Van Roof Extension

Building the extended frame.

Van roof extension.

Stand tall with a professionally installed tufport van top. Lot s of room in the loft even with the sleeping platform in place. The sides and rear of the roof cut out are framed with 14 gauge steel bolted to the van roof. We transform ford econoline chevy express and gmc savana vans.

This heavy steel frame reinforces the roof supports the optional bed and is the base for the elevating assembly. Your van interior will have up to 76 inches of headroom so you can move around inside comfortably. Make sure your installer knows how to reinforce the sidewalls and top at the very least. Caravan chrysler plymouth town and country use the same top.

We put the studs on 16 centers with a 5 degree lean to make the walls of the extension match the curve of the van. The idea was to make a frame cover it with 22 plywood anchor it the van with screws fill the voids rear corners with spray foam red cans that cost about 3 at a hardware or building supply store coat this with laminating resin fiberglass over the corners and edges of this structure first with 1 1 2oz fiberglass mat then over the entire structure with 10 oz. If you do not see a hight that you require give us a call custom work also available to satisfy your needs. Actually we feel the roof is stronger after the penthouse has been installed.

Savage pooh added a 1 by 2 strip on the top side of the topper lip to cushion the bolts a little then covered the entire edge with metal edging for a smooth finish. I ve seen the most success with wrecker s yards pick your part locations. Mini van tops from 12 and above work great with side and rear handicap lifts. It is very important that the roof be properly designed airflow to reduce noise.

We figured if 2 4 s are good enough for a house they are good enough for a van. Looking at the extracted roof on the ground while matt makes a precise cut around the frame. I chose to leave about 18 of the original roof at the rear because i plan to use that space for storage. If you re comfortable cutting a hole in the roof of your van you should be able to install a high top yourself.

Once the top is in place it is simply a matter of bolting it onto the van. All of our full size van tops work great with side or rear wheelchair lifts. As with anything used check craigslist local wrecker s yards and van specific forums. It easily passed the fmvss 216 roof crash test see below.

Noise your van is going to sound much different with a raised roof. Occupants may be ejected through the open hole. Be very careful with the edges of the original roof. Part of the original van roof can be left intact to help support cabinetry and other structures that will be attached to the high top.

First step though is finding a suitable top. You must cut the reinforced steel cross members to install the raised roof.