edmontoncamper
Edmonton Alberta Canada
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Joined: 08/13/2007
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Just curious... has it been done? can it be done? on a unibody van? such as a windstar? caravan etc?
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Joined: 08/19/2003
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I was looking on Craigslist.com for wheelchair lift and ramp van, and saw a couple of raised roof minivans. They are expensive.
Fred.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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there are/were conversion vans with raised roofs on mini vans when I was looking a number of years back. they sort of looked funny as the roof bump looked tacked on. I "assume" they are still available, or did you want one with side ramp, etc.?
bumpy
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The_Vintagers
Georgia USA
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Joined: 06/22/2008
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I used to work for Tra-Tech back in the '80s. They did Astro and Chrysler product minis with raised roofs. It can be done, has been done, but could not say who does it now.
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Of unibody minivans, I only recall seeing Chrysler products with the aftermarket raised roof, and they don't appear to be raised much. Yep, I wonder about weakening the unibody, too. At a guess, of the ones I see 50% are handicap-adapted to some extent, and 50% are just cruisin' vans.
The Astro is (AIUI) a full-frame mini-van, so it would be less of a problem. I see an older, faded Astro cruisin' van with a raised roof almost daily at a hotel near here. Heck, Provan used to cut the whole body off of Astros just aft of the cab, to make the Tiger GT & XL:
If I were picking an older mini-van to put a raised roof on, it'd be the Astro, all other things being equal.
I think someone has posted pics here from one of the smaller Canadian upfitters of a mini with a pop-top, but I can't recall any details.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Turtle top used to do this. don't know if they exist anymore.
bumpy
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mumkin
Minot ND USA
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Joined: 07/16/2004
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The company that does raised roofs on mini-vans is GTRV in Vancouver. There was a thread here in the past showing pictures of both their Caravan and Toyota Sienna:
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/19634404/page/3.cfm
Mumkin
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jetrier
Sun Prairie, WI
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Here's a sweet one built on a Mercedes, but I believe you can only get it in Europe. Too bad, eh?
2006 Chevy Express with a Sportsmobile Poptop, DIY inside and DIY gear trailer
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Gene in NE
Omaha
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Joined: 09/15/2003
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Handbasket wrote:...The Astro is (AIUI) a full-frame mini-van, so it would be less of a problem. I see an older, faded Astro cruisin' van with a raised roof almost daily at a hotel near here. Heck, Provan used to cut the whole body off of Astros just aft of the cab, to make the Tiger GT & XL... So...that would make the conversion a Class B? I recall that the Tiger GT was a pop top also a Class B?
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Gene
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Gene, AFAIK yes, the GT and XL would be B's, by the same logic that makes the RT 210 & PW Excel B's.... "started life as a full-bodied van". That is, unless GM made a cutaway on the Astro chassis that I've not heard of. So I guess this'd also be a B by that logic, BTW... 
  
I'll probably talk to Dave at Provan in the next week or so, and I'll try to remember to ask him if the GT & XL's were based on full-bodied Astros.
Jim, "The villagers are coming with pitchforks and torches. Please hide me."
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