T25 Pop top - Autohomes roof - Inner rot repair

[Gallen]

Hi guys,

Firstly - Hello. This is my first post.

I've just taken on a 1983 T25 Wedge. She's a CI Autohomes camper.
She has a pop top which is in externally good condition. However the inside of the roof is in a bit of trouble.
The inside of the very top Pop-top section needs a refurb - if possible (??????).

The pop top is a hinged hard-sided type (not fabric)
infact exactly the same as on p96 of the May 2011 issue of Volksworld Camper & Bus.

The top (extending) section of the roof has a fibre glass outer skin.
From what I can see, this is lined with a polystyrene backing of around 3/4 inch thick.
On to the polystyrene is a chip/fibre board which has got damp and is shot - It has the consistency and the stuctural integrity of weetabix.
The fibre board then appears to be "wall papered" - which is of course pealing.

The rest of the roof is in good condition.
The hinges for the side panels (which are attached to the top part of the roof) could do with replacing. These hinges run the length of the top of the roof but these are not stuctural. They're just rusted. (Wonder where I can get such a long hinge???????).

Has anybody re-furbed a CI Autohomes roof?
Is it possible? (I cant stretch to a replacement - nor can I see that she really needs a new roof).

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Gallen.

[lloydy]

Hi, these people do refurbs/replacements
http://www.autovan.co.uk/kamper_roof_1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Gallen]

Hi Lloyd - thanks for that link. Looked promising but I spoke to them yesterday.

In all honesty they seemed to just want to sell me a complete new roof without really listening to me!
I'm sure this is the "best" solution, but possibly not for me

[colinthefox]

Hi Gallen, and welcome.

I had exactly the same problem as you several years ago. (I found my Kamper in a camp site where it had been abandoned by it's proud owners).I stripped and rebuilt the top boxy bit from scratch using sheet aluminium, wood, polystyrene, plywood, and loads of builders adhesive. The results were actually quite good, and I had a waterproof roof which we used for a few years.

However, I soon realised that the Autohomes Kamper roof has the aerodynamics and handling of a brick "pooh", and with only a 1.6N/A diesel to drag it around, decided to build something slimmer and lighter myself. The results of the new roof have been a vast improvement in the performance, fuel consumption, handling, tyre wear, wind noise, and just about everything else.

Just wanted to give you some food for thought. The Kamper roof is just about OK when it's waterproof, but there is scope for a huge improvement.

[colinthefox]

Oops, I see the swear filter has intervened. Never mind.

Oh, and those piano hinges are available from any builders merchant or DIY store in 900mm lengths.

[brander]

Hi Gallen - well, I've just spent the whole Easter weekend removing and refurbing our Autohomes Kamper roof. It's aluminium sheet with (very wet) polystyrene glued underneath, (rotten) timber round the edges, (sodden) chipboard on the polystyrene, with wallpaper round the edges and hardboard ceiling. Removing it wasn't too bad. I took the top side panels off the roof first, then the upper end panels and then the struts.

Once off, I stripped it back to the aluminium sheet, put a new timber frame in (held by screws all the way round the metal strip round the side under the black seal - the screws were all rusted and had to be drilled out), bonded some Jablite polystyrene boards onto the aluminium (B&Q), and I'm going to finish off with new hardboard ceiling on top of that tomorrow. Then I'll renew all the sealant with Sikaflex. I've got new continuous hinges for the side panels and need to repair a couple of splits in the black vinyl roof skirt. The only thing I'd do differently in hindsight is replace the aluminium sheet - I noticed today that's it's got some tiny pinhole perforations which need filling. I think I'm going to fit the upper hinged panels while the roof's off. Not quite figured out how I'm going to get it all back on yet though! If anyone's got any tips they'd be gratefully received...

I'll maybe take a few pics tomorrow before I put the ceiling back in. Let me know how you get on.

[colinthefox]

Agree about the pinholes. They are caused by bimetal corrosion between steel staples holding the timber battens together, and the ally sheet, and you have to find them ALL to stop the water getting in. And lets face it, the water has all the time in the world to get in. Wonderful bit of design, that was. The killer problem was that the timber where the brackets for the gas struts was fixed had rotted.

About getting the roof back on...... I tied mine up under the roof of a shed, then reversed the van underneath. Then I seem to remember having a problem with the roof potentially slipping sideways when I tried to prop it up from inside to fix the struts (and after the struts were fixed), so I used two large rectangles of plywood across the van between the skirt and the roof instead of props to give sideways stability. Once you have a few of the screws in the hinges this doesn't happen any more.

[colinthefox]

Just remembered another thing about the roof. The new roof needs to be made with slightly curved ribs from side to side, or the roof soon sags a little, then becomes a pond, and the weight of water then bends it all even more........

[brander]

Cheers Colin - all helpful stuff.

I wondered what had caused the pinholes where the timber side batons were and that makes sense. We noticed the sideways slip when I took the last end panel off - the struts wobble around no end then. Not sure my neighbour enjoyed laying on his back in the top bed holding the roof up while I took the struts off - don't suppose it helped when I started laughing!

I noticed the slight bow in the roof and tried to replicate that by shoving extra insulation down the centre from front to rear - hopefully, I've done enough fingers crossed.

I sealed it all yesterday and my wife and I somehow managed to lift it back on this evening. It's in situ but not yet fixed onto the struts and end panels. Oh, and I haven't got the side panels back on yet either. I'll probably have to lift it off again to do that but I needed to see where everything bolts onto the new timber. Anyway, it's probably more waterproof now than it was before - can't be any worse that's for sure!

[colinthefox]

Thought you might like this:-

http://www.justkampers.com/forum2/viewt ... f#p2207169

[brander]

Cheers Colin - your new roof looks great. Do you still have the mould by any chance?

[colinthefox]

Yes. Still got the mould, but it's a multi part mould so took it apart as it's HUGE. It will need rebuilding before I make any more. Still got my original spare roof cap though.

[aec]

Hi Gallen - well, I've just spent the whole Easter weekend removing and refurbing our Autohomes Kamper roof

Hi brander - I'm currently contemplating whether to ditch our kamper pop up for a hi top or attempt a repair. Did you have any photos of what you've done with yours? If so, any chance you could post some? Cheers!

[TravellingChick]

Autovan just re-conn'd my roof at a pretty penny! I am hoping it lasts a damn good while now - especially as the entire cap is a single piece of fibreglass.

The side flap hinge locking mechanism is still rubbish tho!

[brander]

Hi brander - I'm currently contemplating whether to ditch our kamper pop up for a hi top or attempt a repair. Did you have any photos of what you've done with yours? If so, any chance you could post some? Cheers!

To be honest, it's not an easy DIY task. We can't get down our driveway (under a low arch) with a hightop so that's why I had a go at a refurb. If I had the choice, I might go for a hightop. I suspect that I spent almost as much on materials as a new hightop would've cost. Eventually, I might go for the Autovans roof but need to save some pennies for that!

If you do want to try it, you'll need a good few days, a couple of helpers and I'd be happy to guide you through what I discovered about taking it off, refurbing it, and hardest of all, getting it all back on again. Originally, I only intended to replace the soggy wood where the front left strut is attached but soon ended up stripping the entire roof, building a new timber frame, new insulation, new ply ceiling, and renewing all the piano hinges on all of the end and side panels. In hindsight, there are a few things I found out during the process that I would've done differently had I known about them beforehand. Also, it's hard to replicate the original bow in the roof and to get it all done without causing a bit of damage to the black vinyl skirt (that still needs patching up now).

BTW, although I decided to take the whole thing off to renew everything, if you have an isolated problem, you might be able to repair it in situ. It's possible to take one strut off at a time with the roof fully elevated. It's also possible to do front or back with the other end tied down with ratchet straps or similar. But a word of warning, if you let the roof go up with the end panels off, you lose all side rigidity - the struts will pull the roof sideways quite drastically, it's hard to hold and very difficult to get it back down again. And whatever you do, be careful with the struts - they're very strong and must be fully extended before you attempt to take them off or for that matter, put them back on.