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Old 06-11-2007, 09:37 AM   #21
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Nice pics there Steve, wow, your lift mechanisms are TOTALLY different from mine! I wonder if it's a Compact II VS Compact Jr thing though or what?
I do get the impression, from the various pics I've seen, that a CJ has (because of it having a LONGER popup than a C2) two different lift points on each side of the popup, while a C2 like mine (with the shorter length popup section) only has one lift point on each side.
(My sister took the pics so any praise properly belongs to her.) Sis' CJ defintely has two lift points per side (four total), and the pop-up roof is full-length. You basically push the top up by hand, then pin the legs so it doesn't come back down again. In the down position, there are three Jeep hood latches to hold it, plus the lift mechanisms get pinned too.

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Also, I would never have thought that any Compact would need a vent on the popup since it has the little vent windows all around. I guess that's just a personal preference though...
Heh. Never thought of that.

But it's perfectly feasible to use the trailer with the pop-top down (especially if you're short), and the vent would be handy then. (feeble rationalization, I know.)
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Old 06-11-2007, 02:39 PM   #22
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I'll try to get pictures up later today. Mine has the spring and frame on the outside and inside it has hooks you pull down and latch to KEEP it from going up.

While we are on this: The Campster seems to have a very solid support just fore of the pop-top. I was thinking of putting a room AC up there (set it in place for use, with some kind of support, and remove it in transit. I'd just have to pop the screen out of that section of the top. Any opinions?

Bobbie
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Old 06-12-2007, 10:00 AM   #23
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Here's the pop-top mechanism on my Campster. This is on the outside on either side. It doesn't spring up spontaneously but a little boost sends it up. Inside, there are handles on bungees that you pull down, and then lock to keep it down. There are also cabinet-type handles to help you pull it down. The spring runs along the bottom of the X of the mechanism; if you want a close up of it I can send you a higher resolution picture if you email me.

Bobbie
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Old 06-12-2007, 11:51 AM   #24
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Trailer: 1972 Compact Jr (some interior mods)
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Thanks Bobby.That mechanism looks good for the smaller pop
top.It is much like the set up on my old 69 VW campmobile.
I like the idea of the ribs made for the bigger tops on the C-J
and plan to do that to help support the extra weight the carpet
puts on the top.I may go to the junk yard and find a VW
camper to get the inside bar that was in the middle of the
top.That was very helful in raising and lowering.
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Old 06-12-2007, 05:12 PM   #25
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Hey Bobbie,
Great pic there, gives me some idea of how yours works. I'm still a little unsure though, so once you have gotten the top up, between the spring and you pushing up on it a little, does it just stay up, or is there some prop rod or something, or what?

On my CII, there are springs, but I think they're just meant as helpers, to get the top up a little easier. THen once you get the top fully up, there's another special brace that swings down and screws into the 'lock' position with a thumbscrew. There is one of these braces on each of it's two scissor mechanisms. My top also has four of the (apparently traditional) Jeep hood style hold downs that hold the top in the down position, for traveling, storage or whatever.
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Old 06-12-2007, 05:33 PM   #26
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Hey Bobbie,
Great pic there, gives me some idea of how yours works. I'm still a little unsure though, so once you have gotten the top up, between the spring and you pushing up on it a little, does it just stay up, or is there some prop rod or something, or what?
I'm pretty sure it will just stay up. Right now one of the springs is loose so I prop one side up with a piece of wood but once I fix it I think it will pop up and stay. But the Campster has only a short roof that pops up so it is probably lighter.

Bobbie
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Old 06-16-2007, 12:17 AM   #27
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Joseph, I really like the idea of a Hunter Structures Only rally! How about near Olympia, Washington State? tee-hee.

My brother Steve did a ton of updates/redos/modifications on Junior over the winter. Re-doing the pop-top roof's cross-bars was certainly a big thing, though. He said when it got done it would look like the Sistine Chapel, it had taken so much craftsmanship, and by golly, in my eyes seeing the completed project indeed it DID look somewhat like the Sistine Chapel!

Cory in Olympia, WA


P.S. Guess what this is, and what it's for?
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Old 06-16-2007, 12:35 AM   #28
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I mean this:
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Old 06-18-2007, 01:24 PM   #29
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So Cory,
What is that for? Are you going to put in an AC unit, or a bunk just for the dog?

Bobbie & I have talked about a Cracked egg rally, sounds like fun, lets do it somewhere in Calif.

Linda
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Old 06-19-2007, 06:07 AM   #30
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[]
Steve....How long are each roof brackets before shaping the ends and putting the
bow in? How many are needed?Did you build a bending jig to put the arch in
so they are uniform?
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Old 06-19-2007, 07:56 AM   #31
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Steve....How long are each roof brackets before shaping the ends and putting the
bow in? How many are needed?Did you build a bending jig to put the arch in
so they are uniform?
The bows are about 48 inches long. There are five of them.

I removed the poptop from the trailer and built a jig in my workshop to hold it upside down. The center of the jig was half an inch lower than the edges, so when I put bricks inside the top, the center portion was deflected down (upward when installed on the trailer) half an inch, and voila, there was my roof contour.

I then built one master rib, taking care to get it symmetrical and a nice tight fit against the underside of the deflected top, and then built four more using the master as a template. The ribs were not all exactly alike, so I stamped a letter into each one to keep them organized. I was able to fine-tune the lengths of the downturned ends so that they'd "snap" into place above the edge molding, which held them while I drilled the holes and bolted them into place.

Each rib is held by two 1/4 inch stainless screws at each end, with rubber sealing washers.

I was careful to leave enough space between the aft two ribs so that if Sis ever wants to replace her 9-inch vent with a bigger one (fantastic fan?) she'll have space to do it.

One problem that emerged was that since the roof is a lot stiffer, I was unable to insert the locking pins in the lift mechanisms when the top is down--I couldn't deflect it downwards enough to make the holes line up. I ended up making 1/4 inch plastic spacers to put under the upper lift mechanism brackets, spacing them downwards 1/4 inch, and now the holes line up fine.
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Old 06-19-2007, 09:27 AM   #32
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[quote]I mean this:
Attachment 8309

It's a cabinet to take a trunk (full o' camping gear). I combined two vertically-hinged doors into one horizontally-hinged one which lies flat on the floor when open. The raised wood strips are skid rails; the short vertical pieces are pivoting stops to keep the trunk from sliding back out again and knocking the door open.

It's all Sis' idea. She plops her enormous old trunk onto the door and slides it into the recess, then flips up the stops and closes the door. Easy to access the trunk whether she's inside or outside the trailer.

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Old 06-19-2007, 05:35 PM   #33
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Thanks Steve........for the data on the roof supports.I will get at
it.There is always a way or two to get locking pins to work if
it changes height.Yours look very good.Now that the top is covered
with rug.It sags just a little.The braces will take that out.
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