Homemade Camper – Converting a 2000 Jeep Cherokee into a Pop Top:
Episode 1 of the Pop Top Builder Series documents the prep work and methodology behind a DIY Pop-Top Conversion.
Follow along as a vintage Westfalia camper top is redesigned specific to a classic Jeep Cherokee. The builder series is a multi-part Youtube series that documents DIY fiberglass mold making.
Pop-Top Builder Series – Episode 1 Details:
- Jeep Westfalia Camper Origins
- VW Westfalia Refurbishing & Redesign
- DIY Fiberglass Moldmaking Introduction
- Fiberglass Moldmaking: Pour Foam Process
- Custom Fiberglass Shaping & Profiles
Pop Top Builder Series: Episode 2 – Custom Shaping
Subscribe For Episode 3 – Dropping Soon!
More Details, Content & Connections:
Read More – DIY Pop-Top: Westfalia Retrofit
Read More – DIY Pop-Top: Finished Mold & Part (Fiberglass)
Homemade Camper: Questions & Answers:
Questions on the Pop Top Builder Series Process?
Comment Below!
Pop-Top Builder Series: Episode 1 Transcript
The Pop Top Builder series.
An in-depth look into the process, timeline and outcome of converting a Jeep Cherokee into a hand-built camper.
A compact, capable and travel ready rig.
Fiberglass mold making: Bring the wildest of ideas to life
with minimal tech or tools required.
Hands on work that any DIY
enthusiast can pick up with time.
The end result: Let’s get down to the details.
The original build arose from a retired Westfalia camper.
This top had been roughly retrofitted to the Jeep prior, but this go around would be used as a starting point to a full redesign.
The VW pop top would be reshaped and then replicated through fiberglass
mold making.
With the old top pulled, I went at it with some ballpark measurements and sliced this old westy to a newly perfected fit.
You can see here just how much was trimmed off the original Westy Top.
Following the trimming, a little prep went a long way to clean up the fiberglass edges.
The camper top was mated back up to the jeep and double
checked for fitment along all edges.
This trim fit well, but the next issue to solve was the open rear profile.
When fiberglass has an open face with no flange, it loses a great deal of structure.
This lack of stiffness meant it would likely distort when reproduced.
This rear profile needed locked in place before mold-making could really begin.
With a new set of measurements, I headed back outside. . .
I started by cutting and fitting a lumber cross beam at the base.
This would square things up for good.
I had an idea of what form and measurements the rear profile would take – then proceeded to put it onto paper, templates, and thin ply scrap.
I chopped and sanded a few more components: These would work as stringers to keep the profile symmetrical and aligned.
All together, the stringers and cross-brace would form a skeleton for the rear profile to shape around.
You’ll see in the next video exactly how this brings a custom fiberglass shape to life.
Each stringer was spaced evenly and would have shaping foam constructed around it – to allow for flexibility and a custom profile while maintaining square and even measurements.
The process came to mind from watching surfboard shapers work, using the centerline stringer to provide a base plane for the contours to follow.
Instead of blind shaping, an identifiable base shape is given to the surrounding foam.
Keep watching to see this
come to life. . .
With a bit more slicing and dicing, the skeleton was finally affixed to the rear end of the top and snugged in place.
I took time measuring and spacing each of these stringers to save headaches when later shaping the foam.
Working around the two by three crossbeam and snugged skeleton, I tied everything together with a backboard and a few screws.
It’s just about ready for foam.
Some more thin-ply board was trimmed, painted and waxed to box in the foam pouring area.
Before that was affixed, some additional reinforcements came to life to hold everything in place.
I built this rear-end to be modular in nature so that it could easily be removed and protected while the rest of the top would see further custom work.
With everything finally tied together, I boxed in the rear profile once
and for all.
Duct tape would take care of most all the seams and crevices between components. Shaping foam would stay right where it needed to.
You can see here how the skeleton and foam pour structure would take shape.
Hot glue worked great to secure these sheets in place: Strong enough yet provides for quick release down the road.
Two-part polyurethane pour foam was then used to fill in around the wooden stringers.
This stuff expands a good bit and is more consistent than most any spray foam. It can be sanded and cut quite well.
The foam itself is a simple 50/50 mix and quite easy to pour.
I went with this material instead of polyester block foam as it can seamlessly work itself around unwieldy shapes and curves.
Because only the outer edge would need sanded down, I filled the core with scrap to limit the volume of foam required.
A last coat of release wax, some glue to hold things in place, and the foam pour continued.
It’s best to pour this all in one batch for consistent density.
It expanded, and expanded some more.
So much so that the outer sheets began to bulge and were taped back in place to keep shape.
The first chapter was done and custom shaping could really begin.
We’ll leave that for the next episode.
Stay tuned by subscribing and turning on notifications.
As always, find more build references, links and content in the description below.
Until next time!
Related Content:
DIY Pop-Top – Finished Redesign (Fiberglass Mold & Production)