[nc rick]

I am sure I am not the only one to have been a little anxious over this move. I do think it may well have been therapeutic! Once I drilled the first 1/8" location hole, the worry turned to work.

 

[EddieZ]

Yes, it seems crazy, yet, it must be done - and, early in the process. Good show.

 

[Budsky]

NC Rick -So what did you cut with?

I'm struggling with that a little since it is so hard to access the roof without damage.
I'd prefer to cut from inside to minimize clean up on the roof...I've considered using an air nibbler but not sure I can make it work with the channel edge near the front to back cuts and the crossmembers near the left to right cuts. The nibbler would be great if it works because of the much larger chips- perhaps easier to clean up.

I've spent to last 3 days off and on cobbling together a winch system hung from a rafter of my 3 bay metal carport to lift a 100Lb A/C to the roof. Dometic did not make it easy to attach straps to lift even with the cover off....I may have to even weld up a steel rod lifting contraption to do it.

 

[nc rick]

At just over 6' tall and with a friend holding, I was able to access rhe roof from a 6' step ladder (I'm a MR transit guy). I taped cardboard to the roof with an aperture at the point I wanted ( like open heart surgery). I cut from above, using my Bosch jig saw set to minimum orbital action and a lower speed. The fine tooth metal saw worked fantastic. I too thought of using a pneumatic "nibbler". At the end of my machinations, I just cut the darned hole. Today, I'm going to try to plug it!

I used Hein's adapter to locate and draw the position relative to the two roof corrugations and drilled an 1/8" hole from the inside corresponding to the edge of the rib I wanted as my longitudinal datum. I clamped the flange adapter to the roof with 3m 5200 and let it sit for 24 hrs.

The ac unit on the high roof sounds pretty challenging! How about some rental scaffolding? Two towers and a walkway above...

 

[Budsky]

I've been kind of watching craigslist for some used scaffolding- I happen to have one of those long aluminum ramps that pulls out from a delivery truck- pondering getting some scaffolding and putting that ramp on top as a walkway for a semi-permanent Transit roof work and washing station

 

[nc rick]

Glued and screwed that baby in there. I needed longer screws than Fantastic sent if I did it again I'd change up the procedure some. Hope I don't have to do it again ;-). Now if I paint the van green, it will look a little like a "Porta-Jon".

 

[nc rick]

Forgot to add photo!

 

[avancalledhome]

Does anyone know the gauge of the steel on the roof? A friend has a nibbler we can borrow but my understanding is they are gauge specific?

 

[Deadwood]

Nothing like getting the first cut out of the way. I have so many cutouts and holes in my van I don't think twice about it. But the first one doing my fan in the roof... I agonized over that one.

 

[EL34xyz]

yep, that's the very first mod I did to my van also

People asking about what tools to use?
I used a 24tpi blade in a jigsaw
It's a metal cutting blade and it cut like butter
Blue painters tape to draw the line on
Drill some 3/8 inch diameter holes in the corners

The roof steel is not very thick
I kept my knees on some carpet and on top of the cross beams for support and it was no problem being on the roof
Wear some knee pads to cushion your knees