I'm late to this... However, I would go with the wedge pop top. I would hindge it on the rear. Reasons, in a sudden high wind situation it will give much easier, minimizing damage. Hinge on the rear because, you can just as easily park ass end to the east, and your entrance point is to the front of the camper space. Lastly..you have to be careful how you park a diesel engine. You dont want to park it face into the wind...use the vehicle to brake the wind around the engine. Parking into the wind is a good way to get stuck in the middle of cold nowhere as the engine fails to start.....I'm doing something similar with a surplus military humvee. Love your ambition, and creative excellence!!!!
I personally like the idea of going straight up for more headroom and you'd end up with 2 separate spaces for personal space with 2 people. The wedge seems ok for a solo setup and puts the solar at a more efficient angle though. It's surprising the amount of people that get obsessed with minor little details and lose track of the end goal, in the grand scheme of things having the tire on the roof and square sides and corners on the living unit is not gonna make or break a trip. This build has a nice mix of innovation and tried and true design along with the gas vs diesel question, good stuff.
Still impressed with your level of transparency as to not just WHAT you did but WHY you did it that way. I'm also glad you're emphasizing getting it "good enough" so you can actually get out there. Far too many people forget that the overland lifestyle is about WHERE YOU GO not WHAT YOU DROVE to get there. I think we've both learned the lesson over the years a simple reliable rig is more valuable than an overbuilt complicated one.
Having a straight up pop-top truck camper (Oru Designs Bruin), and having a wedge style rooftop tent previously, I'd say definitely go with the straight popup. The extra space is so nice, you can have 360 degree views, and you can sleep with your feet facing the exit so you can get out without disturbing your partner. You don't have to put your feet in the wedge and turn around. It just feels so much roomier and more open than a wedge. Plus in mine the 200 watt solar panel on the roof always seems to be pulling a bunch of power no matter what direction I'm facing.
Hey Dan, I think straight up is the best option. It gives you the most room. Great build. Michael has a great concept that he should definitely produce. I love the idea of using the 4 door wrangler with the frame extension for the spare tire. Enjoy! 🤙
Straight up gets my vote. Have used both the wedge design (Alucab RTT) and have a built in pop up on my LC78 (similar to Cruisinator). The difference in the amount of space is significant and the ventilation is excellent. But mainly I also love being able to lie in bed and have a 360 degree view when dawn starts to break in the African bush and the sound of the birds. A 360 degree view is also rather handy when wildlife decides to visit during the night. One of the supposed benefits of a wedge design is the you can point it into the wind. In my experience it’s overrated as often the wind comes up during the night or changes direction etc and you still get lots of buffeting. If it’s windy I simply just sleep with the roof down as my living area can be converted into a (snug for two) sleeping platform which is still better than being buffeted.
Dan, I would go for the verticle pop-up, especially for your height. Regarding the corners, I thought you might have been able to smooth them out by using rounded corner caps like those found on semi-trailers, cut to size.
I’m one that was chatting with you a bit about that pop up, maybe on Patreon. I forget. Anyway, consider it another vote for a straight pop up, overbuilt so wind isn’t a threat. I’m all for max living space. Looking great!
What I really would like to learn is how to get your presenter's skills. This is just so professional. Even things, you are unsure of, sound so convincing. You just instantly get comfort out of your words
Really looking forward to your kit out videos and what you learn about this project long term. Your videos will be very beneficial should the designer produce additional units. Thanks for sharing.
Dan, My 2 cents: Based on the utility of my James Baroud RTT (vertical pop-up) versus my daughter and son -in-law's AluCab (wedge) my strong preference would be for a vertical pop-up. Way more useful space!
Great video Dan, awesome to hear all the pros and cons! Straight up pop top makes a lot of sense (especially if it's easy to do), having seperate spaces and the additional room will be nice, especially when the weathers bad. I've said it before, can't wait to see the interior 🙂🙂
Shrink up that exit angle, raise the rockers a bit more, make the box more in-line with the body, and extend the box over the whole cab, and I think you could sell these for well over $100k, maybe even in the $200k range. That’s the most capable RV on the planet now. Light, narrow, short, super versatile, solid axles, lockers, and a 90:1 crawl ratio … you’re onto something! I’ll have to wait to catch one on the used market, given the prices I just estimated, though …
I think a straight pop up will give you more space for sleeping and when you are both using the space to hunker down in poor weather. One up top & one down below will be more comfy & workable. Overall great build, good choices & excited to see the finished product.
The pop up, do both! I think all the pros of having it angled is super valid, especially if you’re going to a cold, snowy place. But the increased living space is also important. So… have the front come up 12~18 inches while the rear goes the full height. Best of both worlds, but the most complex to design…
If only "clearview" made towing mirrors for the wrangler, that would have solved all of your problems If you plan on keeping the decals, I think a smaller version on the car doors and bonnet would look good too Excited to see you get out and test this car
Based on my experience with a straight up pop up tent ( james baroud), I trust it's the way to go for the superior space/volume ( big big value). Very wind resistant and the cinematic is not overcomplicated when compared to the folding one. You will not regret it !
I've always wanted to revisit the 180⁰ flippac style. The forward part would be supported by small posts coming down onto the bumper. It'd allow for completely separate living and sleeping areas, allowing you to stand in the kitchen while someone naps in front of you. Obviously, the drawbacks are: the amount of fabric needed, more difficult to open, and any roof mounted solar panels not being exposed while opened. And more than a few others. It's a cool setup though. I'm excited to see how it all comes together
That would be really cool, but after the amount of torrential rain (and snow) I've seen around the world, I'm not comfortable having canvas as the "roof" exposed directly to those elements. I want a hard roof, and just use canvas for the sides that really only see a bit of splash, not direct downpours.
Loving the Build . Thats a dream Machine ❤. As for the roof . A straight up pop top will give you way more living space and comfort . I have spent my life living in trucks . And alway ways more confatable with head room . It would be amazing to have a 3 way roof . Wedge front or back or straight up . That would cater for all weather conditions .
We are traveling Pan-American right now with full popup vertical roof - glad we choose this way of pop up. of course its not ideal for solar but for me its the only disadvantage :) Good luck
I have an AT Summit (wedge) and for me it works. For your needs I'm gonna say (IMO) you should go full pop up like the AT Atlas. When inside space is the goal you want the whole roof to go up.
I grew up with my father owning a 73’ VW pop up camper. Most model you would see had the slanted roof however his popped straight up. It was definitely better.
Consider hinging your roof along one side. Gives you height all the way along the camper without the pinched toes effect. I would hinge it on the drivers side, so that it always sheds snow and water away from your entry door. This would also give you the highest standing height right when you step into the camper. You could also hinge your bed up in the same way and have more headroom below for daytime use.
The main downside to the tire on top is simply having to get it down and then back up on top. I'm sure you'll figure it out though. If you can manage the additional complexity, a full pop top is much better than a wedge for living inside. imho, ymmv Thanks for another great video
I vote for the vertical pop-up. I've owned a wedge style, which was fine for sleeping, but not useful as a place to relax during the day. As someone else mentioned, the ability to point into the wind is not really an advantage when the wind is unpredictable. If the wind is too strong, you'll probably want to lower the top anyway. For the majority of time I think you'll appreciate the greater volume of a popup.
Congratulations Dan, on a great creation........very impressed with the entire project. Best, Max (I am a professional builder and a Gladiator owner so I know what goes into building something like this here rolling custom masterpiece!!) Merry Christmas!!
if you have not decided yet: vertical pop is the way to go. a wedge pop would only make sence if you extend the the cabin over the drivers cabin otherwise it will be too short
Straight pop up is my vote. And whenever you need a hinged one (for better solar pannel performance or strong wind resistance, for exemple), just open one side, lock it, and maintain the other one closed (try to design a hybrid option).
Straight up pop up! NO question. I've had an Ursa. I've had a Super Pacific. I've also had several pop top vans. So much better with a straight up pop up, especially for you doing the miles and long travels you do. The 'split' living space aspect you mentioned is one thing, even more important is that you can lean up against the walls with a straight up pop top to make a lounge area upstairs.
Hello Dan It is always good to hear your thoughts and reasoning on your choices. You are practical and pragmatic and honestly I appreciate your experience and practical wisdom. Wishing you and yours all the best this New Year and safety in your travels. Just wanted to give you our insights on the question about the wedge vs flat roof design. We have an older Four Wheel campers Eagle model on our Ford Ranger Truck. What I appreciate about it is the space and volume it gives you. Having a flat roof allows us to place items at the outside edge; allows for more loft in the bedding; and in our case allows an insulating blanket for cold weather and arctic situations. Our unit is a 2008 build and has a simple hinged diaphragm we lift manually. Light and capable of holding about 1000 lbs of snow load. Again wishing you and yours all the best this new year. From our household in central Alberta to you..
Dan lying in bed in my 15’6” pop top caravan listening to your questions about the top, straight up it’s a no brainer, it would be easier as you say wedged but you lose so much room and with the over centre lever handles as in most vans now you could stand on the roof (if you wanted to) you’re over 6’ I’m 6/7” shorter so just standing and imagining it, you would be cursing later on apart from what Katie would be thinking🙈. (Photos if required)
A roof fairing would be great, even if the spare tire poked out a bit. Much better aero (there's a reason truckers have them), better looks, less noise and maybe a little extra protected storage Keep it simple- get a piece of plastic warm, bend it around the tire, curve it back to the box, slap a top section on it, and get some brackets to attach it in a few places
I was thinking the same thing: Would it be worth building some sort of coaming over the spare wheel, principally to improve aerodynamics? I know that you talked about a “cabover” to provide some extra space, however I’m thinking of a simple “cover” which would be easy to make, cheap, and light. I noticed on the Canada trip that when we were passed by big trucks going the other way at speed the shock as they passed was less from the ones which had an aerodynamic coaming over the cab. A coaming might improve fuel consumption significantly - the cubic cabin “brick” is not very aerodynamic so it will be interesting to see what your consumption is.
You know what might also be useful are those spoilers they used to put on the back of SUV's to direct the boundary layer on the roof down to fill the vacuum. You could even put that on the sides, too!
Go vertical! Add operable windows with screens on all 4 sides of the pop-up, for lots air-flow for when it's super hot and the bugs are looking to eat you!
You can do a semi wedge, where both ends pop up, but one end pops up more than the other. You could also do this side-to-side, where maybe the area on the left side pops up higher than the right so you have some roof slope. Also...if you give up a tiny bit of interior space with the roof down, the pop up roof on the rear of the vehicle could be hard composite material.
Good day Dan, have you entertained the idea of a side hinge with a possible fold out, example would be like a I Kamper tent? Another idea would be to have the roof like a large clam shell, have it open 180 deg and integrate something along the lines of a folding roof tent, this way there would be enough standing room (even for you) and the bed area could be on the folded out portion of the roof.....just tossing these ideas out, and very cool to give Micheal the credit for the design and innovations included into the camper, he does very nice work.
I don't like the idea of having canvas as the "roof" in heavy rain and snow. I want the physical roof to be the roof to take most of the rain, and the canvas will just be the walls.
I have diesel vehicles....one of them is a 2008 Jeep GC with the OM642 V6 Diesel engine. I try to explain diesel engines to other people and they just don't get it. When traveling in a diesel powered vehicle it is so much easier on the driver and the vehicle. One example... The torque minimizes shifts. Similar gas powered vehicles are always shifting gears, raising rpms and noise levels. I can pull 5th gear in my JGC while gas powered vehicles are in 3rd gear. If you took a similar vehicles and drove them the same route the diesel would shift way less than a gas vehicle. I also have a 2018 BMW 328d with a 4 cylinder diesel engine and a 8 speed ZF transmission. Really the best highway cruiser you can get. 50mpgs at 78mph thru various terrain. 78mph is it turning 1600 rpms and will pull down to 1100 before downshifting. Amazing!
Newbe to your channel - loved the episode though am very curious about what the inside looks like and why you have made the choices you have. Looking forward to watching more of your videos (am currently watching your "how to drive overland...." ones. Thanks for sharing your wealth of info - am in the midst of preparing/ reading up/ watch vids for my own overland trip. Hope to meet you on the road one day. Keep up the good video work 😉!
I agree white is cooler than dark colours, but it is not just about colour. Surface reflectivity is also important. A gloss surface reflects more heat than a matt surface. Here in hot Australia, many caravans are made in composites with aluminium frames and they are mainly white, although not always e.g. our Jawa Lowdown is orange. Rather than painting, many caravans are wrapped, which means any colour is possible and the wrap can be reflective. Wrapping puts a protective coat on the composite, and means stains and scratches can simply be replaced with fresh wrap. For example, the roof of our Lowdown is covered in white wrap. So, you might consider wrapping for durability.
BTW diesel is best for long-distance travel. Our 2009 Defender 2.4 TDCI only uses 12-15 l/100kms depending on towing conditions, which is significantly more economical than many vehicles. Over long distances, that saves a lot of money. Diesel has better low-down torque. Plus diesel is available anywhere trucks go, which is everywhere. As for mirrors, they are only really useful for seeing down the sides. Cameras are much better. We have 2 cameras (low and high) on the back of our Defender and a 3rd on the rear of our caravan and they are brilliant. Strongly recommended. As for the popup, our caravan is straight vertical up, lifted by gas struts, although autolift is available. Caravan design could help you. A flat roof works fine for solar. We have 2 x 190 watt Enerdrive solar panels linked through chargers to a 200amp lithium. Works fine. A flat roof charges all the time while an angled roof only charges when pointed towards the sun. Flat is better. Good luck with it all.
Great video again Dan. 2👍🏻👍🏻 You know more space is always a plus so go for a straight up pop top. Should have minimal weight difference IMO. Also, I see you’re going with Renogy again. I assume it’s been good to you on the other builds. Renogy gets bad raps from some. I use it on my boat and had no issue so far. Will look forward to a future episode about your solar and charge systems. Cheers from 🇨🇦
The best opening roof design IMHO is that used on the Flippac. Hinge at the front and the roof opens 180 degrees forward. The bed matress is attached to the inside of the roof and by doing this you double the living space AND there is no "assembling" the bed with added panels, etc. Your spare tire location and height would preclude this design so the next best option is to hinge off the back and rotate 180 degrees off the back like the AT Habitat. This design provides a covered area outside when open but may require stabilizer jacks off the rear bumper to keep steady with two people in it at night (the longer moment are combined with flexible suspension can allow for uncomfortable amounts of movement when one tosses and turns). I have a Flippac and we can park and be set-up in litterally less than 5 miutes and have a HUGE amount of room. I'd seriously consider the 180 degree flip. For your small space the gain in livable space will be important.
The problem with that design is you have nothing but canvas as the roof to take the brunt of the snow and rain when the roof is open. Given the torrential rain I've seen at the equator and lived in for years, plus the snow I've seen the arctic, that is not something I want. I much prefer to have a hard "roof" as the actual roof taking the brunt of the rain, and the canvas is just the walls, dealing with splashes and sideways rain only.
@@TheRoadChoseMe Very valid point. My Flippac is 3 season at best. The canvas tent on the Habitat looks pretty good but I get your point. But the doubling of usable space and quick set-up and tear down are alluring. I supposed in torrential conditions nothing beats a hard lid. Conceding that, the pop-up would seem better than the tilt-up as you have just a small band of cloth all around versus a huge fabric wall on one side, two huge to nothing triangular walls and then the solid hinge. You face a LOT of design choices on this project. That is for sure. Keep up the good work.
Now I don't know where you are going. But I would go for the vertical pop-up. You can have the solar panels on frame that is hinged. So you can rase the solar panels toward east, then pop up the roof.
Dan, Thank you for sharing videos and experience, thank you for inspiring for adventures. We wish you and all your family Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May your season be merry and bright! Merry Christmas!
Vertical pop top for sure, just have to sort out the mechanism. With the flat walls you could use vertical sliding lift supports in each corner rather than figuring out a scissor mechanism
Very interesting video. I think straight up for the roof to maximise the space, as your design is already doing. Side hinge is also a thought, like the old Viking VW camper which was sold as a 6 birth I believe.
I can see advantages and disadvantages to both a straight pop up vs. a hinged pop-up. The straight gives you more space but in high winds you can angle your vehicle into the wind with the hinged pop-up.
The diesel is the right choice, incredible engine (I had one in a grand cherokee and now one in the Gladiator). Very reliable, never had any issue with it over 160k kilometer.
The Bosch CP4 fuel pump is not reliable and has a long list of documented failures due to the roller wheel rotating out of alignment with the cam. Maybe look into tuning from Green Diesel Engineering that turns off CPC mode (which is suspected to play a factor in the roller wheel rotating out of alignment).
Go with the full flat pop up top. You will enjoy the extra standing height and being able to sit up while on the bed! As for solar capacity. The newer panels are much more efficient and stowing a portable folding panel for extra power is good insurance.
Definitely amazing! As far as the roof opening up, what if it were hinged on the driver or passenger side? It would still be a wedge style. One advantage might be that snow would dump off to the side instead of over the cab and windscreen.
It has it's advantages for sure, though I really want the "roof" to be the solid part, not just canvas exposed to the direct rain and snow. I want the canvas to be just the walls.
@@TheRoadChoseMe It can be a solid roof and canvas sides. It just hinges on the L or R side. Hard top, soft sides. It's still a wedge, just turned 90 degrees.
The sportsmobile vans use a beautiful vertical hinge mechanism. The only problem is with the solar. You are going to the arctic a lot right? The solar will be very ineffective then. Maybe have the solar on a little hinge as well so you can have the best of both worlds.
I noticed the egg bungees on the steps. Having trouble with them staying closed? Some metal to protect the corners would be a really good idea. It would suck to catch that edge on something and do substantial and hard to repair damage. As for the roof, straight up. Maximize the space.
Normally couples harmony is worth far more on a minute to minute basis than any amount of solar problems that could otherwise be solved with props or a hinged panel mount on a pop-up. But the downside is the wind in Iceland/Faroes/Lofoten. It is constant and can be dramatic (50kmph+ 50+ days a year in the Icelandic highlands, not counting squalls and storms.) If you were spending a bit of time in that environment I'd say box. But if you are going for one of your Dan Grec trademark epics, any way to reduce the amount of noise and potential damage changes the equation. The winds are unpredictable and dangerously strong much of the year. The stronger hinges and less uplift/catch risk of a wedge would be a real advantage. Roads outside Reykjavik and the Ring Road close on a regular basis due to windstorms blowing trucks over. Last time we got out of an area just before they closed some places due to "Rock Storms." Not dust storms, literally volcanic rocks traveling sideways. The other thing to consider is the potential abrasion from blown volcanic grit, especially in shoulder season in the interior of the country and on the eastern loop where winds can pick up a lot of dust from the highlands and they can add to it from the Sandur plains near the coast. The panels are probably fine, but the fabric may take a beating. Blown volcanic dust is enough to warrant getting paint insurance on the rental agreement for folks driving vehicles that may be parked in exposed areas. It has been known to happen that all the paint is removed from the windward side overnight. A single larger hinge (wedge) is stronger, mechanically simple, less susceptible to grit intrusion, and more likely to resist/not-generate as much upthrust. Lastly you might want to have an alternative arrangement for sleeping while completely buttoned up just because of the tent flapping noise if you get caught in a sustained event.
Roof wise, somewhere in between. front pops half meter, back pops 1M sort of setup - best of both worlds. Vertical probably easier, and wedge for 2 of you I think will be just not enough interior space. I understand every one of the design choices so far, and all make perfect sense. I'd have still wanted a cabover for that bed in use while not affecting the living area at all - but that's just personal and the cantilever bracing adds a lot of weight and complexity / sagging over time its a very hard engineering challenge you just didn't need to take on exactly as you said.
If you can find something off-the-shelf for vertical pop-up mechanisms, you could save yourselves some time. Long term mechanism durability vs. smpilicity? Hinge maintenance? I guess you've seen the revised Bear from G'nB. Probably not too many high speed freeways where you're going to warrant a tire cover. A half canoe might allow a little secure storage in the rim well.
I would think pop straight up for the bed. Could you hinge the solar panels so you can angle them at the morning sun like you did with your wedge while having the benefits of the straight up pop?
Hello ! Is there any possible way to do both ways? Straight up extension of the roof and a locking mechanism into one side(front maybe) , so when you lock it it will actually be a hinged design towards the front?
definitely straight up pop roof...more room etc etc.....re mirrors, contact Clearview Towing Mirrors, Australia, i'm sure you must have come across while touring here, the guy made set for himself as couldn't find commercially, now big company making mirrors for many vehicles...love the series, get that vehicle out on tracks soon please
@@TheRoadChoseMe wouldn't be hard to take their extending mirror and change the mounting bracket for wrangler. With your worldwide audience and huge USA market, must be worth doing even if they send you a prototype to test !
Actually it would be easy on the JK Wrangler (I would have made spacers by now), but the bracket for the JL Wrangler / Gladiator is MUCH more complicated and not straightforward at all.
Vertical will give you way better usage of the space. I think it will be a waste making that beautiful box to use better the space to kill it with a roof at an angle. Bests regards from a Venezuelan follower in Panama!
how complicated is it to do a combined pop? Have the front raise a foot or two, and the rear raise "full height"? Seems that way you could still angle towards the sun... But it may be adding extra complexity for a full pop version, to gain less space
This boxy design is 100% practical. Would have considered a thin space saver spare and hide it inside. My 2010 spare is still brand new at the rear being useless for 13 years?
What about a combination with a double wedge? Height of a GFC at apex is 55" and higher than I have seen for straight up. But then add another popup at the toe section or a true double wedge. Ive seen a couple examples and it looks interesting.
Ah dang it looks like RU-vid removes the links. If you search For double wedge camper there are some examples out there. trailfort does the hybrid approach and is another idea.
Dan, what model Yokohamas will you run? (sorry if you’ve mentioned this elsewhere). Doing the Yukon/Alaska run in May and want to get new tires for the trip. Thx….& Merry Christmas to you both!
