Custom Pop-Up Truck Canopy?

I'm hoping to modify my Leer fiberglass truck canopy and turn it into a pop-up. There's a ton of interest in pop campers, flip pacs, etc but I've never seen anyone do a simple conversion to their truck canopy. All I want is more head room when sleeping in the back of my rig, without having to buy a taller canopy or cab-over set up (which adds wind drag, height, weight, etc).

So here's my idea: Basically cut the top 2 or 3 inches off my existing canopy all the way around. Then reinforce around the cuts on the top piece ("cap") and the remaining canopy walls ("base") with 1x1 metal tubing or something similar. I'd basically weld a frame and rivet it inside the canopy. This would also provide a larger surface area for the cap to clamp down on when the canopy is closed up. I would use some foam tape around the opening between the cap so its water tight. Would sew some rubberized vinyl to fill the opening and add maybe 1 foot of height to the canopy when open. I'll also have to work out some sort of system to get it to stay open (hydraulic struts, and/or maybe some support poles that attach into place in each corner to keep the canopy raised...?). I would put heavy duty latches on the outside of the canopy to latch it shut.

ANY THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS??? Anybody ever attempted something like this?
My main concerns are: 1) how to make a perfectly level cut all the way around the canopy. 2) What kind of system to use to open and close the cap.

Here are some pics I mocked up in photoshop to show my basic idea...

 

See if you can find out how they use to do the VW bus camper tops that would pop up??

 

Sub'd.

 

There is this thread on expo, but it was done with an aluminum shell, check it out
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/137366-Tacoma-aluminum-Pop-up

 

Came to post this same build. Very cool setup.

 

There are also some older sailboats that feature pop top mechanisms like that. Catalina 25s and Rhodes 22s come to mind. If you live anywhere near water and have access to boat dismantlers/parts graveyards, you might be able to find some hardware there.

 

Maybe a scissor lift mounted between the cap and bed mounted to the cargo side rails (lift the whole cap up)

 

A company in Australia does something like this for local vehicles. Can not find it at the moment.
My understanding is you will need to reinforce, probably with aluminium, around the opening. A LOT of reinforcing. The down side to using the top part of the canopy is in order to do it right you will have to have it sit up so that water does not go in. In other words the Lip must be higher then the top of the canopy or water will enter the cap. Look at a westfalia for reference but imagine it on the top rather then the edges. A solution to this problem is to have the entire canopy lift at the edges at the top, just like the westfalia. More like your pictures. This will cause its own challenges as it is harder to reinforce. But this way your seam/edge is able to form a 'rain screen' and water does not enter. It would almost be easier to have the truck cap made this way rather than after the fact.

One other solution I have seen is to mount the entire canopy on actuators and it lifts the entire canopy approx 20"-36". You then place tent material between the cap and the bed as a skirt. I believe a manufacturer in the states does this with their caps.
A.R.E.'s new TopperEZLift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxhjDQCdGQE

This way you keep the strength of the shell.

Either way a very cool project and one that if done right would have some major benefits over a RTT.

 

I like the concept. But I think you might have to use 2 tops to make it leak proof because I would imagine you'd want the pop up part to overhang the lower part.

 

Did you ever build this pop top? I have a 2017 Honda Ridgeline and want to do exactly what you thought of. I thought about having an aluminum topper made with modifications to use a solid tonneau cover to make the pop top. I talked to a provider of fibreglass toppers and they couldn’t see the possibility. I guess the sales guy wasn’t a dreamer and had a “can’t do” outlook.

 

Seen someone modify the roof of bronco to a old westfalia roof on expedition portal. Maybe something similar is possible.

 

Dang, I think I will have to either covert a shell into that camper setup (where it pops up with soft sides like in the photoshopped example) or take an Undercover SE Tonneau Cover and make something similar.

Not sure what's most practical yet but this can't be that hard to execute?

Anyone try to convert a shell like this before?