Coast Mountain Hightop Install

[dieseltdi]

For those of you that followed a brief thread on getting CMHT to Texas, I am one of the two that ordered and received the tops. Unfortunately, the shipper from Oregon to Texas managed to cause significant edge damage to both of the tops so repairs will be required and insurance claims have been filed. Anyway, I was going to just connect this up to my TDI conversion thread but decided that a separate thread was best. I have just started but am already delayed by the extreme temperatures we are having here in Texas. I had one good day of work to throughly clean the interior (degreaser, water rinse and then a good rubdown with Goof Off to remove any other residue. I then approached the task of finding a centerline in a top that has virtually no straight edges. That is now accomplished and when the weather cools a bit in the mornings, I will get back at it, adding insulation, supports for vent and AC and wiring. I have included 2 pics. One is the pristine top when it left Oregon and the second is the top upside down in my covered awing area. The tape and the pipe insulation along the edges serves two purposes: 1) protect the damaged areas until I can get them fixed and 2) protect my arms and other body parts from interaction with relatively sharp fiberglass!! Will update as I go along.

_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[leecat]

Seems they would have been wise to tape some pipe insulation to the edges before it shipped...

[dieseltdi]

plus the shipper stood them on one end against a golf cart so most of the damage was on that one end. Although they did manage to cause numerous edge chips scratchers and gouges.
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[leecat]

Man - what kind of person thinks, "Well, doesn't matter if we wreck it, as long as we get it there!"

"Here's your five-piece high-top! Enjoy!"

[rowan]

[leecat]

Should add that I'm very interested in your high-top install, because I drive right past the manufacturer at least 3 or 4 times a year - my sunroof van cries out for a high-top and I'm really on the fence about it. No shipping cost or (clearly) risk is a huge consideration.

[dieseltdi]

I thought I had decided to go with a low profile 120 volt unit from Recpro.com. Problem is how far it places the interior vent forward over the roof of the cab rather than within the camper space. The other option is one of he china made 12 volt ac units which are much smaller lengthwise but would still be too far forward. Either way I would probably have to construct some kind of ducts to actually route the cool air into the camper section. Of course the 12 volt one would require a minimum 200 ah lithium battery at even more cost. Still at the measuring and figuring stage. The low profile 120 volt unit and one of the china made units (a clone of the dometic) are essentially priced the same and weigh about the same.
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[dieseltdi]

These two pictures show my dilemma as far as the two different AC units. The first picture with the plywood, represents the position of the low profile 120 volt ac unit (only 3 " wider on each side) with the big square X'ed out 14" where the hole will be in the top. The small piece of blue tape on the far wall of the top is the end of the cab and beginning of the camper portion of the van, front is to the right. As you can see, this puts the inside unit VERY far forward. Now you can close one set of vents completely and direct all the cooled air out one side but it isn't ideal. The second picture is the approximate foot print of the 12 volt AC that I am looking at and the smaller piece of paper is the interior unit in it approximate position. It is much farther back but it only has outlets on the front which I would most likely need to build some ducting to point towards the back of the camper. A puzzle indeed. Personally, I would rather go with the 120 unit as I rarely camp in the summer without electricity (too hot in Texas) but the 12 volt unit has its upside also. What think yea?

_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[tjet]

Cool idea (pun intended).

Do you have a link for the air conditioners that you're talking about?

[dieseltdi]

120 volt unit:
https://www.recpro.com/rv-air-conditioner-low-profile-9-5k-quiet-ac-with-remote-control-non-ducted/

The 12 volt unit on eBay (thought there are many others available besides this one):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166239088189?_trkparms=ni...noapp=true
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[tjet]

My inverter gen can power that 120v unit

I have one of these.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/champion...-generator

[dieseltdi]

So I have decided not to decide on the AC at this moment. I am going to start at the back and begin the process of installing insulation and I am going to put my FAntatic Fan in the back so I will need to add reinforcement for the 14x14" hole. I need to make sense of the AC stuff though. I am thinking of constructing a cardboard model of the 120 volt AC rooftop unit just to see how much room it actually take up on the roof.
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[shagginwagon83]

Have you considered a small mini split? I saw where someone mounted the radiator behind the high top.

_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[jimf909]

[DuncanS]

What's the story with the spare tire sail sticking out at right angles to the car? I assume that's a swing out feature which has to be in the "sail" position to open the slider.

Agree, a tour would be very interesting. License Plate? Lots 'o windage. Fuel mileage? Engine? Tranny? Suspension? Brakes?

Note the swing out box is mounted directly to the body tin. There must be some serious backing plates behind the bolts.

Duncan

[dieseltdi]

Ug(ly) and no! If I went with a split, they make ones that mount underneath that already has a thread somewhere. I wonder if that van actually ever leaves the pavement like a lot of the 4x4 Jeeps. All show and no actual go!
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!

[DuncanS]

Now, now. Remember how our mothers used to say; "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all". Ev just had to step in a lock a topic about how our community treats posters.

It may be ugly and over the top and only go to Walmart to buy potato chips, but apparently he has been willing to toss serious wampum at it so who are we to say he has no idea what he's doing.?

People have plenty of opportunity to criticize me by saying I have no idea of what I'm doing,,,,,,,,,,,,,and much of the time they are right.

Duncan

[danfromsyr]

that 12v unit draws 1250watts.. that's 96-100amps at 12-13v.

A/C ain't cheap.. in power consumption or $$$$

[tjet]

[dieseltdi]

Well I pulled the trigger and purchased one of the 12 volt AC units, not the one from the original link, but one from the same company Treeligo, but in a smaller form factor with will bring it much closer to the correct spot in the van. No pictures or anything at this time as it is just hellishly hot here in Texas, 111 degrees F today, and I can't really get out and work on the top. I have begun the process of upgrading my charging set up as I will be upgrading to lithium batteries, so I have a Renogy DC/DC charger and solar controller and I have had for some time, an RV style converter/inverter that is lithium compatible for those times when I have access to 120 volts to plug into. Looks like I will be doing a lot of rewiring, and moving things around. Hayden
_________________
Currently:
1982 Vanagon Westy TDI conversion
2022 ID.4 Pro S
2015 Golf Sportwagen S TDI
Way too many previously owned to list!