In a message dated 12/10/03 7:36:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, BenTbtstr8
writes:

> Chris,
>
> Even with a half inch thick plywood, it will be hitting up against the
> curved fiberglass roof. At least that was my experience. The 2 X4 caused clearance
> problems caused problems at the lower sides. Cutting them to fit caused
> problems with the plywood being too high in the middle.
>
>

Ben, it just so happens i have a hardtop van here with a busted poptop rear
section sitting on it, sans canvas. .   got up on the roof, and even with my
weight up there squishing the fiberglass down, there was 1.25 " of open space
between the higest point of the hardtop roof ribs, and the lowest point of the
fiberglass poptop roof ribs. maybe even one and a half inches if i wasnt
standing up there.  plenty of room for a piece of plywood to stay up there all the
time, and even a foam pad seeing as how foam will compress when the top is
closed..    i see your point about the poptop having a slight convex in it, but if
spacer 2x whatever thickness  wood strips are laid down each side, screwed to
the roof, and a 1/2" piece of plywood up there as a sleeping platform
(plywood will flex..)    may be a slight longitudinal surve to it, but not as drastic
and uncomfortable as the curveature of the metal ribbed hardtop roof.

the hole cut in your hardtop roof would be between the B and C roof
reinforcements - about the size of a vanagon sunroof hole more or less, leaving the
roof reinforcements there so no structural intregrity is lost..

the only thing not gained by doing it the easy way is the facory bed..you
have a custom bed instead..still able to sleep 2 people.  no structural integrity
is lost as you dont cut any reinforcement rails.   i dont really see why
people do it the hard way.. but to each his own..
anyway i think youre making it look alot harder of a job than it really is.

chris