Quote:
Originally Posted by '63GENIII
You and everyone else Brad! I've found long fleet, short fleet and even short step campers. I do know they made them back then but don't think they were really popular for the long steps. I've resorted to narrowing my Sportsliner enough to fit the truck. Still have an eye out for an original one but man they are tough to find. I saw one a few years back on a short step F*** that was pretty restored, super clean and 1500$ . I almost choked on the coffee I was drinking. Sad thing is, someone bought it pretty quick. Crazy.
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There's a fairly original, unrestored '66 short-step around here that has an original topper--It's exactly like the one in Post 22 of this thread. it's got a slightly rounded top on it, with the side panels that have the diamond pattern pressed into the aluminum. I was able to look at it for a few minutes, and it seems like if I found a donor for the back lift gate, and possibly side windows, it would be pretty easy to make. Looked like the front and back were simple plywood with an aluminum skin, and it had 1x1/2 slats running fore/aft forming the rounded top, and the aluminum skin fastened to the slats. It had simple open sides covered with the aluminum skin, with a couple piece of wood running fore/aft to provide some structure and a place to attach the side windows. Then there was a fore/aft piece on the bottom to tie the bottom of the plywood pieces together and give it some structure to secure to the bed rails.
I think the most difficult pieces to fabricate would be the trim piece that goes along the perimeter at the front and back--a 90-degree bent piece that starts at the bottom on one side, goes up and over and down the other side, trimming the joint where the ends and the sides meet. The hard part would be putting the 90 in the curved piece over the top, but a shrinker/stretcher tool from Eastwood would work.
If I'm going to do all that, though, I think I'd rather just build a tube "hoop" frame for each stake pocket, take it to an upholstery shop and have them make a canvas tent to go over the tubes, with a zipper door in the back. That way I can keep the back of the truck open all the time, until I go camping. The canvas will fold and sit on a shelf, with the tube frames next to it.
-Brad