warmblood58
Full Access Member
Hi, have a chance to remove my high top cap on a ford e350 idi and replace with a pop top. Has anyone ever removed one of these? Do they have any value?
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Adding Pop Top to E350, removing medical van cap -anyone done this?
- Thread starter warmblood58
- Start date
warmblood58
Full Access Member
looks like this
ah1988ford
Full Access Member
I dont see a pic ?
Yes they have value, they are pretty hard to find no idea about removal though.
A guy on fte in the econoline section had a pop-up put in his van, may want to check him out.
Yes they have value, they are pretty hard to find no idea about removal though.
A guy on fte in the econoline section had a pop-up put in his van, may want to check him out.
warmblood58
Full Access Member
Can't seem to load my pic via download . . . . . ?
warmblood58
Full Access Member
van pic associated with my user name in posts
I've removed one hitop, and installed two hitops on regular vans, but not a poptop.
Removal is pretty easy. Often just a continuous row of screws or rivets around the lower edge. Some of the larger tops have steel tubing welded to the OEM roof.
If the poptop is not new, you may want to add a layer of fiberglas fabric on the lower edges to restore strength. Most hitops use these edges to attach the top to the OEM van roof and the fiberglas fatigues over time. The added glas also covers over the old attach holes, giving you a "clean sheet" to mate with the van.
A forklift is great for swapping tops, but you can rig up most any kind of lifting rig with pipe or wood. For the hitops that are 100% fiberglas, I put 4 eyebolts in the upper surface for lifting, and screw the eyebolts into wood underneath to distribute the weight. When the install is complete, I patch the holes. Your poptop may have factory lifting points.
You may be surprised at the weight. The last hitop I installed weighed 250+ lbs because it had a heavy steel framework and thick high density insulation.
A removed top, in good condition has value. A new top may cost $1000, plus $1500 for the install. I paid $350 for a decent 24inch hightop a few months ago.
The taller ones are great for campers, I kept a fold up/down bed, clothes, and other light stuff tucked away in the upper 10 inches, and the extra room allowed me to carry plenty of oversize equipment.
All the hitop installs I've seen kept the OEM roof and horizontal supports over the cab. I think this structural strength was required to prevent the frame flexing enough to break the windshield. On my first hitop, with a 24 inch top, the sides of the van (extended length body) would flex while driving, causing constant squeeking that drove me nuts. I solved the problem by filling the steel sides with spray foam insulation, which greatly increased the comfort when camping, and restored some of the strength lost when the OEM roof was cut away. Took about 60 cans of spray foam.
Removal is pretty easy. Often just a continuous row of screws or rivets around the lower edge. Some of the larger tops have steel tubing welded to the OEM roof.
If the poptop is not new, you may want to add a layer of fiberglas fabric on the lower edges to restore strength. Most hitops use these edges to attach the top to the OEM van roof and the fiberglas fatigues over time. The added glas also covers over the old attach holes, giving you a "clean sheet" to mate with the van.
A forklift is great for swapping tops, but you can rig up most any kind of lifting rig with pipe or wood. For the hitops that are 100% fiberglas, I put 4 eyebolts in the upper surface for lifting, and screw the eyebolts into wood underneath to distribute the weight. When the install is complete, I patch the holes. Your poptop may have factory lifting points.
You may be surprised at the weight. The last hitop I installed weighed 250+ lbs because it had a heavy steel framework and thick high density insulation.
A removed top, in good condition has value. A new top may cost $1000, plus $1500 for the install. I paid $350 for a decent 24inch hightop a few months ago.
The taller ones are great for campers, I kept a fold up/down bed, clothes, and other light stuff tucked away in the upper 10 inches, and the extra room allowed me to carry plenty of oversize equipment.
All the hitop installs I've seen kept the OEM roof and horizontal supports over the cab. I think this structural strength was required to prevent the frame flexing enough to break the windshield. On my first hitop, with a 24 inch top, the sides of the van (extended length body) would flex while driving, causing constant squeeking that drove me nuts. I solved the problem by filling the steel sides with spray foam insulation, which greatly increased the comfort when camping, and restored some of the strength lost when the OEM roof was cut away. Took about 60 cans of spray foam.
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warmblood58
Full Access Member
Thanks. you answered the how to remove question! Anyone looking for a high top?
rockbender
Full Access Member
What type of poptop are you looking to put on? I would look into the poptop system before peeling off the fixed top first to make sure it will work. For example, I know that you can not use a Sportsmobile poptop because there will not be enough of the original roof left for the frame to sit in. I know there are other tops that will work though. More details please!
By the way, poptops are super cool in my opinion. With the top down I can park my van in the garage and with the top up I can not only stand up straight but also have a top sleeping bunk when camping.
By the way, poptops are super cool in my opinion. With the top down I can park my van in the garage and with the top up I can not only stand up straight but also have a top sleeping bunk when camping.
warmblood58
Full Access Member
They are indeed handy and necessary! Found a used unit for sale, will need to take careful measurements to see where and how my roof was cut for medical top -removal will be a pain as I will need to make a simple scaffold /lift to remove it so I can back out the van and leave the top hanging and then lower and rest on saw horses -
MUDKICKR
Full Access Member
guys, if your going to be talking about these poptops or what ever they are you really going to need to post up some pics, inside and outside pics. also rockbender, i would like to see a lot of pics of your ride, suspension, top up, top down, inside and out.
warmblood58
Full Access Member
Ah MUDKICKR, I do not need to do anything, follow along, if I purchase pop top, I will post pics of removal and install of new tops -
idi_econoline
No Bed For Me!
Hmm, the only hightop I've seen inside had the stock crossmembers removed, but had a reinforcement (think in the form of a very light rollcage, made of square stock) up inside the hightop fiberglass.
Thx for the avatar pic, warmblood. Now I understand that yours was a medical transport van, not an ambulance.
Thx for the avatar pic, warmblood. Now I understand that yours was a medical transport van, not an ambulance.
