Thanks.

The company tells me they plan to start the first production run of the slider windows this month.

 

I stopped by one of my favorite military surplus places the other day and found a Molle pouch in Coyote that's a nice match for the hardtop color and the spare tire cover I sewed. I hung it on the roll bar.



I've got a similar pouch hanging on the other side, but an appropriate color for its function - first aid.

 

As I was walking around Overland Expo yesterday, I was thinking about the tilt-up camper tops I was seeing, like this Land Rover:



The thing that I wouldn't like about owning a pop top like the LR above or the Ursa Minor that it's pretty much always a camper. The Ursa Minor, for example, is an excellent and very popular product, but I haven't heard of anyone who swaps the camper top on and off just for their camping trips - it's pretty much a full-time conversion. Yes, it is a removable hardtop, but does anyone do that? I'd want my Jeep to be reconfigurable for different uses, which means a camper top that's removable without too much trouble.

This photo shows the Safari Cab roof being installed, I hang it from the garage rails, drive the Jeep under it, and drop the roof in place.



And in this concept drawing, a pop-top camper roof is being dropped in place:



The canvas would be something like what I sewed for my Jeep-tub trailer.



For me anyway, this would be the best way to have a pop-up camper top on my Jeep - most of the year it could be a standard hardtop, and for camping trips I could swap the tops pretty quickly.

The camper top would also be able to take advantage of some of the other modular features of the Safari Cab, for example the removable hard side panels/roll up soft sides.

 

I have a Ursa Minor top and what you describe is exactly the only problem I have with the top. If some one made what you describe I would beat down their door to make them take my money. Alas no one makes that (or a safari top to use as a base) unfortunately.

 

I like the tailgate opening in each end of the "tub" Camper ! The simplicity of just "popping the Top" ia a quick set-up , how much headroom is at the maximum height ? I had looked at roof tents for my 416, but they're heavy, and might be time- consuming for one person, even with the Help of 2 dogs.
This is elegant, light, Simple.

 

The modularity of the Safari Cab can be replicated in the J30 by a DIY-er (albeit one brave enough to make that first cut in the expensive J30 fiberglass ) - the techniques in this thread can be applied to the J30 to provide for removable side and rear panels, and roll-up soft sides: http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...top-to-modular. And the JK Safari barn door is 100% compatible with the J30 (and with the factory hardtop BTW), so it's not out of the question that the barn door could be used with the J30 as well.

The one thing I'm proposing that would be a bit harder is alternate panels - my concept drawing shows an alternate roof with a pop-up camper which can be swapped with the standard roof. Turning a J30 into a modular top wouldn't get you the extra roof panel, but if all you cared about was the modularity for ease of installation/removal, ease of storage, and removable panels for a more open-air experience, then the J30 can be modified to do that.

 

Two tailgates on a trailer like this are handier than you might imagine .



At the peak, the headroom is just under 5'. It's plenty of room for two adults to sit comfortably, and enough room to change clothes (as long as you put your pants on sitting down ). I'm planning to build a "riser" for it similar to the one I built for my military trailer; the riser will permit standing upright at the peak. It'll look something like this concept drawing:



Now back to the JK Safari Cab hardtop topic...

 

It could, but there is a lot of structure built into the sides as it does not tie in to the roll bar anywhere to support the weight of the people on top + tent portion. Would definitely need some internal bracing for when the sides are out.
I have talked to John (@ursa Minor, outstanding individual and customer service) about several different modifications (larger openings, adjustments to lifting options, etc.) and the modification of the top just wouldn't be worth the risk/reward for me. I do think he could build something like it from the ground up if he had enough time but every time I talk to him he is flooded with orders.
I appreciate your ideas on it, my comments are in hope that a company would pick this up (safari cab + tent) at some point to make the best of all worlds.

 

I haven't met John personally, but I agree - everything I've heard about John and his company is first rate.

 

Another way a pop-top camper roof could be done for the Safari Cab would be something like the Dormobile conversion for the Land Rover. I've always liked the Dormobile idea because I think it provides more space inside than a tilt-up that's hinged at the front. I took these photos this weekend at Overland Expo:



A "Dormobile" Safari Cab could look something like this concept drawing...