Due to some nasty rust around where the fitters at Autohomes decided to screw my pop top into the roof I need to figure out how to remove the Poptop.
I think my van is a Autosleeper Trooper (1983). There is no vissible rivets on the outside and the inside is fitted with carpet materiel so again cannot see any of the fixings
Does anyone have any ideas or knowledge of these poptops?
tell them its a solid sided pop top.
i think its bolted inside, where they removed the C pillar roof strut and blow the big springs front and back with strength plates .
thats the difference tween autosleeper and autohomes(sprite CI)
the autohomes have the chipboard roof and gas rams that dont hold them up!
Well it doesn't have to be removed fully, but the welders need the front raised to get to the rot that has occurred from when it was screwed into the roof on installation all those years ago. Its leaked at rotten away the upper window screen corners.
So is my van a autosleeper or autohomes conversion? Sorry I don't know much about this kind of thing.
If it is mainly glued down is there anyway to remove it without damaging it? I know I could fibreglass the holes and bodge a repair but really want to do this properly, so it's got to be raised a little somehow for the work
It's an Autosleeper .
the interior will suffer the most damage as the lining would have to be ripped off to get at the sides to cut through the glue and any other fixings.
Have you asked at the Autosleeper owners club? (AOC) ... though I think you have to pay to join.
I am surprised they didn't reply I have had good responses so far at Autosleeper
Hi
I have this exact model (without the body kit though!) and it isn't obvious how Autosleepers stuck the roof on. If you are taking off the whole roof moulding and not just the pop top bit then you could start by removing the two light fittings up on the interior side rails and also the ZIG unit too if is fitted up there. Peering into the voids behind these units on mine while doing some rewiring, I could see where the original van roof had been cut and bent back (by Autosleepers skilled fitters ) but access to the inner side of the main roof moulding would not be possible with removing the interior trim at roof level. The roof moulding is also heavily sealed all the way round at gutter level and all this would need digging out too. Not sure how the pop top is fixed to the main roof moulding but I'm guessing more interior trim would need to be removed. Autosleepers seem to build everything from the outside in, covering up fixings as they went.
I contacted Autosleeper and joined website mentioned above but not much info from either. Autosleeper fitting department seemed to think there are some screws behind carper on inside and lots of bond around.
I noticed a slight drip at the rear corner of the van too so I am going to try and get the whole roof off so the welders can do a proper job in one go.
Providing I clean the old sealant off well would it be a difficult job re-attaching the roof?
Not sure how best to approach this because even the auto welders / restorers aren't sure how the roof is attached so I think it is probably safer and cheaper to deal with the roof myself.
OK as winter season is approaching I wont be using her as much so really need to get all the rot sorted for the rustoleum paint job I want to carry out early next year.
I have been given fragments of info here and there but nothing solid of how to remove this roof. I need to decide whether I can viably remove the roof to save cash with welders having to figure out / do it or to leave it to them and pay more.
So a few questions if I may:
Is it viable to remove this roof with 2 people?
If so does anyone have first hand experience removing this exact model of room? Autosleeper seem to have bonded it as no external rivets, but what else holds it down?
Is it a straight forward job replacing the roof and making it water tight?
) but access to the inner side of the main roof moulding would not be possible with removing the interior trim at roof level. The roof moulding is also heavily sealed all the way round at gutter level and all this would need digging out too. Not sure how the pop top is fixed to the main roof moulding but I'm guessing more interior trim would need to be removed. Autosleepers seem to build everything from the outside in, covering up fixings as they went.