Chevy & GMC Vans

I've been thinking about the pro's/con's of a high top vs a pop top

First off, I am not talking about the molded "normal" conversion top... I'm talking about the big camper top that extends the roof by 27". like on this ice-cream astro:



With some work, you could add windows and a roof rack to get this look:




so far my pro's for going high top are:

About 5-6 grand cheaper than the pop top
I could install it myself
interior head room would be awesome
i could store my surfboards inside stashed up in the high top on long drives, giving me peace of mind
can keep a "stealthier" profile when camping, as I could sleep in the upper level without popping a top

Cons:
Wind resistance will suck
Gas mileage drop
Low Bridges (a concern for me living in NYC)
It no longer will look like a mom mobile (chance of me getting stopped @ a bridge or tunnel toll booth go up)


I found the company that makes those tops and it seems like a good deal. Would be about 1000 dollars, then i would get the top painted (should be less than 300 at a friends shop) add windows (about 350 in parts) and install it (i can do that myself, all parts included with top). So for about 1600 i can do the big roof with windows.

Anyone else have any advice or opinions?

I suppose it depends on whether or not you need the extra room all the time ( which it sounds like you may ) or only once in a while. To me that would be the biggest factor, there are pro's and cons like you have listed.

Ugh. Why'd you have to post that Sportsmobile pic? Now I gotta walk around with a boner for the next hour.

I'd go with a pop-top. The high top looks like a handicap van. People will always be wondering what's wrong with you. On the Sportmobile....it's so awesome nobody will care if you're handicapped or retarded. They will be too busy looking at all the toys on it to even notice who's driving it.

97CargoCrawler wrote:Ugh. Why'd you have to post that Sportsmobile pic? Now I gotta walk around with a boner for the next hour.

I'd go with a pop-top. The high top looks like a handicap van. People will always be wondering what's wrong with you. On the Sportmobile....it's so awesome nobody will care if you're handicapped or retarded. They will be too busy looking at all the toys on it to even notice who's driving it.

but what if i plan on adding the toys...

I do plan on using a webasto coolant pre-heater to run the rear heat all night (more on that when i get to it), and a heat exchanger for hot water, which would mean outdoor shower, hot water in the sink, water tank where the spare tire is, etc etc...

I think the handycap look might lessen with the addition of the roof rack, ladder, awning, windows etc...

If you make it look like the sports mobile then go for it!

A rack like that will cost you over $2K. I know, I'm building one. Better than that one though.

What's money, When you have a vision.

I say go for it...

Jim

97CargoCrawler wrote:If you make it look like the sports mobile then go for it!

A rack like that will cost you over $2K. I know, I'm building one. Better than that one though.

has steel gone up that much?!?! Last Jeep build I did was 3 years ago, and I didn't spend that much back-halfing a YJ!!

The steel is still cheap. Hardware, welding gas and aluminum have skyrocketed. My rack combines steel and aluminum. The aluminum comprises 1/3 the materials and cost 6X as much as the steel.

The rack on that Sportmobile looks pretty cheesy as far as strength. Being that it's bolted to fiberglass I guess it can't be too beefy. You might be able to build that yourself for about $200 in materials using round pipe.

97CargoCrawler wrote:The steel is still cheap. Hardware, welding gas and aluminum have skyrocketed. My rack combines steel and aluminum. The aluminum comprises 1/3 the materials and cost 6X as much as the steel.

The rack on that Sportmobile looks pretty cheesy as far as strength. Being that it's bolted to fiberglass I guess it can't be too beefy. You might be able to build that yourself for about $200 in materials using round pipe.

That's what I was figuring... The rack would only need to hold my 2 longest boards (9'6") on occasion. Eventually I may want to put solar panels on it as well, but that would be the limit of it's use.




Aside from making me look less handicaped ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

It sounds like a cool project. I think as long as you lift the van and put some gnarly tires on it you have a winner no matter what goes on top. In fact, if you built the rack to extend down the sides of the top you could mount your boards there. That would look pretty cool and would leave room on top for gear or solar panels.

Now get to it. We all need something to watch!

97CargoCrawler wrote:It sounds like a cool project. I think as long as you lift the van and put some gnarly tires on it you have a winner no matter what goes on top. In fact, if you built the rack to extend down the sides of the top you could mount your boards there. That would look pretty cool and would leave room on top for gear or solar panels.

Now get to it. We all need something to watch!

I plan on pulling the trigger on this late this summer. I get married in sept and would like to have the top on before then. Build thread to follow ;)

ruecifur wrote:

97CargoCrawler wrote:I do plan on using a webasto coolant pre-heater to run the rear heat all night (more on that when i get to it), and a heat exchanger for hot water, which would mean outdoor shower, hot water in the sink, water tank where the spare tire is, etc etc...

Got a source for a cheap coolant heater? As far as I can tell, the Thermo Top, etc. are even more expensive than the AirTop or comparable Espar air heaters. Big $$$.

Looking at the space where the rear heater is mounted, I think an airtop, D2, or Propex heater would also mount in the same general space (if you were to lose the OEM heater). Of course then you wouldn't get hot water, but you can still run a heat exchanger off of the main coolant system (seems less efficient, but most offroaders I know who use heat-x systems don't need to run the engine, they just use waste heat in the system after coming off-trail.)

Currently speccing out a new cabinet system and one of the big variables is which heating technology and where to put it. I had been eschewing propane, but I'm starting to think a vw westy tank will fit in the space under/behind the door slider area, which puts the propex back in the mix and also would let me cook with gas. (Using white gas currently.)

Herbie wrote:

ruecifur wrote:

97CargoCrawler wrote:I do plan on using a webasto coolant pre-heater to run the rear heat all night (more on that when i get to it), and a heat exchanger for hot water, which would mean outdoor shower, hot water in the sink, water tank where the spare tire is, etc etc...

Got a source for a cheap coolant heater? As far as I can tell, the Thermo Top, etc. are even more expensive than the AirTop or comparable Espar air heaters. Big $$$.

Looking at the space where the rear heater is mounted, I think an airtop, D2, or Propex heater would also mount in the same general space (if you were to lose the OEM heater). Of course then you wouldn't get hot water, but you can still run a heat exchanger off of the main coolant system (seems less efficient, but most offroaders I know who use heat-x systems don't need to run the engine, they just use waste heat in the system after coming off-trail.)

Currently speccing out a new cabinet system and one of the big variables is which heating technology and where to put it. I had been eschewing propane, but I'm starting to think a vw westy tank will fit in the space under/behind the door slider area, which puts the propex back in the mix and also would let me cook with gas. (Using white gas currently.)

I've found a great source for cheap webasto thermo tops (like 3-400 dollars though i've seen them as low as 25 euro's!!!) search ebay germany (http://www.ebay.de) for "Webasto Standheizung Benzin" and take your pic of used gas thermo tops. Import taxes may apply, I haven't gotten that far yet. But Germany looks like a good cheap source for used units.

I plan on getting away from propane as much as possible, and using my coleman stove with the little bottles for cooking. The westy propane tanks are too expensive new and impossible to find around here in any sort of usable shape for a reasonable price. By the time you buy a propex heater and the westy propane tank, and plumb it all in, you could have bought the webasto, and get hot water system included. Having a gasoline heater would be the cat's ass IMHO, no worries about checking a propane tank, no problems in NYC tunnels and because most of my trips are to the beach, a hot water shower after a New England winter surf session would be sweet. My biggest concern at this point is the battery draw for the stock rear heater fan. Haven't done a load test to see how many amps they run and how much battery i'm going to need.

Good luck with your project. I searched for 2 years and couldn't find anyone in the U.S. that sells a top like that. Several places sell the high top, just not for an Astro van. I ended up getting a 10 1/2" top installed. Total cost was about $2200 of which $500 was labor. That extra headroom makes the interior much more comfortable and provides alot of extra storage space. I should have my interior completed this spring and will post some pics once it's finished.
Cheers,
Joe

H2OJoe wrote:Good luck with your project. I searched for 2 years and couldn't find anyone in the U.S. that sells a top like that. Several places sell the high top, just not for an Astro van. I ended up getting a 10 1/2" top installed. Total cost was about $2200 of which $500 was labor. That extra headroom makes the interior much more comfortable and provides alot of extra storage space. I should have my interior completed this spring and will post some pics once it's finished.
Cheers,
Joe

http://www.fiberglassme.com/lightbox2.02/van.tops.html

I've got my quote from them already, seems legit