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Old 04-17-2017, 01:30 PM   #5
cleszkie
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Posts: 2,191
Re: Blazer chalet custom

I have some familiarity with the pop-top campers on Blazers. I will be watching this as it develops. First thing I notice is that the frame is being made out of pretty big steel bar stock. This could end up becoming very heavy once you add in the rest of the framing, skin, interior, and canvas/vinyl. My FWC is constructed entirely out of 1-inch square aluminum bar stock, skinned in aluminum. With 10 gallons of water, and 10 gallons of propane, it weights approx. 700 lbs. You will be looking at a bit more than that, so be prepared to upgrade your suspension with bigger overload springs or air bag helpers.

Maybe I misinterpreted your project. Are you just building a tent platform that will mount over the hard top? If so, disregard my blabbering above. However, I would highly suggest bigger gussets on your vertical legs, or some diagonal bracing to prevent the whole thing from folding down under load. I built a very similar type overhead rack for my Blazer years ago, and the vibration and shaking and wind loading took its toll on the structure until I added in diagonal bracing in both directions (front to back, and side to side).

Last edited by cleszkie; 04-17-2017 at 01:38 PM.
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