TopperEZLift on a K5... am I crazy?

[Jon81K5]

Gentlemen I’m looking for opinions on my latest solution for camping out of a K5.

Options considered:
Chalet/Casa Grande
I’ve seen the Chalets and would probably jump on one of the opportunity presented itself, however I’m currently in HI and it’s unlikely. My other bone to pick is a chalet is for the most part a dedicated camper rig and my intent is for my K5 to be a little more multi purpose

Roof top tent
I’m currently leaning this way, the major obstacle here is designing a roof rack that can properly support a rooftop tent... would likely involve designing a subframe under the shell to for added strength

Sleep in the bed
Seen decent plans for this involving storage under a plywood deck that had a thin mattress on it. Cheapest option but minimal headroom and dominates the storage area.

Enter TopperEZLift https://www.topperezlift.com/
Basically four electric lift motors that lift the rear cap up 17.5” Fabric walls are stored in roll ups on the inside of the cap so when it’s collapsed, there isn’t any lose canvas inside the bed. Downfall here is four fairly large actuators in the bed.

It would appear the only major modification would be to the fabric? The side fabric would be attached to the sides of the bed and the front fabric to the top of the roof on the rear of the cab (I have a 91 K5). It could be pretty much watertight with some slight modifications or am I missing some major details?

Thoughts ?

 

[beags86]

That's cool. Never seen that before. I would go roof top tent, because, well because I already have one and like it.

 

[tenderfoot]

I just can't see how the top would seal & bolt back down.

If that could be figured out it would be super duper cool though

 

[Jon81K5]

I just can't see how the top would seal & bolt back down.

If that could be figured out it would be super duper cool though

I’m thinking using alignment pins, the actuators should hold plenty of downforce and there could be backup latches.

Sounds like someone has to take the hit and try it out

 

[Blue85]

Surely the actuators have to be bolted to something really solid inside. I'm curious what kind of brackets and fasteners they provide. Realistically it should be bolted to the inside bedrails and the floor, preferably spreading that load over a lot of sheet metal.

 

[ZooMad75]

Seen those recently. Interesting idea. Just not sure how well the top seals to the cab with the top down or up. The standard pickup topperis going to have a front wall that they would drape the soft wall off of with the lid up. A k5 top is obviously open plus the cab backside is open. Keeping water out in a rainstorm might be tricky with the top up.

The chalet is a decent idea, but many don't realize just how much taller it makes a K5 plus almost 18" in added length out back. To m that size is a limiting factor where you can get to off road. Finding a four wheel camper pop up for a Blazer might be the best compromise if you could find one. Then getting in to HI would be the same issue.

 

[Moody Bricker]

Like bob says u can build it,get the caves from a boat place,lift the top up then seal it to the velcro on the truck so the water runs down the out sides,,same for the back,you can make the top over the hard top for a little storage spot.

 

[Moody Bricker]

I thought that some here was going to put a hole In a 2nd top then put a bord that would flip open and put a tent on it you would enter from the hole then it would be about6"above the top

 

[Moody Bricker]

I thought that some here was going to put a hole In a 2nd top then put a bord that would flip open and put a tent on it you would enter from the hole then it would be about6"above the top

 

[Moody Bricker]

The chalet has door that is 22" ×50",and yes you can hall 8 pc1/2" ×8'ply wood or 4 pc of 1/2" × 10' dry-wall,and moved many of buds out of x,apartments,and 8 frends out to dinner

 

[imiceman44]

I thought that some here was going to put a hole In a 2nd top then put a bord that would flip open and put a tent on it you would enter from the hole then it would be about6"above the top

There was.
He didn't follow thru.
Dropped everything.

 

[runamok151]

I like the concept but two concerns come to mind.

1) This is designed to work w/ p-up shells and beds. They have a nice even vertical sections around the sides and front of both the shell and bed, w/ nice flat mating ares. That makes it very easy to design a canvas side to go around and be relatively weather proof. And it doesn't have to protect the interior of the truck. It will be much harder to make a canvas and associated hardware to seal up our blazer roof lines.

2) $1300 is a lot of $$ for a glorified tent. I'd rather buy a bed tent like this and pocket the extra $1,000.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Nap...VAo7ICh2mNQ7fEAQYAiABEgJkWPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Jon81K5]

There was.
He didn't follow thru.
Dropped everything.

Any chance there’s a thread or partial thread remaining from his attempt?

 

[imiceman44]

Any chance there’s a thread or partial thread remaining from his attempt?

Unfortunately when he got banned all his threads disappeared.

 

[Blue85]

I like the concept but two concerns come to mind.

1) This is designed to work w/ p-up shells and beds... It will be much harder to make a canvas and associated hardware to seal up our blazer roof lines.

2) $1300 is a lot of $$ for a glorified tent.

I had the same thoughts. Can't imagine paying $2k when it's not even fitted to a K5. Might as well buy a ground tent to cut up and source your own linear actuators. You could build a 2nd set (or 1st set for some of you guys!) of side panels that integrate canvas attachments and the lift mechanism. Maybe do the same with a top trim piece (where the stock dome light is) to facilitate tying the tent front to the cab. Wouldn't be too bad to have velcro on the topper all the time.

 

[a77blazerchalet]

...I’ve seen the Chalets and would probably jump on one of the opportunity presented itself, however I’m currently in HI and it’s unlikely. ....

But not impossible. Back in 2015, Chalet #1318 popped up in the Honolulu Craigslist ads as a text-only listing. The seller was, shall we say, entertaining, but that's another story. As I do with any ads having no photos, I plop whatever contact info there is into Google searches to see if a corresponding address can be found, and for this one, the phone number yielded an address between Waikui and Waimea where the Google Streetmobile drove by it. The view showing the Chalet hasn’t yet been updated.

 

[Jon81K5]

But not impossible. Back in 2015, Chalet #1318 popped up in the Honolulu Craigslist ads as a text-only listing. The seller was, shall we say, entertaining, but that's another story. As I do with any ads having no photos, I plop whatever contact info there is into Google searches to see if a corresponding address can be found, and for this one, the phone number yielded an address between Waikui and Waimea where the Google Streetmobile drove by it. The view showing the Chalet hasn’t yet been updated.

Unfortunately it’s on a different island but I may just have to plan a visit

 

[a77blazerchalet]

Unfortunately it’s on a different island but I may just have to plan a visit

No guarantees that it is still there 3 years later, but that has been the situation on other old Chalet / Casa Grande listings I've copied down. The seller said he'd rather drive it into the ocean than let it go into the wrong hands. PM'ing you his contact phone # after I post this.