Raising the roof... hmm, I wonder.

[EastCoastCB]

Does the overlap of the hat channel affect the outer skin? what do you do about that?
Man, sounds like you got it down. 14ga is a bit overkill, though. that's what the ribs are made of but the skin is maybe 18ga.

[ol trunt]

Bb. Here you go.

I took advantage of the boxed in roof design and removed both inner and outer skins which left a boxed framework to work from.
.

.

Next I bent 8" x 1/8" steel plates to match the contour of the bus.
.

Then welded up the plates and the square tube frame.
.

Test fit the top.
.

Installed the pair of linear actuators that open and close the top.
.

Then I affixed the polycarbonate sheets to the frame using 3M industrial double stick tape as directed by the mfg of the polycarbonate. I added the stainless steel piano hinge and bolted the hinge to the roof.
.

Visable here are the three 1/2" carriage boltd that pass thropugh the roof to secure the top while it is in the closed position. You can also see the Sunbrella brand tenting that keeps stray objects from entering the bus when the top is up. The weather striping is press on butyl rubber which (so far) has created a wind and rain proof seal.
.

The last image is of my wife cooking dinner. Just above the water jugs you can see one of the stainless steel cups that the carriage bolts enter when the top is down. Once the top is down I simply twist on the wing nuts and the open side of the top becomes secure.
.

Just kidding now---if you would go to bed earlier, you'd be ready to get up at 5:30 AM. Failing that, perhaps a sleeping mask would allow you to sleep in late. Just saying.
Jack

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by 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

How much to fix someone else's screw ups?

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

How much to fix someone else's screw ups?

That type of job usually gets billed at time and a half.

[superdave]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Does the overlap of the hat channel affect the outer skin? what do you do about that?
Man, sounds like you got it down. 14ga is a bit overkill, though. that's what the ribs are made of but the skin is maybe 18ga.

i used 18 on mine, rock solid. we will use the largest tubing we can fit in the ribs then build up the outside so you have both a strait line of rivets and a flat surface.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Bb. Here you go.

I took advantage of the boxed in roof design and removed both inner and outer skins which left a boxed framework to work from.
.

.

Next I bent 8" x 1/8" steel plates to match the contour of the bus.
.

Then welded up the plates and the square tube frame.
.

Test fit the top.
.

Installed the pair of linear actuators that open and close the top.
.

Then I affixed the polycarbonate sheets to the frame using 3M industrial double stick tape as directed by the mfg of the polycarbonate. I added the stainless steel piano hinge and bolted the hinge to the roof.
.

Visable here are the three 1/2" carriage boltd that pass thropugh the roof to secure the top while it is in the closed position. You can also see the Sunbrella brand tenting that keeps stray objects from entering the bus when the top is up. The weather striping is press on butyl rubber which (so far) has created a wind and rain proof seal.
.

The last image is of my wife cooking dinner. Just above the water jugs you can see one of the stainless steel cups that the carriage bolts enter when the top is down. Once the top is down I simply twist on the wing nuts and the open side of the top becomes secure.
.

Just kidding now---if you would go to bed earlier, you'd be ready to get up at 5:30 AM. Failing that, perhaps a sleeping mask would allow you to sleep in late. Just saying.
Jack

Nice, I'll have to come up with something. My Jetta wagon has a good sized moon roof. Steal one of those and weld it in. Maybe two.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by superdave

i used 18 on mine, rock solid. we will use the largest tubing we can fit in the ribs then build up the outside so you have both a strait line of rivets and a flat surface.

Sounds good to me!

[Elliot Naess]

Milkmania! I have tried to find Reprobate's photos, and failed. But you provided the link -- in May 2015! Thanks! That album ought to be a "sticky" here.

[Elliot Naess]

Hey Charles M! Thanks for checking in! Good to see that somebody is doing a truly competent job of this sort of thing.