Pop-Top Roof Bed Hinges

[1ambretta]

I have been reading articles on this forum for a short while, I now joined and I have a question if anyone can help.
I bought a T6 recently with a pop top roof already fitted.
I now want to add a roof bed to my van.
I would like a favour from someone please, could someone please post/send a photo of the hinges that they have fitted to their roof bed. I can then see the size of the hinges and location of the fitment etc.
I have already located the pop top bed board struts online from "transporter HQ", although I am yet to purchase the struts until I have a clear picture of it all.
Alternatively if someone has a link to the hinges fitted online I will purchase that way.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayne7450]

I had mine fitted they didn’t use a piano hinge and has came of twice so far… toolstation & screw fix hinges only look suitable for doll house repairs!

 

[paddy26]

I used piano hinge for mine. I did a bi-fold bed to give extra headroom. LWB van.
I used these struts from sgs: GS6-15-260-300 Fixed Force Gas Strut
And I used Mk4 golf boot struts as the fixed bar at the front.

 

[Saka]

I used piano hinge for mine. I did a bi-fold bed to give extra headroom. LWB van.
I used these struts from sgs: GS6-15-260-300 Fixed Force Gas Strut
And I used Mk4 golf boot struts as the fixed bar at the front.
View attachment 153967

That looks great, did you just screw the rear small section down into the poptop chassis directly?

 

[paddy26]

That looks great, did you just screw the rear small section down into the poptop chassis directly?

Yes, I put in that piece to create a storage area upstairs when the bed is up. It also allowed the bed to get closer to the roof so that there was good headroom downstairs during the day.

 

[Guthy21]

Yes, I put in that piece to create a storage area upstairs when the bed is up. It also allowed the bed to get closer to the roof so that there was good headroom downstairs during the day.

Hi @paddy26, please can you tell me what you used to fix the rear small section to the chassis? Thanks

 

[paddy26]

Hi @paddy26, please can you tell me what you used to fix the rear small section to the chassis? Thanks

2 screws into the support frame on either side. And I think I put one bracket in the middle at the rear, connected to the rear support frame.

 

[Guthy21]

2 screws into the support frame on either side. And I think I put one bracket in the middle at the rear, connected to the rear support frame.

Thanks @paddy26 worked a dream

 

[doodahoops]

I used piano hinge for mine. I did a bi-fold bed to give extra headroom. LWB van.
I used these struts from sgs: GS6-15-260-300 Fixed Force Gas Strut
And I used Mk4 golf boot struts as the fixed bar at the front.
View attachment 153967

Hi Paddy. This is exactly what I am about to do. Have just looked up the SGS struts. They are asking for an NM strength - what did you get? Thanks

 

[DXX]

You may find that the screws securing the piano hinge on your pop top bed come loose, mainly because they are so short and are fitted into very lightweight (soft) ply.
If you put a couple of drops of superglue into the screw hole before fitting the screw it hardens the wood and the screws stay tight.

 

[paddy26]

Hi Paddy. This is exactly what I am about to do. Have just looked up the SGS struts. They are asking for an NM strength - what did you get? Thanks

I think I used 10mm marine ply, so if you're using something significantly heavier or lighter then you may need a different NM strength.

 

[drinfinity]

I used 18mm lightweight ply, and I started at 120N, then went up to 220N, so it would hold the mattress topper and an air mattress.

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[drinfinity]

It does depend on the geometry of your bifold fed as well - you need less force if your struts act further from the fulcrum.

 

[doodahoops]

Fab Top Tip. Thankyou

 

[doodahoops]

Thankyou both. I have no intention of sleeping on it. It will 'just' be the wardrobe so 10mm ply should be fine - whic will also give 8mm more space It will also be a bit shorter than a full bed.

 

[Castie]

I used piano hinge for mine. I did a bi-fold bed to give extra headroom. LWB van.
I used these struts from sgs: GS6-15-260-300 Fixed Force Gas Strut
And I used Mk4 golf boot struts as the fixed bar at the front.
View attachment 153967

Hiya,

I just joined this forum as I’d seen this post through google.

I have a question on the golf struts which are towards the front of the van.

Do the struts retract? Or do they just act like a solid bar?

I have been trying to figure out whether they both need to be actuating struts, or can the front ones be fixed and the rears, the gas struts?

Any help you can provide would be much appreciated! I appreciate this is an old post.

 

[drinfinity]

Hiya,

I just joined this forum as I’d seen this post through google.

I have a question on the golf struts which are towards the front of the van.

Do the struts retract? Or do they just act like a solid bar?

I have been trying to figure out whether they both need to be actuating struts, or can the front ones be fixed and the rears, the gas struts?

Any help you can provide would be much appreciated! I appreciate this is an old post.

Front are a solid bar.

 

[Castie]

Front are a solid bar.

Thanks! Just reread the original post and realised he said fixed bar! I should read better.

Thanks anyway