Canvas sunroofs...?

**** PLEASE USE SUBTOPICS BELOW FOR NEW TOPICS ****

Moderator: volvite

User avatar
Triffid
Sponsored Member
Posts: 618
Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 6:01 am
Location: Jonesborough, TN USA
Contact:

Postby Triffid » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:29 am

Let's see the pics boss!!........ Triffid


User avatar
JAHBLESSINGS
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1400
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:36 pm
Location: 90 DEGREES FLORIDA

Postby JAHBLESSINGS » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:55 pm

want to see pics also.

graftoon
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:38 pm
Location: Boston,ma USA

Postby graftoon » Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:08 pm

also waiting to see these pics :))

User avatar
RacerZX
Site Admin
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:00 am
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Contact:

Postby RacerZX » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:58 pm

Sorry, so busy with running off to Yosemite for the weekend. More text description to come, but here pics at least: http://www.merritt.sk/RagTop

User avatar
Tez
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:25 am
Location: MA

Postby Tez » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:49 am

Very cool.

I don't think it's an option living in the North East. I wish it was.

User avatar
markspath
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:19 pm
Location: Rockaway, NJ

Postby markspath » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:05 pm

Sweet looking, Carl. I have a few concerns, though:
  • A cross member was removed from the roof, causing me concerns about the structural integrity and roll-over survivability. Does the strength of the frame for the sunroof make up for the loss of the cross member?
  • It seems you've left off the front cross-rail for the roof rack, is this because it interferes with the sunroof?
  • Does the material for the sunroof extend up beyond the top of the roof racks?
  • About how much did it cost?

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:49 pm

RacerZX wrote:Sorry, so busy with running off to Yosemite for the weekend. More text description to come, but here pics at least: http://www.merritt.sk/RagTop
Damn, I cringed through half those pics. Very cool & looks like the install went well. Did you save that portion of your roof? I wonder if you could add in some rubber base around the edges of the old piece, along with a few simple connectors & be able to use it as a sort of winter ragtop cover. How's the interior wind flow & noise?

User avatar
JAHBLESSINGS
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1400
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:36 pm
Location: 90 DEGREES FLORIDA

Postby JAHBLESSINGS » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:14 am

wow. looks great and scary at the same time. some aftermarket sun roofs have a bad habit of leaking. i too am wondering about the wind noise.

User avatar
thetiger
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 1:13 pm
Location: El Paso TX

Postby thetiger » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:23 am

I have to admit the new addition is very nice. I just don't know if would do it to mine, i would probably cry through the process. :oops: watching how the make an opening to your roof. You are one brave man!

User avatar
RacerZX
Site Admin
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:00 am
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Contact:

Postby RacerZX » Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:54 pm

Yes, two cross members were removed, and a 3rd at the very front of the opening trimmed substantially. One of the cross members was seriously stout and took quite a while to cut out, and then cut back 3/4th of an inch from the opening. I don't see any way that the sunroof frame adequately replaces that strength in the cabin, so I would not recommend rolling the truck.

The front cross rail of the cargo rack will get in the way of the sunroof as it slides open, not when it's closed (and in fact you could open it a bit with the rail there). When it's closed it's low down and won't conflict with cargo.

The sunroof cost what, $595 plus shipping and not including install.

I did save the big portion of the roof and liner, not sure what to do with them yet, maybe a coffee table...

Noise with the roof closed is minimal. There is some when doing freeway speeds, it is a cloth/vinyl top after all, but it's not louder than the tires or exhaust on my truck. When the roof is open airflow management is great and noise is very reasonable. Tall back seat passengers will get a bit of air in the teeth, but closing the roof a few inches solves that.

Not sure what to say on leaks yet. I took it to a hand-wash car wash, and they use those high pressure sprayers and yes a bunch of water got in. Haven't had a chance to hit it with the hose my self and see if there's really a problem or not. The installer has already offered to pull it out and lay a bead of silicone around the seam to seal it better if necessary.

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:47 am

RacerZX wrote:so I would not recommend rolling the truck.
Always good advice
I took it to a hand-wash car wash, and they use those high pressure sprayers and yes a bunch of water got in. Haven't had a chance to hit it with the hose my self and see if there's really a problem or not. The installer has already offered to pull it out and lay a bead of silicone around the seam to seal it better if necessary.
I hope you can get it sorted out before it really rains. I can't even imagine how bad that would suck if it dumped gallons of water into the interior :shock:

User avatar
RacerZX
Site Admin
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:00 am
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Contact:

Postby RacerZX » Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:37 pm

So it rained pretty hard this morning, quite a weird unseasonable rain storm for California, and lots of water got into my interior through the sunroof...









...because my GF left it OPEN when she came home from work last night... :shock: :x :cry:

User avatar
Captain
Sponsored Member
Posts: 692
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:41 pm
Location: S.w. Chicago

Postby Captain » Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:29 pm

s
RacerZX wrote:So it rained pretty hard this morning, quite a weird unseasonable rain storm for California, and lots of water got into my interior through the sunroof...









...because, I left it OPEN when I home from work last night... :shock: :x :cry:
Fixed it for you. :lol: Blam the GF, I do that all the time. too. :lol:

My Wife has done this before, she did it 3 times to her old Toyota. When I was looking at the PFs the sale guys asked if I wanted a sun roof. I was like hell no, it will be left open. I knew it will happen again. My mom just got a new car with a sun roof, I told her shes going to leave it open. She told me NEVER will I leave it open. Well sure enough she did, I came over in the morning one day to find it wide open after a nights rain. Man did I have a great told you so. Then I dryed he new car out for her.

User avatar
RacerZX
Site Admin
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:00 am
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Contact:

Postby RacerZX » Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:16 am

Leeks fixed!!!

The problem was the ribs in the sheet metal on the rearward portion of the roof. I picked up a tube of 3M Windshield Glazing compound, unbolted the frame everywhere but the leading edge, lifted it up and carefully laid in a bead around the sides and rear edge, plus an extra thick bead on those ribs to the rear, clamped it all back together and it's right as rain.


Return to “2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51)”