Fitting a new roof skin

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26 Jul 2019 21:51 #1 by Landseer
Landseer created the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
I have seen plenty of people have replaced there roof skins but I haven’t read anything about the process and if people have had problems. My problem is I purchased a new NT roof skin from Dean and it won’t fit the roof without doing Major surgery. My panel beater estimates it has about 25mm of material too much and any amount of supposed shrinking is never going to get it too fit. Just wanted to know if other people have had similar experiences or am I just the lucky one. We have to cut the roof and reform it to make it fit which to me is pathetic for a “NEW “ panel ,plus the extra money it is going to cost.

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27 Jul 2019 05:39 #2 by Peter and Sandra OKA 374
Peter and Sandra OKA 374 replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Depends on whether you wish to maintain the ROPS capability.
The standard Oka roof is very heavy, the whole body setup is very heavy to meet the ROPS standard. There are plenty of Oka's running around with thinner bady panels, even aluminium but anything lighter will require more stiffeners underneath to stop it acting like a woopy board.
There are also other Oka's that have had the roof skin removed when a cabover camper body has been fitted to allow a lower profile at the front of the cabover, it is pretty much up to you what you do, nobody else is going to care what you do to your 20+ year old truck.
From my understanding the roof skin on an NT is one piece, XT and LT were two piece with a seam north/south down the middle. Looking at mine it appears to be pop riveted down each side so as the bodies are handmade I guess they make the skins larger than required to allow for slight changes and the sheet is bent over the edge, which might be why it is too big. Have you asked Dean? Then they are riveted, bogged and painted I guess.

OKA 374 LT Van, converted to camper/motorhome,
400ah Lithiums, 1100w solar, diesel cooking heating and HWS,
Cummins 6BT, Allison 6 speed auto, Nissan transfer.

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27 Jul 2019 05:57 - 27 Jul 2019 06:01 #3 by Holmz
Holmz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
I assume not fitting no means the old one has been removed?

The nose corner pieces were a similar deal, and took a lot of fettling time.

The local sheet metal place has competitive pricing, and the job is quicker with no shipping.


Peter and Sandra OKA 374 wrote: Depends on whether you wish to maintain the ROPS capability.
The standard Oka roof is very heavy, the whole body setup is very heavy to meet the ROPS standard...
...
.


I thought that the ROPS was from the RHS frame?
My currently has a ROPS badge, but the "Sunday roof" is so holey that the flys and every other of the good lords creations from sunshine and rain to dust makes it through.

How does the sheet metal makes give it strength for ROPS?

The weight of the roof up high.... it alone, almost require the narrow vehicle to need a ROPS standard.:huh:
Last Edit: 27 Jul 2019 06:01 by Holmz.

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27 Jul 2019 06:12 #4 by Peter and Sandra OKA 374
Peter and Sandra OKA 374 replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
The roof skin probably doesn't affect the ROPS but I think I'd prefer a thick steel skin than a poofteenth thick aluminium one if the truck was turning over ;-))
I guess you'd have to ask the engineers if the whole thing rather than just the frame was the ROPS bit.

OKA 374 LT Van, converted to camper/motorhome,
400ah Lithiums, 1100w solar, diesel cooking heating and HWS,
Cummins 6BT, Allison 6 speed auto, Nissan transfer.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Holmz

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27 Jul 2019 06:54 - 27 Jul 2019 06:55 #5 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Hi Peter, my question was the pathetic quality of the genuine roof replacement supplied by Dean it is just so badly folded it fits some spots is wildly out in others, if all OKA’s were made to the same dimensions how can they get a standard part so badly wrong, it looks like it was made by Stevie Wonder.
Last Edit: 27 Jul 2019 06:55 by Landseer.

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27 Jul 2019 11:55 #6 by mort
mort replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Hi Landseer, Yes you are right it appears that either the NT roof is about 20 - 25 mm wider at the back than the XT or LT or that the roof skin is a reject because you are not the first to have this problem.
When some one else that I know had the problem and complained they were told to just heat shrink to suit which they did but it left some wrinkles but up on the roof with solar panel its not seen and they wern"t panel beaters.
luckily for me I got my roof made by a sheet metal worker.
It would be good to be told before purchase that this is a problem rather than find out latter.
Martyn

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27 Jul 2019 12:54 #7 by Peter_n_Margaret
Peter_n_Margaret replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
I removed the roof of #196 (it was almost too heavy to lift) when I built the cab-over and the replacement is flat (not sloped) sandwich panel..
I checked with the factory at the time (2004) and was assured that its removal would NOT affect the ROPS rating.
Cheers,
Peter

Cheers, Peter.
OKA196 tinyurl.com/OKA196xtMotorhome
Mob.0428171214

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27 Jul 2019 15:28 #8 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Hi Martyn, I am glad you have heard of this problem. My roof had two
marks on it that said heat shrink here,problem is it is impossible to remove that much metal, It’s a joke, as soon as you heat the roof it creates more problems in another part, We have stopped trying to shrink it and are going to cut it and fit it that way, I have rung Dean to discuss this but only got silence,he is obviously aware of this problem.
Regards Dennis

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27 Jul 2019 17:16 - 27 Jul 2019 17:18 #9 by Holmz
Holmz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin

Landseer wrote: .... My roof had two marks on it that said heat shrink here,..


My wool jumpers , on the other hand, need marks on them that say "unshrink here"... ;)

Sounds like it is all going pear-shaped?
Last Edit: 27 Jul 2019 17:18 by Holmz.

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01 Aug 2019 16:50 #10 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Just to clarify a couple of comments,there is no cab dimension difference between XT LT or NT,the one piece roof is the difference but have the same dimensions, the roof skin is not 20 or 25 mm too big however what is very important is how do you approach the job,if you start from the centre and Cleco every drill hole into place it is a good fit,does any of the so called expert even know how to do a heat shrink ? it is not just a matter of heating metal and maybe instead of rubbishing a product should contact the supplier or get a panel beater with knowledge of flat panels
Cheers,Joe
The following user(s) said Thank You: Dean and Kaye Howells

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02 Aug 2019 14:48 #11 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Roof skin , If you are referring to me , get your facts I have contacted supplier I do have a qualified panel beater doing the job but guess what still doesn’t fit. It wouldn’t mater how many pop rivets you threw at it it still won’t fit, but no worries we will make it fit, by whatever means.For your information the skin is too big at the rear for an LT ,be prepared to make it fit if you are going down this road

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02 Aug 2019 16:58 #12 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
It is not how many pop rivets you put into it its how you start the process I have measure both XT and NT cabs and there is no difference and they had use the same manufacturing jig throughout and definitely 25 mm is an exaggeration and just so you know not every qualified panel beater is good with flat panels
Cheers,Joe

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02 Aug 2019 17:03 #13 by mort
mort replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Hi Joe,
In reply to your post.
I had believed that the frame size was the same on all 3 oka's and didnt want to believe that all or more than one of the roof skins were over sized.
I wont name who owns the oka as he likes his privacy but when he aquired it his intention was to strip it down and do a complete rebuild it was my suggestion that he gets the skins from oka spares as the price is reasonable even though he could make himself then he could spend his tiime on other areas. I was at his workshop when a test fit happened but to our surprise the roof WAS 20 mm too big at the rear no maybe about it, I had agreed that it was wrong and should get an exchange, They had contacted Dean only to be told it needed to be shrunk to fit...not having heard of this before I was embarrassed that I had recommended they get from Dean and this was 3 years ago and I have not mentioned this untill now when Landseer has the same problem so its not a one off.
You make an uncalled for remark being..... the so called expert... I dont know Landseer's panelbeater so I wouldn't even think to make a call on that one but the owners of the oka that I have followed through the rebuild have done an excellent job at shrinking the roof and no shrinking metal is not the same as heat shrink plastic.
The product wasnt rubbished just stating fact and the supplier was contacted.
the roof is not a good fit at the back and the supplier knows this which is why it was marked with shrink here.

Martyn

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02 Aug 2019 17:19 #14 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Martyn,I did two roofs of my own and help on a third and never had that problem,I did run a panel beating shop for 8.5 years and I'm yet to see anyone shrinking 20 mm in length over 1.8 metres without having the roof looking like an egg and I'm open to the challenge if a panel beater can prove me wrong and show me how to heat shrink 20 mm over 1.8 m one thing that should be checked is the history of the vehicle and to know for sure that hasn't been involved in a roll over or a serious accidents OKAs were pricey and didn't got written off like other 4x4
Cheers,Joe

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02 Aug 2019 17:21 #15 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
I think your talking crap. You havnt seen my roof you don’t know my panel beater, So I would suggest you keep out of something you have No knowledge of . The roof is badly made that’s it, If I buy a new door panel off Toyota they don’t tell me the process of fitting it, Mine was obviously badly made end of story.

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02 Aug 2019 17:59 #16 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
I think the difference is that I have fitted roof skins and you haven't you are guided by a third party and what is all the agro about it,mate I only ever speak about stuff that i have done no google no you tube just my plain knowledge,anyway why don't you take it back and get your money back if it is that bad i would take back maybe even compared with other ones in stock, if you go to OKA parts (assuming that you are in WA) there is a couple of XT cabs in the process of rebuild and a new NT cab and you can compare measurements with yours in case you vehicle been in an roll over
Cheers,Joe

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02 Aug 2019 18:31 #17 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
You answered my problem in your previous post were you say you have yet to see anybody shrink 20mm of material from a 1.8meter panel. Well that is exactly what I am expected to do, I rest my case.
PS I live in Queensland so you can see why I can’t return it.

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02 Aug 2019 19:03 #18 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Can you take photos of the dimensions along the rear edge of the roof and SMS to me I can go to OKA which is around the corner from my workshop and compare with cabs and roof skins in case you have an odd one is not good winging about the problem unless we can't fix it my number is 0419322443,don't try to heat shrink 25 mm or you will end up with a roof that look like my forehead
Cheers,Joe

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02 Aug 2019 19:20 #19 by Landseer
Landseer replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Iam going to take some photos tomorrow, The roof fits quite well along the front and down the sides . It is a tight fit on the right hand side We have put 2mm packers under the roof and clamped it, the left hand side is about 6mm too wide. If you tighten the roof rack bolts with the packers in place the left hand side does become an “EGG” the right hand side does sit pretty good. We all agree you cannot shrink this amount of metal. The only option as I can see is to cut it and get it fit .When we did attempt to shrink it, It just transferred the problem elsewhere,

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02 Aug 2019 19:47 #20 by Joseph Baz
Joseph Baz replied the topic: Fitting a new roof skin
Because you have the tension crises it is very hard even to shrink a small amount unless you transfer it in a straight line and then you loose the zinc coating over the heated areas,get me some photos I'm interested in finding what the problem is
Cheers,Joe

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