These DIY Van High Top projects combine a love of vans and a thirst for adventure so you can camp, surf, skate, and travel comfortably. Whether you are a full-time RVer looking to maximize privacy while boosting interior space, or just someone who loves doing DIY projects, these plans are for you.
DIY Van High Top Ideas
These DIY Van High Tops offer significant practical and comfort advantages for van owners. The cute DIY van's high top provides enough headroom for standing upright with increased interior space, transforming the van into a more habitable space. This expanded space also offers more storage for travel essentials, making long road trips and camping experiences more comfortable.
In terms of insulation, high tops maintain a stable internal temperature, which is important for harsh weather conditions. Access to natural light is another benefit; many high tops come with the option for extra windows, allowing you to enjoy the sunshine during the day and starry skies at night.
Rewards Of Building Own DIY Van High Top
Here are the following rewards that you will get:
- Economical Solution: Going the do-it-yourself route can save substantially compared to purchasing a commercially installed high top. You'll get the luxury of the added room without the hefty price tag, which is especially invaluable if you're working on a budget.
- Learning Experience: When you build your own high top, you decide everything from the measurements to the design specifics. This customization ensures the end product aligns perfectly with your needs and preferences. Plus, you can add extra features, like storage options or equipment racks, in the process. But you should beware.
- Repair and Modification Flexibility: Since you built the high top, you'll be discreetly familiar with its structure. This familiarity simplifies repairs or further modifications, allowing you to make any necessary adjustments seamlessly.
- Comfort Enhancement: The additional space improves comfort levels significantly, particularly for those who use their van for camping or extended road trips. Standing headroom and space for installations like beds or cookers can greatly enhance your van dwelling experience.
Necessary Tips for Making the Best DIY Van High Top:
Here are the necessary tips for making the DIY Van High Top:
Planning and Designing
Assess your requirements: Understand the specific goals you want to achieve with your DIY Van High Top, such as standing height, storage needs, or aesthetic appeal.
Choose the appropriate materials: Select suitable materials, such as aluminum or steel, based on your preferences for weight, insulation, and durability.
Create a design plan: Sketch out your custom design, noting the measurements, style, and features according to your vision and the proportions of your van.
Preparing the Van
Select a workspace: Locate a clean, well-ventilated area with enough room to work on your van comfortably.
Remove interior components: Before you begin, it is crucial to remove any interior parts like headliners and insulation that could block your work.
Crafting the High Top
Construct a template: Make a cardboard or plywood template based on your design plan to ensure precise measurements during the build.
Create the high-top structure: Cut and form the chosen material according to your template. Remember that you must weld or adhere to individual sections to complete the structure.
Add reinforcing ribs: Install support ribbing to provide stability and maintain the high top's shape over time.
Finishing touches: Apply finishing materials such as paint, clear coat, or gel coat to enhance the appearance and protect the surface from the elements.
Installing the High Top
Create window slots (if necessary): If you have chosen to include windows in your design, cut out the window openings and install the necessary panels or glass.
Trim the van roof: Using a utility knife, jigsaw, or returning saw, cut an opening in the van's existing roof according to your design measurements. Be cautious not to damage any internal wiring or components.
Install a waterproof seal: Apply a watertight sealant, such as silicone or butyl tape, around the edges of the roof opening to prevent leakages.
Secure the high top: Carefully place it onto the van's roof, ensuring it aligns with the opening and sealant. Fasten the high top to the van's body using screws, bolts, or other appropriate hardware.
Reinstall the interior components: Once the high top is securely attached, reinstall your removed interior parts, such as headliners and insulation.
other Projects
Transporter Van Build By Project
The project, who decided to build a Transporter van? We were after a vehicle that could transport surfboards, luggage, and camping equipment to remote locations so we could enjoy our holiday weekends with like-minded people. This is one of the most extensive builds I've seen. If you're looking for something different to do, this could be the start of your new project. The build starts with the complete exterior of the van and the removal of everything inside, leaving bare metal bones behind. This is not an exact copy of any van, but it's a compilation of various images from over the internet.
You Won’t Believe How Easy It Is To Raise The Roof On This Ford Van
This van makes it easy to get in the mood for a camping trip. It has a queen-size bed and all the amenities to make your experience comfortable. The best part is that you can raise the roof and open it up while driving, so there is no need to stop and set up tents! Also, there is plenty of room in the back for storage and sleeping. When you need to make your van feel like a house on wheels, it’s worth investing in this great product. And whether it’s your business or your personal life needs hauling, this van is a perfect fit.
Best Custom DIY Van Hi Top Ever
An excellent project for any DIYer. This custom van is literally the most fun and longest-lasting modification you will ever do. This convertible van is perfect for road trips, camping, and more. The front seats can be taken out to turn your van into a living room on wheels. This custom camper bus can be customized with your choice of fabric, paint color, and flooring! Show your creativity with this fantastic custom van conversion. The possibilities are endless with this DIY Van Hi Top!
DIY Van High Top:
Open up the possibility of transporting your gear by building an extra cabin on your van. Our DIY van high top is designed to be assembled quickly and easily while adding more space for you to use however you like. This Top has everything you need to put a new twist on your van.
This DIY Van High Top is a great entry-level DIY project that allows you to transform an old mini camper into a unique vehicle that you can call your own. Following this tutorial will allow you to build a complete base structure. This frame is made out of plywood strips glued together. Tubing can be used for the bends. The fiberglass gives additional strength, and it's waterproof. Laminating makes it easy to grit within coats, and paneling the inside and adding some shelves and benches will make this a comfortable place to relax. It is not the cheapest, but it is very affordable if you want to build one.
How To Build A DIY Wood High Top On A Van
The high-top van is a dream of many people who want to travel; they want to stay under the sky. This wood high-top van is quite convenient. This project is all in wood in order to make it less in cost. The unique design that only reaches the highest point on some parts of the van makes it easy to carry into or out of the parking lot, garage, or some other small spaces.
Follow this tutorial to build yourself a wood-high-top van for your chosen purpose. It comes with instructions, tools used, detailed instructions, diagrams, and prints that are designed to fit together perfectly. The design is based on one outstanding fact the basic frame is made from wood. This makes it easy to avoid unscrewing a bolt due to vibrations over time.
How To Build A High-Top Van
Building a high-top van has never been so much fun. Grab your saws, drills, hammers, and screwdrivers to build your very own custom van. Learn what tools to use and how to utilize them correctly. See how to install the fiberglass, internal structure, and staircase. Check out the glossary for all the terms explained in this video. With detailed instructions guiding you every step of the way you will soon be on your way to building your very own fiberglass van!
It is necessary to commit a lot of caution in removing all of the old glue and scraping the remains stuck to the wood. Once you remove the part, you need to regulate how deep can cut through the fiberglass with a saw blade. Take an angle grinder and cut off the remaining debris. The materials used include a jigsaw, straight blade saw, Tape, Wood, drill, and fiberglass.
DIY Van High Top:
Did you know metal produces much heat under the heavy sun? This insulated high top will keep your stuff cool always. Converting a van into a high-top camper is not a simple task. It requires care and planning, making sure the decisions in each build stage will protect you and your passengers in an accident. Our full set of plans show in detail how we made our van into a DIY camper. We recommend this build to anyone with basic metalworking skills and above-average mechanical aptitude. Our plans show how we built our high-top van from start to finish.
The steel frame is visible from the inside of the van, and this gives the interior a striking look and a space to hand magnetic equipment or tools. Among the materials used are tube steel frame, insulators, and rubber roofing. This project is not the cheapest, but it's among the best.
Van High Top Installation:
This high top looks old in design, but functionally it is strong and durable. It is a unique project. You can make your own van high top in a matter of hours. First, prepare the vehicle. Cut off the roof and hoist the frame rest or bolt the lips. To clear the rear of the raised machine, cut the brake from the bottom. Sand and paint the top with a raptor liner. The to is a rubber seal- home depot garage door seal. Remove the ceiling of the van. Install the high-top cover over the roof and clamp to secure it. Remove the rim and mount it on top of the fan so you can use a screwdriver to tighten it. This cover prevents air leakage. The material used includes nibbler/ other cutting tools, home depot garage door seal, jigsaw, screw, and bolts.
DIY Hightop Camper Van
The DIY High-Top Camper Van is the dream of most people. Making a table stand is challenging because you need to be very careful in making it sturdy enough. Wood materials are needed to make this project complete. You also have to ensure that the wood is in good condition when working on it. It should not be too soft or too hard to get the table to stand right when handling them.
Add touch-up paint and a filling for the inside joints for a finished look. Once the top is painted and the inside is filled with foam insulation, you can put guardrails on both sides by screwing in wood. Fill all holes with patching materials, including a fiberglass mixture. Screw a board to each side of the van below the windows (use a piece of wood to support the top). Add a piece of foam insulation or Styrofoam to each side of the van. Paint it by hand or with a sprayer. The end result will be outstanding.
How To Build A DIY Van High Top
Do you have a beloved van but have not had enough space? If too much load, you cannot put anything in. This guide would be very helpful to make DIY Van High Top because the video is detailed and provide all materials needed for this great cooler. Start building now!
We take you through the steps of building your own DIY high-top van. With a few measurements, affordable materials, and an afternoon of work, this project can be accomplished by anyone. We use basic tools, common carpentry knowledge, and ample supplies that are fairly easily accessible to build our box around the top of our Iveco Daily. The actual framing under the top is fairly easy to complete with only 3 pieces running the length of the vehicle. These framing pieces fit securely inside channel iron for added strength. Where the channel iron begins to taper off in thickness toward the front, we have continued supporting it.
DIY Hightop Camper Van
This step-by-step instruction guide shows one way to build a high-top camper van. Most of the supplies used were acquired from local stores and the van itself apart from some screws and tools. The van was completely gutted and redone, down to the floor.
The DIY High Top Camper Van has a full bed, a kitchen, a workspace, a storage closet, and locks to keep it secure. The materials included plywood, insulation, rubber flooring, window sections, exterior paint, hardware cloth on the ceiling vents, and RV carpet on the floor. The tools needed included nail guns, Sawzall blades for metal cutting, cordless drills with multiple drills bits, oscillating multi-tool for slicing plastic walls, and ground poles.
The interior look of the camper is also very important. Because it is a place you want to stay, you have to spend more time working on the interior to give it the best taste. The project requires a lot of time, energy, and money. However, the result is worth all the stress.
How To Raise The Roof On Ford Van:
It's not often that you can see the roof of a Ford van being raised on an auto assembly line, but this video takes you behind the scenes to show you how it all comes together. Here’s a real do-it-yourself job that works. With a few simple tools, a couple of weekends, and a little help from larger suppliers, you can achieve this stunning transformation from the van to the RV shell. In our opinion it is the road less traveled―there are plenty of books on motorhomes costing tens of thousands of dollars―but it is well worth the effort.
Anybody with some mechanical aptitude and a desire to camp can set up a camper like this inexpensively and have a lot of fun. We hope we’ve inspired people–as we have been encouraged by many readers to do so, we’ve given them the confidence they need to try it themselves and overcome their shyness.
DIY Bed Lifts For Your Camper Van:
At the end of the day, our projects are often about creating something special that can't be bought. This is one of those projects that will not only ease your sleep when on the road but let you know you have the skills to tackle other projects in your future. Maybe you can even invite friends over to help out by giving them a handmade pillow while they help assemble your platform frame.
The DIY Bed Lifts are the easiest, safest, and most affordable way to give yourself more sleep space in your vehicle. Simply bolt on the bases to your existing floor, place your mattress on top of the lift, then adjust the height of the lift leg extensions for your desired level of clearance. Each lift can support up to 200 pounds for optimum comfort. The legs are lightweight anodized aluminum so they won't rust or corrode. Installation is simple with all basic hand tools provided, though professional installation is recommended for best results.
