Originally Posted by family wagon

Depending upon your plans for the exterior sheet metal, you might consider not cutting the ribs, and instead disconnect them from the chair rail at the floor and raise the sides and roof intact. This is what I've done with mine. The top of the extension laps/splices together with the original ribs, and the bottom connects directly to thie chair rail.

Are there any videos that show this?

[superdave]

Originally Posted by family wagon

Depending upon your plans for the exterior sheet metal, you might consider not cutting the ribs, and instead disconnect them from the chair rail at the floor and raise the sides and roof intact. This is what I've done with mine. The top of the extension laps/splices together with the original ribs, and the bottom connects directly to the chair rail.

my ribs are one piece all the way around

[family wagon]

Sorry, no videos. You may have noticed my build thread is rather neglected in the last 5 months or so (as is the bus..).. But here are a couple photos I do have on hand showing the idea.


In this second photo you can see the how the side rib/roof bow piece no longer touches the floor or chair rail. I've put in sections of hat channel as shown here to re-attach them.

In case you are wondering: There are many reasonable ways of doing the lifting. I used the scaffolding method proposed by nat_ster here to raise what's left of the roof and walls. Weight wasn't any problem with all the glass and side sheet metal removed! If it were heavier the scaffold still would have carried it fine but jacking by winding the leveling screws would have been more difficult. In that case one could jack with hydraulic floor or bottle jacks and adjust the leveling screws for safety in case of jack failure. Or so that the jack could be moved to each corner in turn, in case of not enough jacks.