Folding Station Wagon Penthouse Plans | Vintage Hardside Car Top Camper Sleeps Two

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Folding Station Wagon Penthouse Plans
Vintage Hardside Car Top Camper Sleeps Two

Folding Station Wagon Penthouse Plans cover

Folding Station Wagon Penthouse Plans
Vintage Hardside Car Top Camper Sleeps Two

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Designed to fit any make of wagon,
this collapsible car-top sleeping
cabin can be built for about $40

SNAKES, crawling insects, or puddles of rain can't slip under the covers with you while you're sleeping in this roof-top cabin designed for station wagons.

Besides keeping you well off the ground, the collapsible cabin more than doubles the shelter area of a station wagon. Two people can sleep in the rear of the wagon, while two others bunk on top of it. If the wagon is filled with hunting and fishing gear, two campers can sleep in the cabin, leaving the gear locked inside the car.

The cabin is built on a 4-ft. by 8-ft. base of ¼-in. exterior-grade plywood. This provides ample room for a 4-ft. by 6-ft. mattress or two single inflatable mattresses. Two pillows, blankets, and the entry ladder can be stored in the extra 2-ft. when the cabin is folded.

Setting up is easier than rigging a tent.

SLEEPER CABIN folds into compact roof-top load that offers little wind resistance. Since it shades most of the roof from the sun, the wagon is cooler inside by quite a few degrees.

How it's built. Two sturdy car top carrier bars and four oak cross braces bolted to the underside of the floor stiffen the thin plywood. Cut and dado the frame sides and ends to fit around the floor, and glue and nail them in place. Note that the frame is curved at the bottom to conform to the roof contour. The curve isn't necessary, but it gives a more pleasing appearance.

The cabin sides are installed next. Cut from 3/4-in. exterior plywood, they are fitted with a thickener strip along the bottom edge to bring them flush with the base on the outside when mounted on their T hinges. Cut an 8-in. by 24-in. opening in each side and cover the openings with plastic screening, retained by a light frame. Hinge the pieces cut out so they can be used to close the openings against night breezes or rain.

A ONE-MAN JOB, setting up starts with raising the front of the roof so that the front end can drop down. The end is then fastened with wingnuts on two bolts in the base.

LIFTING THE ROOF at the rear and swinging the hinged sides up to support it is the next step. With solid footing on the tailgate of the wagon, both hands are left free to work.

DOOR FRAME UNHOOKS from underside of roof and drops into position between the sides, squaring and bracing them. Bottom edge of the door frame is locked to inside of the base.

Fold the sides into the base and assemble the roof framework to overlap the base frame 1-in. Strive for a good fit here as wind will drive rain into any gap between the roof and base when you drive at high speeds with the cabin folded. Cover the roof with a 4 1/2-ft. by 8 1/2-ft. sheet of light-gauge aluminum. Fold the edges over and tack securely.

To fasten the roof, set two 5/16-in by 2-in. carriage bolts permanently in the front end of the base frame. Drill matching holes in the roof frame to slip over the bolts. Use wingnuts to fasten this end. At the rear, install a hasp and padlock. To separate the roof from the base, lift the hasp end and slide the roof forward and off the bolts.

Figure 1. Car Top Sleeper Assembly with Dimensions

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How it goes together. Unfold the sides and brace them temporarily so they'll support the roof while you fit and install the ends. The front end, like the sides, is 1/4-in. plywood with a screened vent. Hinge it to the inside of the front roof frame, 1-in. up from the bottom edge. This lets the roof overlap the base 1-in. when the end is folded inward. Fasten a 1/4-in. by 2-in. plywood strip along the bottom edge and drill holes to match the bolts in the front of the base. These same bolts and wingnuts will hold the cabin end erect.

The rear end is a doorway of 3/4-in. plywood, also hinged 1-in. from the bottom edge of the rear roof frame. A solid door of 3/4-in. plywood is hinged to the top of the doorway so the cabin can be closed completely. A turn button inside locks the bottom edge of the door shut. Finish with one or two coats of plywood sealer followed by a coat of exterior paint.