How to install a campervan roof - Streamline PopTop Roofs

Step One

Start by removing the headlining inside the van to move the wiring that runs along the underside. From inside the cab, the headlining and the trim down the pillars needs to be removed.

Step Two

Front and rear strengthening beams are fitted on the underside of the van’s roof. The front strengthening beam needs to be trial fitted and marked to see where to cut the roof. Holes are drilled from inside to show where to cut.

Step Three

Sitting on the roof of the van, measurements can be taken to mark where to cut the large hole that will be covered by the elevating roof. These measurements line up with the holes cut in the last step.

Step Four

All glass and upholstery is protected (headlining is refitted) before cutting the roof. Use an angle grinder with cutting discs to remove the outer skin. They usually wear out half a dozen cutting discs.

Step Five

Once the outer skin of the roof has been cut out, the headlining can be removed again and the roof can be peeled off – it’s only held on with silicone to the roof’s strengthening beams. This large steel panel isn’t required anymore.

Step Six

The strengthening beams that run across the hole in the roof need to be removed. They can be cut with an angle grinder and cutting disc, although the front-most one is easier to cut with a jigsaw and long blade.

Step Seven

After painting the cut edges of the roof to stop corrosion, the front and rear strengthening beams are secured to the underside of the remaining roof using a Sikaflex silicone-based adhesive and pop rivets.

Step Eight

Two sill-shaped side beams are supplied in the kit and need to be trimmed to fit flush with the front and rear strengthening beams. These are also secured with silicone and pop rivets along the top and underneath.

Step Nine

With the strengthening for the elevating roof complete, the sides of the van are trimmed in carpet, then the elevating roof can be trial fitted, measured and marked to show its position on the van.

Step Ten

The elevating roof shown here uses hinges at the rear and gas rams at the front. Measurements are supplied in the kit to show where to drill mounting holes through the van’s existing roof gutter.

Step Eleven

After drilling the mounting points for the elevating roof’s hinges and gas rams, the roof is fitted and secured in position. It needs to be raised to fit the gas rams, making sure there’s nothing in the way.

Step Twelve

The final job in the conversion is to fix the canvas sides for the elevating roof. These are clamped, glued and screwed to the top of the van, making sure they are taut when the roof is raised and sit inside the roof when it’s lowered.

Finished

Once the project is finished, the first thing you’ll enjoy is avoiding a stiff neck or back; no longer needing to stoop to make a cuppa. There is something grand about stretching out and the feeling of light and space. But the most obvious benefit is that you can also make a two-berth camper into a fourberth camper – essential if you have kids. This key modification will add value to your bus as well as value to your experience, as your van becomes a campervan!