Fitting a pop top bed, pictures please...

[giraffeinbath]

I'd like to fit a bed in the roof space of our '68 Devon by placing some bed boards across the opening.

I believe the pop top on ours is a retro fitted Canterbury Pitt roof and the existing framework leaves something to be desired, there's no ledge to carry bed boards and I'm not sure it would be strong enough as is anyway so I'm going to have to come up with a solution for a replacement supporting frame that will support the bed boards and not distort the roof.

Would anyone have any pictures of their pop top opening with the frame fitted (minus the headlining obviously) so I can get some ideas on how to best go about it, or has anyone done this themselves?

 

[ozziedog]

Does yours have the original Devon sized hole ? Or was it increased for the Canterbury Pitt roof? You’re more than welcome to look at mine before I finish closing in around this area. Mines an older Devon roof panel 72 concertina style hole with a much later Devon poptop. The strength bit is the original strengthener at the rear of the cab, the middle roof strengthener was remodelled by Devon and fitted to the rear of the opening. The stubs that are left from the middle strengthener still support part of the sides of the roof panel. Mine is still all visible and I’m over in Bristol. I can’t picture your pop top roof supports but I have seen Canterbury Pitt ones with a pair of U shaped hoops at each end that hold it all up. Depending on how your supports are placed, I’m guessing an angle made of ally running the length and on both sides would spread the load to these strengthened supports. I’ve got a mahoosive bunk in mine and it must fill over half the roof opening maybe three quarters. The Westy boys are the ones that have big old beds upstairs and it’s a fairly common conversion for them. We used to have a member here Faux and he used to supply them as a conversion but I’ve not heard of him being on here for quite a while.

Ozziedog,,,,, you’re welcome to have a look :mrgreen:

 

[giraffeinbath]

Hi Ozziedog, yes it would be useful to pop across and have a look before it's all covered up, I'd like to see how it's been done properly.

Our's is an original Devon, but I think the pop was probably fitted later by an optimist with a tin opener. It's just a very rudimentary angle iron frame riveted into the hole with no proper supports fitted either end so it needs some retro engineering to contemplate putting a bed up there.

I'll pm you and arrange a time that's good to hook up.