DIY Pop Top Camper Build – 2000 Jeep Cherokee
This redesigned pop-top camper build scaled down traditional fiberglass mold-making and production into a one-man job.
In the early months of 2020 I went all in on this project and came out the other end with a custom built camper top. The design is inspired by the Westfalia top from a 1970’s Volkswagen bus, modernized to fit the body style of the Cherokee. This writeup gives a quick look at the process used.
How It’s Made
The first step of this build was the in-depth process of designing the “plug”, a fiberglass and foam replica of the final fiberglass profile to be produced.
Once the camper top design matched the body lines and dimensions of my Cherokee, the real work could begin. I cast a fiberglass mold around the design, constructed of tooling gelcoat, CSM (chopped-strand-mat) and polyester resin (totaling 1/4″ thickness).
The mold was then wrapped in a steel-tube exoskeleton to maintain rigidity & precise fit. This fiberglass process allowed for a clean and custom profile shaped specifically for my 2000 Jeep Cherokee Build.
The part (finalized pop top camper) is constructed of black production-grade gelcoat, CSM and vinyl ester resin (totaling 3/16″ thickness). The build process also integrated a laminated cedar/epoxy interior that added further rigidity to the central plane of the camper shell.
A new scissor-lift hinge system was fabricated from some 1/2″ steel flat bar allowing for a Westfalia wedge-style tent to be used. The top raises to a stable ~3 foot height at the rear and a raised ~12 inches of clearance along the front.
Nylon flange bearings (shoulder washers) were installed at all pivot points to reduce friction and provide a smooth opening & closing of the camper.
Epoxy resin was applied liberally at all fastening points that drilled through the fiberglass top (waterproofing) and 1″ plus fender washers were used as added insurance against stress cracking.
The overall outcome resulted in a professional grade camper top unique to the current small truck camper and van-life scene. This little jeep provides maximum comfort in a small footprint ideal for tighter trails and travels.
Want to see more on the full DIY Pop-Top Camper build process?
Stay tuned & check out the full build below!
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