The Squidget Pop Top build is on.

[S. Heisley]

Oh, Wow! I didn't realize your pop top was that big! With your style roof, you are having to lift nearly the entire 70 pounds. That's a lot.

I look forward to seeing your solution on the forum.

[cracker39]

Today I finished and tested my redneck pop top lifting device. I decided, that for better or worse (success or failure), I record the event on video. The lighting is poor as I didn’t put any lights inside the cabin and the outside light shining in causes the brightness of the video to drop a lot. But, you’ll get the idea of how it works. I’ll make another video later with better lighting.

Actually, it worked better than I expected it to as far as how much effort is involved. Lifting the top by using hands and arms was strenuous. It didn’t take much pressure at all from my leg to push the top up. I used whatever scrap wood I had on hand, so the device looks pretty crude, but is functional by all means. For once, something worked even better than I had envisioned it would when I designed it. But, remember, this is the first time I've used it and had some small glitches that will be avoided next time.

The video I made is high density so may be slow to load depending on your internet speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP3FfSP9WlQ

[TBuilder]

At 2:05 into the video, I thought you were going to get instantly shorter!



OMG 4:02 freaked me out!

[S. Heisley]

Congratulations on your ingenuity! We can usually count on a forum member to take advantage of the best tool that God gave him....a brain! For the first time using it, that's pretty slick! Where will you store this lifting device when you are camping?

[cracker39]

Where will you store this lifting device when you are camping?

As my tow vehicle is a pickup truck with a topper on the back, the device will stay in back of the truck or I could just slide it under the trailer.

With the top on, I can finish up the exterior (bottom molding, windows, tongue boxes) and get started on the cabinetry inside. But, I need some supplies, so it's off to HD tomorrow morning and back home to work. I think I may leave the door off until I get the interior done....or not. I made speaker covers today with some gray fabric I found in the sewing box. It goes good with the gray floor. I suppose my interior fabric colors will be mainly gray (dark for the set cushions) with some other bright color for accents. What brighter color would you use with medium and dark gray as the primary colors?

[Catherine+twins]

>>We can usually count on a forum member to take advantage of the best tool that God gave him....a brain! For the first time using it, that's pretty slick!<<

First time using his brain???

Ingenuity is a good thing. I'll go back in the corner now

Catherine

[S. Heisley]

>>We can usually count on a forum member to take advantage of the best tool that God gave him....a brain! For the first time using it, that's pretty slick!<<

First time using his brain???

Ingenuity is a good thing. I'll go back in the corner now

Catherine

I just read that again and had a good laugh! I meant the first time using the newly made tool. Looking at Dale's build, I think he's been using his brain. HaHa! At least Dale understood what I meant and you and I are probably not the only ones who got a good laugh out of my bungled choice of words!

[cracker39]

Today consisted of finishing my stero cabinet, mounting the 15â€

[cracker39]

The trial and error system of building is getting to be a real trial for me. I made some clearance errors (lack of good judgment and measurements) in the seal strips in the upper corners of the inside of the top. That forced me to remove the aluminum angle side panel seals and use vinyl molding which just doesn’t look as good nor does it work as well. This “fix it anyway you canâ€

[bdosborn]

Today I finished and tested my redneck pop top lifting device.

Wow, that's pretty cool. I bet you make a version 2.0 - lighter and smaller. I might copy that idea for my top.

Bruce

[cracker39]

Wow, that's pretty cool. I bet you make a version 2.0 - lighter and smaller. I might copy that idea for my top.

Bruce

As I used my only two 2x4s I had on hand to build the device, I had to buy two more today to use to make a "ramp" to slide the top down the front of the trailer to work on it. So, I just may redesign the lifting device to be lighter and use strong hinges rather than the pipe for pivoting so it will fold down flat for storage.

[cracker39]

I got the top off with the help of my neighbor, Tom. With a flat blade putty knife I managed to loosen the strips from the Loctite Grablock adhesive I used when I put it in. With that tool and a pry bar I got the s trips out. I didn’t bother to remove the old brads as they all seemed to be on the cut line or in the part being cut off when I ripped the pieces from 1â€

[cracker39]

I have some photos, but not the ones I expected to have. This morning, I finished getting the top lowered into place, then raised it (using my lift device of course) and put up the panels. I stripped off the vinyl pieces I put on to make the corner seals. I didn’t feel like making a special trip today just to get the aluminum angle to put on the corners, so I decided to work on my couch/bed frames.

I used my Visio drawing software to redesign the seat frames to be stronger than the original ones in the Squidget, and to make sure of the measurements, heights, etc. It took me only a couple of hours to rip and cut the pieces and to assemble the four frames. I made a mock-up of the base cabinet sides and bed rail so I could check the placement of the frames. Extended, they came right to the line where the tall side wall cabinet will be, a perfect fit for the 78â€

[Steve_Cox]

Dale,

On the bed frame design. How about another action video when you finish decking it?

[cracker39]

Dale,

On the bed frame design. How about another action video when you finish decking it?

Steve, it will work just like the one in the Squidget and that is in my video I made to sell the plans. I do plan on making a video of the PT like I did for the Squidget after it's completed and that's at least 3 weeks away, if not longer.